I desperately need more range on my network

and on the router there are these options...

TX Rates : Auto 1 2 5.5 6 9 11 12 18 24 36 48 54
Transmit Power: 100% 50% 25% 12.5%
Beacon interval : (msec, range:20~1000, default:100)
RTS Threshold : (range: 256~2346, default:2346)
Fragmentation : (range: 1500~2346, default:2346, even number only)
DTIM interval : (range: 1~255, default:1)
Preamble Type : Short Preamble Long Preamble
CTS Mode : None Always Auto
WMM Function: Disable Enable

Can changing any of them make it longer?

like decreasing beacon interval make it less likely to get interferance?


Please help. I already made a reflector. BTW you can lol at this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY8Wi7XRXCA

 

Dropping "TX Rates" value to something like 1Mbps will allow you to stay connected on a poor signal that would usually drop.

 

thanks, but that probebly wouldn't help my Dad who doesnt' like seeing only 1bar and wants me to move the router from my room (but I love my wired connection).

Thanks though, would that have any bad side effects? might as well otherwise

 

Bigger antenna? or a repeater/signal booster

 

What's the brand and model of your router?

 

Install a high gain antenna (and/or directional antenna) on the router to boost the signal. If its a model that supports the linux firmware, dd-wrt will give a better range. And you can boost the power up if needed.

 

It is a Dlink WBR 1410 or something like that.

I'm not sure it has the n capability.

 

Range has nothing to do with wireless type, a.b,g,n. It's all frequency dependent (2.4ghz or 5ghz for a, and some n) and power signal related to SNR. Some router have a better snr over other, while some even have a seperate amp to boost incoming signals. There are all types of equipment that interferes with them.

The best option is to improve the antennas with High Gain ones. Positions of routers can make a lot of difference. Higher the better. Wall construction can kill signals very easly. If any have foil backing, they are really bad.

Now if you have 2 different chipsets, some do not play with each other at all. Example, Ti to a realtec. This combo is limited to <10' with constant drops. But Realtec to broadcom will give you > 50' through 4+ walls.

In some cases you may need to set a repeater, this will cut the bandwidth to 1/2 duplex mode.

 

How much range do you need?

 

Well every bit counts, but in the end he wanted it moved, and so no more direct hookup. At least he is happy and mine functions.

I tried to do like that reflector thing, and turned extended range mode on, but it wasn't wroking good enough... My signal strength right now is "very low", but it works.

 

hi mate now i dont know a lot about wireless but over here in uk the maximum legal power of any wireless device is 100mw i purchased one of these for my laptop
http://www.data-alliance.net/servlet/the-90/high-dsh-power-long-dsh-range-AWUS036H-Alfa/Detail
they are 500mw and hell do i notice the range difference compared to using my inbuilt card
.

 

Not familiar w/ that router, I see a WBR-1310 on the Dlink website, but not a 1410. Either way, something in that model # range is probably not G+MIMO or N (which is also MIMO). MIMO technology is going to drastically increase your range. If you couple that w/ a MIMO based device that you can replace the antennas on, you can go even further.

I disagree w/ an earlier poster that range isn't dependent on the type of router/standard/whatever (b, a, g, n, etc.). It's very dependent on the technology and chipset that the router is built on top of, in addition to what frequency it uses. If you can cough up around $50-$75 US to swap out your unit, look at one of the low-end DLink N routers, or Linksys even. With G+MIMO, Pre-N, or Draft N you are going to get massively better range and thruput even w/ standard G clients than you are w/ a standard G router like the WBR-1310.

Chris

 

MIMO does nothing to increase distance, it is what increases the speed, by using 2 freq for full duplex mode. But like you said must be supported on both router and client. The distance is based on 2 things, Power (dbm & SNR) and freq. Now some of the newer 11n hardware has improved greatly on the SNR side over some 11g hardware, this is where the distance is increased. Not just because it's 11n or mimo. The radios have improved greatly. But not over all 11g hardware. Your will get better wall penetration with 2.4ghz over 5ghz. But you are also subject to more noise due to the crowded bandwidth. The weakest device in a wireless setup is the client's card. These do not have the power (dbm) as routers does and has to deal with noise from the nb. Routers use a lot better antenna system than most NB do. And if you happen to have a metal case notebook it kills the signal more.

Tests has showed 11n loose speed far quicker as distance is increased over 11g. But for a system to preform at it's best all must be matched (chipsets). MFG are still fighting each other in the 11g arena, fact. This is currently in the for front of 11n, once the std is finallized things will settle down. But don't expect 100%, it never happened with 11g, and 11n is more complicated than 11g. If every one inturpets the spec the same way and codes the same way as well as used 1 chipset this could be accomplished. But it's NOT going to happen, so expect problems. The only thing you have control over is what hardware you buy, so choose carefully if you want a good solid network.

 

I still disagree. The MIMO feature itself, broadcasting information over multiple antennas at the same time, directly results in increased range based on how it all works. The radio technology I'm sure has gotten better, but there are specific things about MIMO, that it does, that results in increased range.

I don't claim to be an engineer, far from it, but the information coming from the chipmakers and people that used this 50 year old concept and put it to use in WIFI gear explain in detail how MIMO (antenna arrays) increases range. I'm sure more technical documents can be dug up, but you get the idea here.

Thru-put comments are included as well, but typically as a seperate discussion and it has more to do w/ the antenna array doubling the data sent out as well, and the algorithms that put it all back together...totally seperate discussion/concept from the range issue.

