Wireless booster - any suggestions?

[trumpetman]

Hi all

Been catching up on things to do - found some wireless dead spots, which I sort of expected but not in the places where I found them - don't really understand why the wireless signal is excellent when it has to travel through things, yet when there is a path of least resistance it is low.

Anyhow the router is a netgear dgn1000 have you got any suggestions for a wireless booster before I press online buttons and waste some more money?

Thanks as always

trumpetman

 

[Kev]

I used a TPlink Ethernet over mains wireless booster which worked fine, but and it's a big but, you have to setup any device to use both wireless transmitters. My wife's adndroid and my iphone never seemed to go to the strongest signal and we ended up always seemingly on the weaker signal. I also was having problems with internet dropout of the wireless broadband modem so I bit the bullet and spent a shed load of dosh on a Billion router. Problems gone. I wish I'd bought the damn thing ages ago and not spent money on Ethernet over mains adaptors and trying different routers to solve my problems.

The Billion router is stable, fast and wirelessly reaches parts of the house that my other routers were hopeless at. As the saying goes, buy cheap buy twice, or in my case thrice.

Kev

 

[MrSammy]

It's not strictly conforming with RF rules depending on where in the world you live, but one thing to try if your router is not bang in the middle of your house, but at the front or rear, is to attach a bent plastic pizza tray wrapped in tin foil to the wireless antenna. You make two holes in it and slide it down the antenna. Yes this is crazy but stick with me.

Wireless transmission is omnidirectional with the traditional stick antenna and so half of the signal will leave your house and enter the front road or the garden. By attaching this Heath Robinsonesque modification you make the transmission more directional and increase the signal strength. This might be enough to boost it enough to reach your dead-spots.

Of course this will also increase the amount of energy you personally absorb from the Wi-Fi Transmitter so if you have an issue with this then don't do it.

 

[Chumpy]

Fine advice for serendipidity success. All of the best for suitable economic unhassling solutions.

 

[Maverick]

Of course this will also increase the amount of energy you personally absorb from the Wi-Fi Transmitter so if you have an issue with this then don't do it.

the only people who seem worried never seem concerned about their microwave ovens (or their door seals) @ trumpetman

seriously we have a long house (big extension etc) and the router is at the back of the house opposite side to my office so I just ran CAT6 round to there and put a £10 switch in

why put the router there? well it's under my 3 kids bedrooms . . . there is sometimes planning in all my madness

whilst I have a very good router it is only 11b/g but it copes, 11n capable kit will give you much longer range

I do use one mains plug system for the Sky box at the front of the room, but the Blu-Ray player there is very happy with wireless

all going to change next year as BTOpenReach have started installing the FTTC boxes :22:

 

[AmDismal]

I just got myself a wireless range extender - Currys had this one TP-Link thingy for £17.99 delivered, back up to £30 now. It's not a huge problem for me, as most of the living room space is quite near to the router, but the kitchen and garden are intermittent. Will see how it works. I had a wifi extender years ago, but it was early in the evolution of the product, and they couldn't deal with encryption, duh! This should be better...

 

[Guest]

I use TP link as my SBT is not near the router , it works fine

 

[Maverick]

I use TP link as my SBT is not near the router , it works fine

TP Link gear is normally good and value for money (my office switch is one of theirs)worth checking the IT suppliers, my favourite is Aria but I will go with anybody ;-)

 

[themadlatvian]

I use TP link as my SBT is not near the router , it works fine

TP Link working well here, as I type indeed.

 

[trumpetman]

I'm glad I didn't press any buttons last weekend - some great suggestions here thanks! Got a bit of time on my hands now so I will get it sorted this weekend

Cheers

trumpetman

 

[MallyMad]

+1 for TP link thingy. My one plugs into a LAN socket and mains and boosts the on board wifi so I get a decent signal in my cabin. £15 and I've never had any bother with it. Quite wee and dinky as well.

 

[trumpetman]

All done the TP link thingy did the jobby - thanks to all for the suggestions, now to get my pooter audio experiment up and running. Might have to start a new thread.

Cheers

trumpetman

 

[drummerjohn]

The major drawback of wireless extenders is they halve the throughput as they have to transmit the same data twice. I am referring to wireless extenders that do not use a cable to connect to the router\switch but purely use wireless for data transmission.

 

[Chumpy]

Fine helpful suggestion/endorsements IMO.