I have an old computer set up in a room that’s a little far from my wireless router, and it can only barely connect to my wireless network. My laptop gets a full signal in the room, and my iPhone gets an almost-full signal in the room, so the signal in there isn’t that bad, it’s just an older computer and because it’s big, I have it under a table.
What’s the easiest way to solve this problem? Will carefully repositioning the old computer solve it? Is there some kind of a cheap repeater type device I could put in the room to amplify the signal or hook up to the old computer by ethernet?
Update. Putting it on top of the table basically worked, in that I get three bars now. But I’m curious…is there some cheap device that’s basically an antenna/wireless-card that I could put on top of the table and hook up to the computer by USB or ethernet? Just so I don’t have to keep the computer on top of the table.
Update. I decided to buy one of these.
Lojasmo
You probably have a shitty wifi card in your old computer. Replace it. ETA: the card, not the computer. They’re cheap, and it’s easy. Also, too FIRST!
mistermix
Yeah, move it around. Also, desktop computers with a wireless card usually have a little rubber antenna sticking out from the card on the back of the computer. See if you can reposition that.
It’s not a metal desk, is it? Move it out from under if it is.
dmsilev
Repositioning can help. Wireless repeaters exist, but they tend to be finicky and only work with particular router models. Another alternative would be a wireless to ethernet bridge; connect the bridge to your WiFi network, and then run a short ethernet cable to the computer. There are dedicated bridges, and a lot of small/cheap routers can be put into a bridge mode as well (I use an Apple Airport Express as both a bridge and an extender, to give one specific model).
xian
an airport express thingy plugged into an outlet nearby could function as a repeater
lol
Do ethernet cable if you can. Really don’t understand why people use wifi cards for desktops. The computer isn’t moving around, you know where it is. It’s a pain at first but then you have perfect connectivity going forward. Nothing beats cable.
Johnk
Try a USB wireless adapter?
Marcus
You can pick up a refurbished Airport Express from Apple for $69:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB321LL/A
Easy to set up, plus you can hook up a printer to share over your network too.
Mark
If the other computers can connect to your AP, then the issue is the card in your PC. Buy a new dongle, should fix the problem.
Just FYI, every year WLAN sensitivity gets ~1 dB better (and Tx power goes up too.) So if your unit is 5 years old, its range might only be 1/4 of what a new product would do.
barath
If you can’t just run a long ethernet cable to it, get a wifi repeater. (Search for repeater or range extender.) We just set one up here and it works great.
Davis X. Machina
@lol: Seconded. Cat 5 or cat 6 cable is cheap, and the RJ45 jacks are already there on the desktop and router, in all probability. Speeds will be an order of magnitude higher, though that will fall right off when your packets go out to the Big World.
BigD
Unfortunately, you need to come out of the closet.
soonergrunt
If moving the unit is not an option, and you don’t want to drill holes and pull cable, look at a short USB ‘A-A’ extension, like 3 to 5 feet, and a USB wi-fi adapter. whole thing shouldn’t cost more than about 20-25 bucks.
amk
another wi-fi router in the room ?
AB
You can also try the cheap route of buying an extension coax cable for the antenna on the wifi card; you’ll want to check the connector type but most are RP SMA. Maybe you can mount the antenna somewhere more favorable.
Gozer
You could get a linksys wrt54gl and install something like dd-wrt on it. That firmware has repeater and repeater bridge settings.
Ronzoni Rigatoni
I go with lol. Get yourself 365′ of ethernet cable LOL. Actually, I am doing this meself for an OLD comp only one room away from the wireless router & plugged into the router. Works like a new comp (Of course it has 2GBs of memory and not a lot of stored data).
low-tech cyclist
Depending on what things looked like in between one and the other, I’d just run an Ethernet cable from the computer to the router.
The router is right next to my desktop, but my wife’s computer is on the far side of the next room. I drilled a quarter-sized hole through the drywall on each side of the wall and fit a small segment of plastic pipe through the hole. Then I ran an Ethernet between the baseboard and the carpet along the wall in this room to the pipe, through the pipe, and under the baseboard in the same manner in my wife’s sewing room, only bringing it back into sight right next to her computer. Nothing to it.
