Wireless internet signal boosters

[_tom_]

Are there any that actually work properly? I've just moved my computer into a different room of the house (my new "music room" :D) and the wireless signal is either "very low" or nonexistant, even though I'm only moving a few metres down the hallway! I think the problem is thick stone walls as it's an old house. Anyway the signal is "very good-excellent" in my old room so was thinking about putting a booster in there to re-transmit the signal to the new rooms.

I remember those homeplugs being mentioned before but I don't quite understand how they work so I think a simple wireless signal repeater or something would be better!

If it makes any difference the router is a BT Business Hub. I also have a Homehub from my old uni place, any idea if this can be set up to repeat the Business Hubs signal?

[Nadz1lla]

Hmm, I used to work for BT Openzone, and I never heard of two Hubs being applied like that. I think it would be improbable as they work off different WEP keys etc, but it might be worth calling them up to check. Don't worry, BT Openzone / BT Fon are UK based, heh.

I think a booster would be the best way to go, from what I've heard, the plug-in ones aren't too shabby. The best way to use them in an old thick-walled house would be to position them as near enough "line of sight" of each other as possible. So if the hub is in the next room to the computer, put a booster out in the hall between the two so that the signal gets "bounced" at a right angle to the computer.

[Elliot]

I have a Sitecom 300N that I use to boost the signal from my BT homehub.  The BT box is in the front room and the Sitecom is in the shed at the back of my garden - it works very well.

[_tom_]

Sounds good to me. It looks like the 300N is a router rather than a booster - are they easy to configure to repeat the signal instead?

[Elliot]

Sorry - you are right, it a router with a repeater mode (which is how I use it).  It is simple to configure (although the Ikea like instructions require a bit of lateral thinking)

Periodically (like every couple of months) BT do something to the Homehub config which means you have to reconfigure the 300N - but this is done by about 4 clicks.

[hunter]

Cheaper solution: Buy some 10m of ethernet cable and move the base station closer to the new room instead?

[Transcend]

Also the homeplugs are a great idea because theyre so simple

you just plug one into a socket where the router is and connect it via ethernet

then same with the other in your music room with an ethernet cable going to your mac/pc

also you dont lose plug sockets generally as you can plug another plug into it.

[_tom_]

^is that all there is to it then? Sounds good to me.. I'd rather have wireless as I'm on a laptop but wired will work I guess. How does it work with security - do you have to put in the network key and all that or just connect to the LAN via ethernet?

Hunter I'd have the router upstairs if I could but we have a computer downstairs which already has a fairly cr@p signal.

[Transcend]

nope its just like an ethernet cable from the router to the laptop thats all there is to it

[_tom_]

Nice, seems like a good option then if it's that simple. Any suggestions for homeplugs to try or are they all much the same?

[Transcend]

I dont have too much experience with them as i was just using the ones that came with the BT vision box as my old flat had incredibly thick walls and wireless was a complete no go. I cant even remember what they were as i didnt pay much attention to them.

But it is just as simple as plug in and go.

I cant imagine there'd be much difference between different brands and models

[Alex]

How are you dialling into the network? Maybe a better PCI card? I have a wireless USB connector, the good thing about those is that you can just put them on a longer USB cable and position it somewhere else in the room.
However, both the better PCI and USB solutions usually come at a higher price.

[_tom_]

Laptop using its standard built in wireless network adapter (intel I think). Apparently you can get some better "high gain" usb or pci (for laptop) adaptors but dunno if they're any good?

When I get my desktop back that'd be using a netgear wg311t pci card which doesn't pick up the signal at all.

[Transcend]

I dont know about your laptop for sure but a lot have the firmware locked so you cant change the PCI wireless card.

A usb one will be fine however

[_tom_]

Do you know if ones that claim to be high gain for stronger signal pickup actually work?