Need help extending my wireless routers range

Rupp

Senior Member
Guys,
I completed my move to the wiring closet and I have run into small problem. After moving my wireless router I'm having trouble getting a strong enough signal to the front of the house were I spend the most time on my laptop. What are the best ways to get the signal "boosted"? Should I look to buy an antenna or maybe a repeater? Suggestions. TIA.

I have a DI 713P D-Link Router.
 
I have a DI 713P D-Link Router
Seems only a revision C.1 or later of that model can use an external antenna (refer to attached chart).

Not sure which one to get. A directional pointed to your weak spot would help the front, but then it may not get signal to the back. Might be safe to just try an omni-directional if they are not to expensive or give D-Link a call.
 

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Wireless APs are so cheap nowadays, just buy another and put it on the LAN in the dead zone. Will always be better than putting an antenna on an out of the way router.
 
BSR,
I'm lucky and have one of the last DI 713P's made. They added removable antennas to this model.

DavidL,
I wouldn't mind adding a wireless AP but I'm not too sure how? My house is not wired with cat5 at all and it hasn't been a problem until now. Doesn't an AP need to be added to the network via cat5?
 
This device by Hawking: http://www.hawkingtech.com/prodSpec.php?ProdID=224 is supposed to boost your wireless output from 100mw to 500mw. If that's not enough, you can add one of their high-gain antennas as well.

The signal amps are not for sale yet, but the antennas are. You can get high-gain indoor or outdoor antennas. I have a corner-mount one that works well, but due to the layout of my current residence, it goes unused. If I were to do it all over again, I'd buy one of the high-gain OUTDOOR wireless ones and just mount it indoors (on the back of my computer armoire, where it would only be slightly visible). But my sub-2000 Sq Ft, thin-walled house has adequate coverage well into the the street and backyard as it is so I don't need any sore of signal boosting currently.
 
Guys how does a wireless access point connect? After reading up a bit it sounds like what I need.
 
Wireless APs are so cheap nowadays, just buy another and put it on the LAN in the dead zone
If you did this wouldn't you have to exchange PCMCIA receiver cards (or resynch them) because of their security codes when you went into a different area (another zone that is picked up by the second unit)?
 
Guys how does a wireless access point connect? After reading up a bit it sounds like what I need.

The problem with the wireless access point (WAP) is that you will need to have a Cat5 connection to your wired network and change you security settings.
The range expanders do not require a Cat5 connection and will allow you to keep your existing hardware and security settings.
 
theAberdeenKid ,
The problem is the range extenders only work with exact model matches and DLink doesn't offer an extender that matches my older 713P.

I think I will add a wire to my existing wireless router and run it across the house to the dead zone and add an AP at this spot. Now if I can just figure out the roaming part of the equation where the hand-off between the router and ap automatically takes place.
 
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