On edit, I should add that if both rooms are first-floor rooms with an unfinished basement below, or both rooms are on a floor that has an attic directly above, then the layout in between doesn’t matter. Just run the cable down into the basement/up into the attic at both ends, and run it across the basement ceiling/attic floor in between.
Kiril
WiFi repeater, $23.77
http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-N-Repeater-802-11N-Network-Expander/dp/B006J1ZAR2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342365711&sr=8-1&keywords=wifi+repeater&tag=ywis-20
DougJ
@soonergrunt:
That’s, I think that answers my question.
r€nato
wouldn’t one of those gizmos that uses your electrical wiring to transmit data, wouldn’t that work? Don’t have one but just a guess.
jheartney
Another possibility are Powerline ethernet plugs if you have an open port at the router; plug one into an electric socket near the router, and another into a socket neat the computer, and connect it to the computer’s ethernet port.
DougJ
@AB:
That might work too. Thanks.
Valdivia
I bought an extender for a far off room in the apt and it worked really really well.
jon
Take an aluminum can, cut off the bottom and most of the top, cut the side vertically and open it up like a radar antenna from 1960. Then stick the antenna on the wireless router through the drinking hole and aim your stronger signal in the desired direction.
And if that doesn’t work, open up another beer.
Chet
Yes, there’s exactly something like a USB wifi dongle, they’re usually between 5-15 dollars and frequently come with a USB extension cable so you can position the device wherever reception is best. Don’t bother with expensive wifi repeaters if its a reception issue.
SFAW
Re: repeaters: just don’t get one of the Garrett Morris models.
Beergoggles
U didnt specify whether the card was a b or a g wireless card. If its a b, upgrade to a g or n if ur WAP supports it. N has the greatest ranges due to utilizing mimo. G hardware also tends to have better coverage than b.
DougJ
@Beergoggles:
It’s 802.11g.
SFAW
@jheartney:
If you get one of these, you get the added benefit of having Assrocket come to your house for the install.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
If you can find a linksys wireless gadget (I know it’s cisco now but I’m specifically referring to an older product) you can use that. It sits at the end of a USB cable so you can move it around like bunny ears on an ancient tv =)
the model is wusb54g
a picture is here: http://homesupport.cisco.com/en-us/wireless/lbc/wusb54g/download
also. generally the cheapest way to fashion a repeater of sorts is to buy another wifi router and wire it to the existing one using good old ethernet cable. but that’s probably not the answer you were looking for.
Beergoggles
And does ur WAP support upto n?
JGabriel
@lol:
Seconded. Pick up an appropriate length of Cat 5 or Cat 6 cable, and plug that sucker in.
.
Garm
Get a wireless card with a long antenna that has positive DB gain (best you can probably do will be +3dbm). That way you can put the antenna in a more favorable position.
DougJ
@Beergoggles:
Only up to g, I think.
spongeworthy
We had the same problem, ran down the street to Radio Shack and bought a USB range extender thing for under $20. Works great now, two floors away from the modem.
different-church-lady
If people had any idea how easy it is to wire up Cat5e jacks there’d be a lot less WiFi in the world.
me
If it’s a USB wireless adapter get one of these.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
and now for my “duh” moment. (the previous post was done sans coffee)
get a USB wifi adapter and a USB extension cable. that way you don’t need to go find a discontinued wusb54g adapter. extension cables run maybe $5 or $10. I have at least two lying around (one came with an mp3 player). maybe you do as well.
JGabriel
@soonergrunt:
That’s also a good option, Doug. I use a similar setup for my wireless keyboard and mouse.
Make sure your USB ports are set to HiSpeed (480 Mbps) in the BIOS rather than FullSpeed (12Mbps).
.
