More range on my router?

Nateo200

Baseband Member
Messages
69
Ok so before you pounce on me about this totally annoying question hear me through. I have a Netgear WPN824v2 wireless router with the 7 antenna's and the 108mps speed and I want to get access from my school as I live directly directly across from my school. Literally less than 100 meters from my school. The classroom closest with my iPod touch (wireless B on the ipod keep in mind just barely picks it up and disconnects so much I can barely connect (router is in my basement too). Do any of you guys have any ghetto-DIY antenna's that I could make to bump that up to maybe 600+~ meters? (for the record me and my friends are very savvy with computers specifically with networking, love working on my own network) friends and I kinda want unrestricted access to my router from school. It would be password protected but I would hide the SSID just to be safe. Also how many of you have done this. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

-Nate

http://www.netgear.com/Products/RoutersandGateways/RangeMaxWirelessGRoutersandGateways/WPN824.aspx
 
Dealing with such high rf frequencys can be expensive and somewhat difficult. It would be difficult to run coax to a higher location, where a better antenna would be effective, without major RF losses. Unless, of course, you spend the money for some expensive coax. I would suggest that your best bet, at least to start out with would be to move the device higher, or run a ethernet cable higher and add a wireless access point. If you have a non-metallic roof, the attic would probably do the trick.

I realize that moving the router probably isn't practical. I would run an Ethernet cable to the attic or at least as high as I could and add a wireless access point, although this would require the purchase of a new device, it would be much cheaper that running a coax to an external antenna one floor above.

Russ,

As a qualifier, I hold an Extra Class amateur radio license. [edit]OK, I thought this qualified me, apparently not. :) [end edit]
 
Thanks. I do have my old linksys router somewhere. My room actually faces the school so I wonder if that might help. Could I use my old linksys as a connecter for all my stuff in the basement (3 pcs and a xbox360) then run a cord upstairs to connect the better netgear one?! Just wondering, I would have to get Into some nasty config settings (port forwarding?) wouldn't I?.
 
Dealing with such high rf frequencys can be expensive and somewhat difficult. It would be difficult to run coax to a higher location, where a better antenna would be effective, without major RF losses. Unless, of course, you spend the money for some expensive coax. I would suggest that your best bet, at least to start out with would be to move the device higher, or run a ethernet cable higher and add a wireless access point. If you have a non-metallic roof, the attic would probably do the trick.

I realize that moving the router probably isn't practical. I would run an Ethernet cable to the attic or at least as high as I could and add a wireless access point, although this would require the purchase of a new device, it would be much cheaper that running a coax to an external antenna one floor above.

Russ,

As a qualifier, I hold an Extra Class amateur radio license.

Well then you better look again. I have an electrical engineering degree from MIT.
All of this hinges on if the antenna can be unscrewed from the router.
Antenna:
http://www.tplink.com/products/product_des.asp?id=173

Cable:
6 meters
http://www.tplink.com/products/product_des.asp?id=166
12 meters
http://www.tplink.com/products/product_des.asp?id=167

I have shot a a signal over 700 feet with one of these on the end of the 12 meter extension cable.

Antenna:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833164110

I was given one of these to do my beta testing thing with. It's a wide footprint at about 500 feet and the signal strength is ok. The QC needs some tighting up.

I have some templates for making reflectors out of common materials you'd find around the house. I'll have to find them. They're on one of the computers somewhere.

The main thing you have to keep in mind is any device that throws of RFI is going to weaken the signal or distort it. And the concrete and brick walls are going to reduce the signal strengh. Not to metion the rebar and steel beams in the walls.
As far as adding another wireless router, you can if you default the second one first then plug a regular cable from one of the ports on the first on to the WAN port on the second one. Nothing tricky about it. It will get treated as a subnet to the main router. I use that configuration to setup subnets at the hotel properties.

Here's one I made out of pre-bent pieces of metal flashing.
http://www.computervitals.com/forum/antenna_reflector-t9285.html?t=9285&highlight=reflectors

Still looking for the others...

