We are currently using a d-link wireless router for our laptops and it has worked fine until recently and I don't know if it's just from old age or something else but when more than one person is using it, the reception lowers to miserable levels where I can't use the internet in my room anymore.

This is virtually a 2 part question:
Is there a solution to fixing bad reception? Is it a simple change of antenna?

If not:
What solution do you recommend? Buy another router/access point and which brand should I go for as the wireless has to travel through a few walls. I am wireless N compatible as well but the cheapest solution is probably going to suit me the best.

Thanks in advance.

This antenna works wonders.

http://www.dlink.com.au/Products.aspx?Sec=1&Sub1=18&Sub2=38&PID=202

$69 from Umart

RUSTA

last edited by RUSTA at 21:11:36 20/Feb/08

If it's not already in a central location, move the router closet to the center of the area you want coverage in if it's at all possible.

Yeah well I thought about that, but the jerk who owns it is a real big jerk and he likes it in his room. I don't mind forking out $80 or so for better reception, 'cos quite frankly the distance between my room and his is about 5 metres and 2 walls. Surely a piss poor effort from a wireless router to not reach that far.

Solution

This antenna works wonders.

http://www.dlink.com.au/Products.aspx?Sec=1&Sub1=18&Sub2=38&PID=202

$69 from Umart

$69 for a desktop omni antenna!!? extortion!

I have two suggestions. Either:

1. Getting a high-power USB wireless adapter if you want serious signal-strength gains. I use this 500mW adapter, just within legal limits .. uses a Realtek chipset and is fantastic (I can now get full speed across the house):

Alfa AWUS036H ($82.50)

Before someone comes in to say that USB adapters are crap: the brand-name ones like Netgear are crap, but the no-name ones based on popular chipsets (ie Realtek) work great with no problems.

2. Instead getting a router like a WRT54GL ($80-90ish), putting dd-wrt on it, bumping up the power to 84mW and placing it physically between you and the other guy's router in Repeater-bridge mode (there are tutorials for this). There will be more collisions and slightly more jitter/latency, but it pretty much acts like a repeater. Not fully guaranteed to fix the problem (if you are already s***-close to the wireless router in the guy's room), but an option if you dont like a USB adapter.


last edited by parabol at 22:15:21 20/Feb/08

buy a anttenna on ebay that what i did cheap

buy a anttenna on ebay that what i did cheap

Many of the really cheap ebay antennas are questionable in quality and function and could give you worse signal strength. Despite this, it's a good idea to seek out the ones with actual model numbers so you can do your own research and confirm the specs on the manufacturer's site.

5m and 2 walls? Ok my router reaches the entire length of my house which is who knows how long on the standard antenna. The way you describe the owner of the router are you sure he hasn't turned on QoS and severely limited your port/the wifi access in order to just get the best ping in WoW he possibly can?

2. Instead getting a router like a WRT54GL ($80-90ish), putting dd-wrt on it, bumping up the power to 84mW and placing it physically between you and the other guy's router in Repeater-bridge mode (there are tutorials for this). There will be more collisions and slightly more jitter/latency, but it pretty much acts like a repeater. Not fully guaranteed to fix the problem (if you are already s***-close to the wireless router in the guy's room), but an option if you dont like a USB adapter.

I was going to suggest this but imho it's a lot of screwing about and an extra power plug used just to get a better signal.

find a dodgy pringles-can cantenna and screw it on.

I bought a cheap-ish cantenna off eBay a couple of years ago that came with a usb2 nic for ~$70au. I don't use the nic anymore, though if I need to use the lappy out the backyard I just unplug the standard antenna from my crappy netgear access point and screw in the cantenna.

it might sound crazy, but the boost in reception I get is phernominal.

that's a bit of expense to goto if its your wireless router that's dying though.

*edit*

a lot of people who have your problem can also have extra users/devices hanging off their network that they aren't aware of. prolly a good idea to look into that

last edited by koopz at 02:53:30 21/Feb/08

5m and 2 walls?

Remember, it's not so much about how many walls or the thickness of them, it's about the angle. If the walls are perpendicular between points A and B, then that's the ideal scenario... for every degree closer to 45 degrees the walls get, the wall 'appears' thicker as far as signal degradation goes.

As for cheap antennae, they're cheap for a reason. And at least DLink will warrant theirs (not that there's anything that can really go wrong with an Antennae short of you frying or damaging it).

just undo a metal coat-hanger wrap 1 end around the metallic contact on the router and voila ghetto antenna with über range

haha I'm gonna try that one d[o_0]b

I use the antenna as per Rusta, and it works fine. Mind you, it was free.

Get a new router mainly...

5m and 2 walls? Ok my router reaches the entire length of my house which is who knows how long on the standard antenna. The way you describe the owner of the router are you sure he hasn't turned on QoS and severely limited your port/the wifi access in order to just get the best ping in WoW he possibly can?

Yeah it used to be able to do that. I'm not sure if that d-link router has QoS capabilities? I don't think it does and he's not smart enough to turn it on. It can't be the case anyway because once I get closer to his room I can download at 150kbps which is what my crappy ADSL can do at max anywayz.

it is your adsl connection, as in you pay for it by yourself?

it is your adsl connection, as in you pay for it by yourself?

Yeah but that doesn't matter, I don't mind him using it since he doesn't download stuff, he just plays WoW and CS.

what? so it's your connection you pay for it? man up and tell the f***stick to move the router to a central location then, if he doesn't like it tell him to f*** off and get his own internet connection. You're paying for it yet he's the only one able to use it, how is that fair?

edit: oh and my dlink is a noob pos router and still has QoS so unless yours (his) is some rock from the stone age it's probably got it and you'd be surprised at just how slow it can make your connection if mis-configured. I started messing about with it on my wrt and hell I had to reset the router because I'd accidentally limited my LAN ports to snail pace and couldn't access the router :p

last edited by whoop at 19:41:49 21/Feb/08

f*** yea Massive

whoop: ditto.

that is bs.