PeakVT
You can do two things: buy a bigger antenna (if you have an internal wi-fi card) or buy a USB wi-fi adapter plus a USB extension cable. The latter combo is what I am using right now, and it’s on my desk while the computer is on the floor and the router is downstairs.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@different-church-lady: They are easy – and fast (although I prefer cat6 just because cat5e strikes me as a somewhat dodgy hack).
1gbit/sec is nicer than any wifi, and more secure.
The problem of course is laying the cable. Drilling between multiple rooms and even floors stinks. It helps to have a basement and some free time to set it all up. When I build my house in mexico the jacks are going in the walls, at the same time I put up the AC.
And if you are in a rental, you can forget it.
Another alternative is those AC piggyback gadgets that let you run a network signal over your AC lines. Of course if you have 20’s era knob and spool wiring and a fuse box rather than a breaker, you can forget that. The power is generally too “dirty”.
Maude
@different-church-lady:
Wired is also safer. Harder to hack. Wifi, not so much.
Garm
I’d get something like this:
Here’s a USB extender with a 5dbi gain – http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166056
And here’s the PCI version –
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166060
Disclaimer: I know nothing about the efficacy of Rosewill’s wireless. These are just examples and they popped up first when I searched newegg. There is a similar d-link product but they put the antenna at an angle which is stupid if you’re considering marginal signals.
JGabriel
OT.
We all know that Rove’s modus operandi is to attack an opponent’s strengths.
So you know your ads are working when Karl Rove attacks them.
.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@DougJ: Get an 802.11n box. You won’t regret it. better range. better speed.
I had no end of hassle with my g setup. The router eventually took a header off of my balcony. It was so liberating =)
Garm
@Maude: WPA2-PSK with a passphrase of 16 or more characters is currently unhackable. The WPA2 algorithm hasn’t been broken.
Violet
@JGabriel: We’ve been discussing it in the previous thread. Much hilarity.
Shirt
You know, I just went through this and solved it with throwing money at it until I got it right, WHERE were you guys?
JGabriel
@Violet: Ah. Thanks, Violet. Will check out the comments there.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@Garm: The operative word is currently. Cable is so much easier to manage in terms of security. The security of it is intrinsically tied to your home’s physical security, so you only have to think about the quality of the locks on your doors and windows =)
Jay in Oregon
@different-church-lady:
If I can ever get the friggin’refinance done on my house, I’d like to look into putting ethernet jacks into the main rooms of the house (bedrooms, living room, kitchen).
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@Jay in Oregon: Just buy a spool of cat6 and some ends and a crimp tool.
with a drill and some patience you can save yourself the refi.
Put your switch in the basement. it’s loads easier to centralize the wiring there, WRT to running it to the rooms – particularly if your house is single story. Otherwise you may want two centralized points, one in the attic, and one in the basement. That way you only have to run ONE cable from the basement to the attic. You have two switches that way, and the upper rooms get it from the attic, the lower rooms get it from the basement.
Beergoggles
@DougJ: u can try changing the channel to a less common one on the router to see if the signal loss is due to interference. Ur other option if the current wiress card has an antenna port is to get a range extender antenna. They make them for upto 9db. Otherwise replace it with a card that already has one.
Garm
@danah gaz (fka gaz): For SOHO, WPA2 is good enough. Hackers are just going to find another place with open wireless or WEP. Goodness knows there are enough of those around. Fortunately WEP is being phased out. Point being that there’s not a massive effort to break WPA2, except from a theoretical point of view (or maybe by a government).
YellowDog
Try the beer can option first if the wifi card has an external antenna. I have an external satellite radio antenna and a repeater in the house. The repeater is in the basement and the beer can on the repeater improves reception on the second floor because I can focus the signal upwards.
Walker
The device you are looking for us technically called a Wireless Ethernet Bridge. Google and comparison shop.
Maude
@Garm:
If you have a library and an online catalog, you use wired.
I hate tech talk. It gets to mine is bigger than yours.
What I did in tech worked. I don’t care about all the you should do this or that.
