Wirless Network Repeater?

[Squintz]

Can you use a wireless bridge as a repeater for your network. In my house i have a wirless router in my basement but have poor signal strength in my upstairs bedroom. I was wondering if i could but a bridge in my living room to act as a repeater or is there a piece of hardware that is made just for this purpose. Its 802.11b but i might be switching to wifi or wireless G. Whats the difference between all of these?

 

[electron]

Linksys sells wireless repeaters for this purpose, check out their site, it's on there somewhere.

 

[theAberdeenKid]

Have you thought of a High Gain Antenna replacement.

http://www.linksys.com/products/group.asp?grid=33&scid=38
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802.11b vs 802.11g

First the 802.11 is an unregulated frequency and can accept interference from appliances such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, and other appliances using the same 2.4 GHz range. However, by installing 802.11 gear at a reasonable distance from other appliances, interference can easily be avoided. But be aware that moving your router to a different location can result in better/worse performance.

802.11b
802.11b supports bandwidth up to 11 Mbps, comparable to traditional Ethernet.
802.11b uses the same radio signaling frequency - 2.4 GHz - as the original 802.11 standard.
Pros of 802.11b - lowest cost; signal range is best and is not easily obstructed
Cons of 802.11b - slowest maximum speed; supports fewer simultaneous users; appliances may interfere on the unregulated frequency band

802.11g
802.11g supports bandwidth up to 54 Mbps, and it uses the 2.4 Ghz frequency for greater range. 802.11g is backwards compatible with 802.11b, meaning that 802.11g access points will work with 802.11b wireless network adapters and vice versa.
Pros of 802.11g - fastest maximum speed; supports more simulatenous users; signal range is best and is not easily obstructed
Cons of 802.11g - costs more than 802.11b; appliances may interfere on the unregulated signal frequency

 

[Squintz]

Thanks Aberdeen Kid. I learned a few things from that. One thing im still not sure about is WiFi. I know my computer already has a wifi adapter slot. I just need to but the card and antenna from asus. But is it any faster and does it have more power to travel long distances.

Also you mentioned a high gain antenna. Do these make a significant difference or is it minimal?

 

[smee]

WiFi (wireless fidelity) in the strictest sense is supposed to indicate compatability. All devices which state they are WiFi certified should work together (assuming they are the same type (a b g)). An 802.11b wireless card from Linksys that is WiFi certified should work with an 802.11b access point from D-Link that is also WiFi certified, even though they are made by different manufacturers.

The organization that runs this:
www.wi-fi.org

In the general sense, the term WiFi is now used by many people just to mean wireless networking. When the restaurant down the road posts a sign that says "Free WIFI" I don't think they are considering compatability - they're just telling me that they've got free access to an 802.11b wireless access point (which, by the way, works well with my WiFi-equipped PDA).

 

[theAberdeenKid]

Also you mentioned a high gain antenna. Do these make a significant difference or is it minimal?

I've heard from people anecdotally that it is a significant increase in signal strength (as in it cured their problems) but I don't know the numbers.

 

[DavidL]

The high gain antennas will focus the direction to transmit and to receive into a smaller air space than an omnidirectional. This concentrates the energy in the direction you want to broadcast, thereby getting better reception in that direction. Most consumer antennas squash top to bottom so more of the available energy goes towards distance. Of course this also limits the energy that is available in the basement or second floor.

 

[AutomatedOutlet]

Well, I'm not very technical in this area but I'll tell you a little about my experience with all of those devices.

I have a G router in the house. I had issues getting the signals to a couple of areas. I tried 2 kinds of omnidirectional antennas and 2 kinds of directional ones. Although it could have been pilot error, neither seamed to help much. I then bought one of those bridges. That did seem to help a little. I was able to get the signal to another part of the house and then from there have a wired connection.