[sidhu1990]

hi,
i'm siddhartha. at present i am using Netgear DG834G as wireless modem and router to connect to internet by my laptop and create a network between my laptop and desktop to share files and printer. my laptop can connect to the net through wireless modem even when my desktop is switched off. this is the background. at present i am living in a very small flat approx. 550 square foot area.

now i am shifting to a much bigger flat approx 1500 sq.ft. how can i increase my wi-fi coverage area. i have heard that using router at various places i can do that. can you please tell me how to configure a router step by step please.... as i am using netgear wifi modem is it mandatatory that i have to use netgear router or i can use any router like linksys, d-link etc ? i need all the details like connections and setup procedure. is there any tips how to place a router so that it can coverage a greater area? i am not a computer professional. i set up my first wifi network at my home by going through tutorials from the net. now i need another one to increase coverage area.

thank you all. i will be highly obliged if someone please resonds. thanks

sidhu

[JohnWill]

Hawking Tech has a number of products that will help you increase your wireless range. The root page is Hawking Hi-Gain™ WiFi Range Extending Products.

Some of the more interesting products are this Hawking [HSB2] Hi-Gain WiFi Signal Booster, which can be used on either end of a wireless connection to boost the signal power.

Another way to increase your signal strength is by the use of hi-gain antennas. You can choose from omni-directional or directional models, here are a some examples.

Hawking [HAI7SIP] Hi-Gain 7dBi Omni-Directional Antenna

Hawking [HAI15SC] Hi-Gain 15dBi Corner Antenna

[HAO14SD] Outdoor Hi-Gain 14dBi Directional Antenna Kit


This is just a sample of available products, many people have hi-gain antennas with similar specifications, but I haven't seen any other suppliers of signal boosters.

[sidhu1990]

thank you johnwill. thanks for such an rapid response. i live in india. i am not sure whether this brand will be available or not. definitely i will search for it in the market today. common brands here are linksys, d-link, asus etc. i have heard that i can add access points or reapeaters. how to do that? what's the difference? thanks again.

regards,
sidhu

[TerryNet]

What you'll need and use depends a lot on the layout of your new place and where the primary router will be. For instance, if the router is centrally located a better antenna may be all that's needed; if it's in one corner you'll almost certainly need additional AP(s) or repeater(s). The draft 2 802.11n routers have up to 4 or 5 times the range of 'g' but I don't know how much of that gain you get if the adapters are not 'n.'

You can add wireless access points (AP) or wireless routers configured as access points. You run an ethernet cable from the primary router and the AP gives you another wireless signal; any computers connecting to it are still on your same LAN.

A repeater seems to be difficult to get working for a lot of people, and is less desirable than running a cable as above. A repeater (or extender) receives the wireless signal from the primary router and rebroadcasts it (and, of course, does the same operation in the other direction).

[sidhu1990]

thank you terrynet,
what i have made out from you and the net is if i want to increase the coverage area by placing an access point that access point has to be physically connected to my NETGEAR DG834G ADSL modem router by an ethernet cable. what i am trying to say is it true that access point has to be physically connected to the LAN? is it possible to have an access point without any cable, fully wireless. problem with my house is desktop and modem router both are placed at one corner of the house. for which i have to add some thing to increase coverage area. i do not want to run cables from here to there. it should be neat & clean. probably a repeater can do so. can you please tell me why a repeater is not desirable? i do not know anything about these thing, so i am asking to you. please. my NETGEAR DG834G ADSL modem router is 802.11g. should i buy a repeater that runs on 802.11g. or can i buy .11n- new ones ? i have asked a lot of questions at one go. sorry,

thank you all

sidhu

[JohnWill]

I'd really look to increase the signal coverage of the base station, it's the simplest method to get expanded coverage. No configuration required, just connect the parts.

[TerryNet]

You are correct about needing a cable to connect a wireless access point to the router. When I hear "flat" I think one story and renting, so the next sentence probably doesn't apply to you. For neat cable routing consider ways to get the cable to the basement or attic or outside and then back to where you want the other end.

My actual and virtual networking experience is nothing compared to John's, but I certainly agree with his advice to keep things as simple as possible. If the problem is getting the signal to carry farther or to penetrate more "normal" walls then a better antenna and/or a draft 2 N router is preferable to the other methods I'll outline below. If the problem is getting around difficult obstacles (e.g., concrete or steel walls) then you do need to go with something else.

Since a repeater receives a packet and then rebroadcasts it the total wireless traffic is doubled. That means that the effective bandwidth (speed) is halved. Depending on how you use it (size of downloads or files copied between computers) that may or may not be a problem. In theory an N repeater should work with a G router, but since I have zero experience with repeaters if I were buying one I'd be looking to get one that matched my router as closely as possible (preferably one where the user manual says 'designed to work with the <xxx> router').

A wireless bridge (also called AP Client) is the inverse of an access point. It will connect via wireless to your router and provide an ethernet connection at its remote location. Some people use them to connect a game machine because the cost is less than for the special gaming wireless adapters. I have successfully used one to connect a camera and to connect another wireless router. I'm including this only for completeness because from what you've said so far I think a wireless bridge would not be useful for your use. But note that using one with a wireless router gives you essentially a repeater with some ethernet ports also.

Another product is 'ethernet over power line.' You connect one unit to your router via ethernet and plug it in. You plug in other units and connect them via ethernet to a computer, switch, access point, etc. The signal is carried on your electrical wiring. Some people have reported that they are great while others have had zero success. Seems "obvious" to me that the success of this method has a lot to do with the soundness of your electrical system. If I were to ever try this I would be darn sure that a return for full refund would be guaranteed and easy and convenient.