I’m not IT, but an end user tech.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@Garm: I don’t put a whole lot of stock in most encryption schemes these days in the face of things like nvidia tesla systems. I was thinking of building one myself just for kicks, but then I realized I had more important things to do =)
Maude
@danah gaz (fka gaz):
That will work like a charm.
Argon
Some older cordless phones interfere with WiFi b/g. There can also be problems with nearby networks on the same channel. Try changing the channels that your router uses.
Personally, I prefer Cat 5/6 cable when I can run it to the device. As others have noted, cable is way faster and more reliable.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@DougJ re the update:
LOL the blurb says “for wardriving”. =)
I love it =)
different-church-lady
@danah gaz (fka gaz):
OK. That.
Amen.
There are certainly places where WiFi is easier and less disruptive. But I always look at it as a solution of convenience, not performance.
Being in audio, if I were to build a place from scratch there will be a lot of 4 or 6″ conduit going damn near everywhere.
Back about 8 years ago when I was doing home computer consulting, I had a guy who had just completely renovated a big Victorian, including stripping the walls down to the studs. He wanted internet access in all the rooms, and before we started he said, “I had the electrician put wiring to every room before we did any drywall.” Great, I thought. I showed up at the place and found… a coax jack in every room. I had to go to the guy and say, “Uhhh… hate to tell you this, but you’re good as long as you want to pay for a cable modem in each location.” I then proceeded to fish Cat 5 behind wallboard that was all of three days old.
Then about three months later I replaced the hard drive in his computer, which was so coated in plaster dust (along with every other component inside the case) that you couldn’t read the label on the thing. Drywall compound, when sanded, is INSIDIOUS.
different-church-lady
@danah gaz (fka gaz):
Turn in your Geek Alliance membership card, now.
WereBear
Just FYI since the problem seems solved: our apartment is in an old house with actual plaster & lathe walls. Excellent for soundproofing, lousy for wireless reception.
We were planning to get a Time Capsule for our two Macs, anyway, but it had the added advantage of becoming our new wireless router, with much better performance. I can take my Chromebook down three flights and sit on the front porch steps with it; and get great reception.
We have WEP2 password protection on it. Always a good idea, but especially so because of that reach.
My point is that the wireless routers the cable company provides are usually dirt cheap and perform accordingly; and often you are getting a monthly charge for them, too. Just get a good one and you’ll be saving money in six months. Most children will be able to set it up for you.
danah gaz (fka gaz)
@different-church-lady: LOL. oops.
You know, he could have salvaged that coax and went with a BNC based network. Of course, he could also gouge out his own eyes with a spork. I’d say either one would be equally unpleasant. =)
Maude
@WereBear:
Most children can open a medicine bottle.
It’s humid and ick here.
WereBear
@Maude: It’s humid and ick here too; but our tradeoff for arctic winters is (usually) pluperfect summers. I’ll be down on the porch again soon, I hope!
NCSteve
@jon: Beercan booster. Just what I was going to say. Here’s the Wikihow.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Wi-Fi-Booster-Using-Only-a-Beer-Can
And like he said, if it doesn’t work (and it will), at least you had a beer.
Jeffraham Prestonian
I have one of those Alfa 1W amplified antennas. Works well on XP and the latest Ubuntu distro; have not found a driver that works with Win7, yet.
.
Jeffraham Prestonian
@Argon: Microwave ovens also mess with a weak signal.
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Garm
@danah gaz (fka gaz): My point was that SOHO hacking isn’t really a big threat model. More likely people are going to hijack your traffic at Starbucks or your local library. Going with WPA2 makes it enough of a pain to deter pretty much everyone. Anyone determined enough to break your WPA2 encryption is probably targeting you specifically instead of just looking for opportunistic web access. In that case you’ve got bigger problems.
Agoraphobic Kleptomaniac
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833156283
These really work well if wireless fails you. They’re also nice for older equipment that doesn’t have built in wifi. I don’t recommend them for a main server link or anything, but I’ve been streaming HD video with em through an old xbox with no hitches or slowdowns at all, which I used to get in the same room with wifi-n all the time.