Wireless REPEATER

  • Thread starter Thread starter Fred S *****
  • Start date Start date
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Fred S *****

I replaced a Netgear wireless router with a Belkin wireless N router.
The Netgear was dropping the connection too often requiring a power down
power up of the router to get the wireless back.

The new Belkin is working fine but the signal is weak when I am using my
laptop downstairs. I also note that transfer time is slower than I would
like.

If I connect my laptop with the wireless card in the same room,
everything is fine, good signal strength, good data transfer, etc. When
I move the laptop downstairs in my family room, the drop off in speed
and connection strength gets worse.

I'm thinking of getting a "repeater" or a booster to provide "help" for
my laptop when it is downstairs.

How does this work? Does the repeater have to be hard wired from the
modem like the router? Does it work using the wireless signal itself and
then just repeat it?

Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks, Fred S
 
depends on what you setup. you can hard wire to the router and use
roaming - same SSID, different channel. or you can use some hardware
as a repeater, unwired with same SSID and same channel (WDS is what
to look for - the hardware MUST support this). repeaters usually
halve the speed as they must repeat in both directions. check the
Belkin site to see if the router you bought supports WDS.

I replaced a Netgear wireless router with a Belkin wireless N router.
The Netgear was dropping the connection too often requiring a power down
power up of the router to get the wireless back.

The new Belkin is working fine but the signal is weak when I am using my
laptop downstairs. I also note that transfer time is slower than I would
like.

If I connect my laptop with the wireless card in the same room,
everything is fine, good signal strength, good data transfer, etc. When
I move the laptop downstairs in my family room, the drop off in speed
and connection strength gets worse.

I'm thinking of getting a "repeater" or a booster to provide "help" for
my laptop when it is downstairs.

How does this work? Does the repeater have to be hard wired from the
modem like the router? Does it work using the wireless signal itself and
then just repeat it?

Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks, Fred S
Click to expand...
--

Barb Bowman
MS Windows-MVP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/meetexperts/bowman.mspx
http://blogs.digitalmediaphile.com/barb/
 
I replaced a Netgear wireless router with a Belkin wireless N router.
The Netgear was dropping the connection too often requiring a power down
power up of the router to get the wireless back.

The new Belkin is working fine but the signal is weak when I am using my
laptop downstairs. I also note that transfer time is slower than I would
like.

If I connect my laptop with the wireless card in the same room,
everything is fine, good signal strength, good data transfer, etc. When
I move the laptop downstairs in my family room, the drop off in speed
and connection strength gets worse.

I'm thinking of getting a "repeater" or a booster to provide "help" for
my laptop when it is downstairs.

How does this work? Does the repeater have to be hard wired from the
modem like the router? Does it work using the wireless signal itself and
then just repeat it?

Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks, Fred S
Click to expand...

Several wireless access point / router can have one antenna "replaced"
with a higher gain antenna. However, part of the N wireless specs is
that the three antennas are using MIMO (multi-in, multi-out) signals.
This show provide greater signal distance than the plain single
antenna.

It must be stated that wireless signals are affected by the
environment that the router is placed in. Wooden or plaster walls
should not affect the signals too much. Concrete or metal walls will
"block" the signals.
 
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