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Geek Culture / I've gone wireless - any advice?

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BatVink
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 06:02
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Just installed my D-Link Super-G router (108 Mbps!!!!)
Wireless Card plugged into laptop, and it all works fine.

I have an issue with reception - the router is in the converted loft, it doesn't quite make it to the dining room 2 floors below and many walls in between.

Anyone got any good advice on setting it up? The antenna moves in all directions, but I don't know if pointing it "down" to the floors below is the right thing to do?

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OSX Using Happy Dude
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 06:28 Edited at: 4th Aug 2004 06:38
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According to PC Format, you wont get much more than 28Mbps with the 108 cards - probably would have been better to go for a 'g' card!

Its not helped by the many walls & things, especially if there are also electrical things around (the 108 frequency apparently can be affected by telephones and microwaves or something).

Aside from that, my routers aerials just stick out horizontally - I think thats the best you can do.


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CattleRustler
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 06:47
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BatVink, most likely the included antennae are 2dbi Omni directional which means pointing it wont help, although any line-of-site you could achieve between the 2 devices is great. You can get higher gain omni directional, or directional antenneas to replace the existing one. This is what I have to do for wireless G linkysys. I was going to buy a third party replacement but now Linksys just announced hi gain replacements from within linksys so I am waiting to see whats up with that. You can also use a pringles can or some tinfoil to "aim" the omni directional antennae at a target which may help. Either way I'd suggest set your WEP encryption on and lock down your router by only allowing certain (friendly) MAC Addresses to have access.

good luck


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spooky
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 07:32
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Same as CattleRustler says. My wireless network has WEP encryption on (means you need to think up a password that you set on the router and each pc). MAC address lockdown which means adding all wireless network cards MAC addresses to the router. This stops dodgy neighbours using your net connection. I can see three different wireless networks from my house. One of them is properly secure but I can connect and browse the net quite easily on the other one!

You may also want to hide the SSID key at the router level to stop network showing up automatically on anyones pc. Makes setting up slightly more mundane but is supposedly a bit safer.


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David T
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 07:54
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My advice? Don't close any doors. I lose my connection when I do

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BatVink
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 08:15
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Quote: "According to PC Format, you wont get much more than 28Mbps with the 108 cards - probably would have been better to go for a 'g' card!"


It's a "g" card - "Air Plus Extreme G" model, that's what makes it 108 mbps, I believe.

Quote: "I'd suggest set your WEP encryption on and lock down your router by only allowing certain (friendly) MAC Addresses to have access."


I'm using WEP with a shared encryption key - you have to enter the 10 digit hex key on the remote client before it will allow access. Is that secure enough?

Quote: "Don't close any doors. I lose my connection when I do "

Simple but effective advice!

Quote: "You may also want to hide the SSID key at the router level "

Now I'm showing my ignorance! I thought that if I did that, I wouldn't be able to find the network from a laptop.

One thing I have found is that Windows auto detection is pants. I have to manually configure it for it to work.

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David T
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 08:17
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Quote: "Simple but effective advice!"


Heh my middle names :p

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Dazzag
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 08:33
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Turn off all other wireless devices just to check. Basically I have had a "b" wireless network for a few years now, with no problems. Usually have at least 3 devices with no probs. Got a new laptop with a "g" card and bought a "g" access point/router. All the "b" devices still worked, but not the "g", unless I was right next to the access point (and then it worked almost anywhere till I turned it off). After a hell of a lot of upgrades and patches later (there is a lot of problems exactly the same on the net if you look hard enough) I found out it was actually the damn wireless tv sender that I use to send Sky to other rooms in the house. Rats. Can always muck around with channels luckily, but now I have excellent links at 54Mbits with one floor and several walls in the way. Tops.

Oh, and do the obvious uploading of drivers etc, and try getting the card's drivers do the work rather than windows (is in the wireless setup somewhere). Most internet sites recommend this.

Cheers

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DrakeX
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 08:39
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i'm not sure how well this will work for you, because it's on another floor, but.. we found a website where they give you a template to cut out of cardboard, cover in aluminum foil, and you bend it into a sort of dish shape and stick it on the little antenna. it works amazingly well. in a part of the house where we used to get 25-30% we now get nearly 90%. we just used a manilla folder for the cardboard.

wish i knew the site address


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Dazzag
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 08:41
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Quote: "Don't close any doors. I lose my connection when I do"
Really? I've never had any problems. Lead lined doors or something?

Cheers

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CattleRustler
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 11:20
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BV yes thats the wep, but also in the router setup there should be a way to specify that "ONLY these MAC Addresses can connect", then you enter the MAC's of each of your wireless devices in the list.

Also someone mentioned turning off SSID broadcast, yes do that too!


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OSX Using Happy Dude
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 17:03 Edited at: 4th Aug 2004 17:06
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Quote: "It's a "g" card - "Air Plus Extreme G" model, that's what makes it 108 mbps, I believe.
"

I was thinking of the 54mbps system...


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David T
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 18:52
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Quote: "Really? I've never had any problems. Lead lined doors or something? "


Nope. It must be that the door is in the path of it.

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Dazzag
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 22:01
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Quote: "Nope. It must be that the door is in the path of it."
Erm. Isn't it a radio signal? Also, I am normally in a completely enclosed room on the other side of my house and it works fine at 54mbits.

Cheers

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BatVink
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 22:02
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Everything running smooth now. The main problem was that the configuration wizard didn't save the encryption key. Windows just doesn't connect - no messages, no bo diddly squat.

thanks for all the advice, appreciated. I might just invest in some tin foil on the way home to experiment.

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David T
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Posted: 4th Aug 2004 23:29
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Quote: "Erm. Isn't it a radio signal? Also, I am normally in a completely enclosed room on the other side of my house and it works fine at 54mbits."


That's what I thought :s

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Dazzag
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Posted: 5th Aug 2004 02:20 Edited at: 5th Aug 2004 02:22
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Actually I would have thought the more walls/ doors etc in the way probably causes it to degrade. So the less you have, the better it will be. I also heard you can use multiple access points to cover a larger area, but with only one modem. So your computer talks to access point one, which then broadcasts and is picked up by access point two which is connected to the modem. So access point one acts as a link to access point two, or as a booster if you like. Don't know how to set it up though, just noticed various vague "hints" when I was searching to try and fix my wireless.

Basically, unless you have 5 foot thick walls, 5 storeys, or/ and lead lined walls, then I would guess there is an interference somewhere (ie. a wireless interference rather than physical). Both my "b" and "g" devices connect at either max or one or two points lower than max (eg. 48mbit rather than 54mbit sometimes) with several walls and a couple of closed doors in the way. And the access point is on the floor below too, and at the other end of the house. Ok, so not exactly miles away, but a fair distance, and pretty much no degregation of signal. Would have thought 3 floors or so wouldn't effect it terribly. Oh, and my install manual recommended putting the access point away from computers/ electrical devices etc, and (if possible) near the ceiling if you want a better signal upstairs. Makes sense I suppose, but if you could get a high shelf to put it on, would probably help some.

Cheers

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Mentor
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Posted: 5th Aug 2004 04:46
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if you have a metal lined firedoor that might drop the signal or cause "ghosting" that would mess up transmission, we have five metal lined doors in our house that ensure that a fire can`t get into the main hallway/staircase access easily (so we can get out rather than burn in the event of a fire)


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