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Thread ID: 102752 2009-08-31 03:06:00 Improving wireless signal boochild (11733) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
805596 2009-08-31 03:06:00 Hi

Recently moved into a rental home. Older house, which has concrete external walls, and several internal as well where the house has been obviously extended. There are only two phone jacks, through an internal wall from each other. Study at the other end of the house.
Desk has a PCI wireless card. The signal registers as being very low, or none at all. Wife's laptop works fine through the house. Router is a Linksys WRT54G v5.

What can I do to improve or boost the signal?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
boochild (11733)
805597 2009-08-31 03:52:00 You could install a larger antenna on it (potentially best solution), you could install some non-standard firmware and boost the power output, or lastly you could install a repeater access point which would set you back ~$100 (Second-best solution IMO). Chilling_Silence (9)
805598 2009-08-31 03:57:00 You have quite a few options....I'll list them to cheapest to most expensive

1. Buy or create your own antenna
i.e Something like these:
www.dslreports.com

2. Buy another WRT54G or WL-520GU, throw on custom firmware and set it up as a repeater bridge or WDS. Note that your desktop will not need a wireless card anymore as you can plug this into the repeater.

3. Buy a second hand or new Ethernet Over Power pair on TradeMe or at a PC shop

4. Buy a wireless N router with greater range.

Chill: I've never really seen much difference in terms of signal strength and speed by increasing the transmit power, what have you set it to that has made a significant difference?

Cheers
Blam
Blam (54)
805599 2009-08-31 05:24:00 Yeah I've not seen much either, but then again I wonder if Tomato actually "supports" that option on the WL-520GU ... ? Chilling_Silence (9)
805600 2009-08-31 05:31:00 I've seen marginal gains with DD-WRT on a Linksys WRT54GL by bumping up the tx power. They aren't big enough to bother with though. somebody (208)
805601 2009-08-31 06:54:00 Yeah I've not seen much either, but then again I wonder if Tomato actually "supports" that option on the WL-520GU ... ?

Yea...I think it does, because I've tried it and its seemed to increase speed by about 1-3%...

Not really significant enough though
Blam (54)
805602 2009-08-31 12:26:00 Yeah, boosting power through Tomato doesn't do much though I have seen people turn it up way too high and frying the routers after a while. Simply not worth bothering with. beeswax34 (63)
805603 2009-08-31 12:34:00 Get perfect signal and much faster and reliable connection by switching to "ethernet" :lol:

So the laptop works fine even in the same place as the desktop?

Which way does the desktop antenna face? is it located so the signal has to travel through the PC before it gets there?
Agent_24 (57)
805604 2009-08-31 12:36:00 Buy a tube of pringles? :D Sick Puppy (6959)
805605 2009-08-31 19:45:00 There's always a Dork around just when least expected gary67 (56)
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