- - - - -

http://www.techworld.com/mobility/features/index.cfm?featureid=396

MIMO algorithms in a radio chipset send information out over two or more antennas. The radio signals reflect off objects, creating multiple paths that in conventional radios cause interference and fading.

The chipset will deliver full MIMO benefits with MIMO clients. With existing 802.11b/g and 802.11a clients, the chipset will work like a conventional WLAN radio, but with somewhat longer range.

http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle....VWFP0RCQSNDLPCKHSCJUNN2JVN?articleID=17200165

MIMO systems use multiple transmit and receive antennas. A high-rate data stream is divided into multiple lower-rate streams, each of which is modulated and transmitted through a different antenna at the same time using the same frequency channel. Because of multipath reflections, each receive antenna output is a linear combination of the multiple transmitted data streams. The data streams are separated at the receiver using algorithms that rely on estimates of all channels between each transmitter and each receiver. In addition to multiplying throughput, range is increased because of an antenna diversity advantage, since each receive antenna has a measurement of each transmitted data stream.

http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/news/article.php/3463281

MIMO, which will be using beam-forming, receive combining, and special multiplexing to increase range and throughput.​

- - - - -

My point is only that anything MIMO based, regardless of the way it does it, will MOST LIKELY result in better coverage of your house and higher thru-put at distances that matter in the average home. There are exceptions to every rule and ever environment is different.

Most people don't care if it's compatible w/ anything more than their own equipment and maybe a few friends and family. You aren't typically running a public 'hotspot' in your house. The fact that it's not 'ratified' is moot to me...it's a non issue. In messing w/ dozens of peoples wireless networks, I have only run into a couple of combinations of equipment that had issues.

You can go Draft N for virtually nothing, and in many cases less than standard G or G+MIMO. Then you can toss it in the trash in a year or two when N is finally ratified and you decide it's worth moving up to it. Chances are, anything Draft 2.0 will be upgradable to the ratified standard anyway.

You can also replace the wireless card in most laptops for virtually nothing with either an Intel 2200bg ($25-30) or the Intel 4965agn ($50) and eliminate almost any compatibility issue w/ anything. I have yet to run into a wireless network I could not connect to w/ either of those 2 cards.

 

We are kind of saying the same thing. But it all gets down to the SNR as I stated. Less loss either improved by antennas or radio, result in better distance. That fact that they use multiple antennas decreases the loss. Some routers event thought they are not MIMO can and still preform the same distance and or better due to std higher gain antenna and better radio sensitivity. Most MIMO hardware comes with 1-2 dbi antennas. The reason I like AP over wireless routers, most come with 5dbi antennas. I know Buffalo has a 11g router that has an additional AMP to the receiver side to improve sensitivity and range, along with a 5dbi antenna. Most all other use the same amp for send and receive. All depends on which models you are compairing. The fact is routers are required to by law (fcc) to play well with others. So if your in a crowded area MIMO may not beable to use 2 channels, then your working as a std router. Depending on firmware, it may loose range and speed because it's only using 1 channel, but it should/could use both antenna. If this was a perfect world ALL would play and work with each other. But due to competition, mfg use and constantly change suppliers as they find ways to save cost. Doing so firmware is in constant flux as newer chipset are made.

There has been competition on who could setup a network with the longest range. With proper antennas (no amps) a 11g will reach over 20 miles (LOS) with the use of high gain beam antennas. Even bluetooth signal can be intercepted as far as 1+ miles away. So the stated range of 15 ft is a little misleading.

 

Maybe we are saying the same thing, but I think the fact that multiple antennas are creating increase range thru the MIMO technology means that it's not equivalent to adding/having higher gain antennas. That would be a seperate way (in my mind) to increase your range. I mean, if I replace the 2 antennas on my DIR-625 w/ higher gain models, I would get the benefit of MIMO coupled w/ higher gain and have even greater range (in theory). But I can see your point...and in the end, I agree, it's really all semantics and different environments are going to require different solutions.

While I doubt there are any tests of this...a MIMO device put thru the same hacks and tweaks as a standard G unit, would (I expect) yield better results. Again, in most scenarios, there's always the exception that breaks from the expected results.

There was a successful attempt by a guy back in 04/05 w/ the Belkin Pre-N router (to date the unbeaten range king afaik) where he hacked high gain antennas and got some ungodly range out of it...so anything's possible if you want to do enough electronic work I guess...

As far as the OP...I think he'd be well served (if some minor outlay of cash is possible) to replace his router w/ a cheap Draft N MIMO unit, 2 antenna, and test it out...if that's still not gettin' it, spend a few more bucks on 5dbi or 7dbi antennas and go from there.

IMO, if you can't reach every corner of your house w/ a MIMO device and high-gain antannas, you have more issues than can be resolved w/ off-the-shelf equipment and stock firmware...you need to move on to non-OEM firmware and potentially multiple access points.

Chris

 

DD-wrt gives the options to turn the TX power much higher than stock on most WRT routers. Also you can look into getting a ubiquiti wireless card that is rated for 300mw which will certainly increase your range

 

That card is 3+ times more powerful than most routers.

 

as i mentioned above the alfa works a treat 500mw .
ive attached two pics. the 1st using my atheros card
the second using the alsfa usb

 

http://www.engeniustech.com/datacom/products/Category.aspx?id=66

I've only got a 400mW card though, but it works dandy. The 600mW cards can be had for $50.

Edit; I can only vouch for the Mini-PCI cards they make. I've heard some bad things about their routers.

If only the Ubiquiti cards were cheaper I'd try them out...