I didn't find it on my computer but here's a website that has the plans for the Windsurfer. I've made a few of these out of old folders and aluminum foil. You'll need some paste sticks to glue the foil to the cardboard.
http://binarywolf.com/249/diy-parabolic-reflector.htm
And yes they really do work.
 
Well then you better look again. I have an electrical engineering degree from MIT.
All of this hinges on if the antenna can be unscrewed from the router.
Antenna:
http://www.tplink.com/products/product_des.asp?id=173

Cable:
6 meters
http://www.tplink.com/products/product_des.asp?id=166
12 meters
http://www.tplink.com/products/product_des.asp?id=167

I have shot a a signal over 700 feet with one of these on the end of the 12 meter extension cable.

Antenna:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833164110

I was given one of these to do my beta testing thing with. It's a wide footprint at about 500 feet and the signal strength is ok. The QC needs some tighting up.

I have some templates for making reflectors out of common materials you'd find around the house. I'll have to find them. They're on one of the computers somewhere.

The main thing you have to keep in mind is any device that throws of RFI is going to weaken the signal or distort it. And the concrete and brick walls are going to reduce the signal strengh. Not to metion the rebar and steel beams in the walls.
As far as adding another wireless router, you can if you default the second one first then plug a regular cable from one of the ports on the first on to the WAN port on the second one. Nothing tricky about it. It will get treated as a subnet to the main router. I use that configuration to setup subnets at the hotel properties.

Here's one I made out of pre-bent pieces of metal flashing.
http://www.computervitals.com/forum/antenna_reflector-t9285.html?t=9285&highlight=reflectors

Still looking for the others...

I didn't find it on my computer but here's a website that has the plans for the Windsurfer. I've made a few of these out of old folders and aluminum foil. You'll need some paste sticks to glue the foil to the cardboard.
http://binarywolf.com/249/diy-parabolic-reflector.htm
And yes they really do work.

Oh wow I can't even begin to explain how helpful that was! As it turns out though I can not find my old linksys and I am stuck with my current router: http://www.netgear.com/Products/Rou...andGateways/WPN824.aspx?detail=Specifications which does not appear to have an area for an antenna, is there some place inside I could hook an antenna too? I'm really curious. Also some of these higher end antenna's that are shooting out 14db~+ not including the router how dangerous are they at close range? I'm just curious I'm assuming a 1 meter stand off distance would be good but I just wanted to ask to make sure I don't get cancer or something if I get to close.

EDIT: Is there any software available that I can load onto my laptop to test signal strength, db, etc. and all that other fun stuff so I can walk around the house or and surrounding area to test my routers effectiveness? A website would be even nicer so I could do it from my ipod but not necessary, I just need a hands on feel for this whole thing.
 
I stand corrected, thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. I think that this is the kind of information he was looking for.
 
Netstumbler is free and works with most wireless chips except broadcom. www.netstumbler.com
As for connecting an antenna to the board in the router, no. It has 7 internal flat planars on the circuit board. You can't attach anything to that. The catch about the rather over the top bragging about 500,000 square feet of coverage is you have to have a rangemax card or usb wireless on the computer end. Otherwise you don't get the range.
If you have a window in the basement that faces the school you could try setting it on the sill and see if that makes a difference.
As for the antennas I suggested, they're safe as long as you take some precautions. Keep them pointed away from people and above your head. They won't flambé your brain but best not to push your luck.
 
Alright so right now my plan is to bring my router (with no place for an antenna) upstairs to do that I will be using a wired switch (HP procure switch 408) as the device to link all my computers in my basement up then hooking the router up stairs and hooking it to the switch. However I can not get this set up to work. The switch works but it keeps telling me there is limited to no connectivity and there is no Internet connection at all.
 
I take it you are adding a spare wireless router upstairs to act as a wireless access point? Your main router is still in the basement?

[edit]Can you describe how your home network is structured. That might make it easyer for a layman like me to understand. For example: I've got a Cable modem connect to the cable company's coax and an ethernet cable to the router. Then there is an ethernet cable from the router to a switch in the attic. From there it branches to each upstairs room in the house and also to a wireless access point. The cable to my room connects to a 8 port switch that has my various networked junk connected to it.

This way you can understand how my network is physically configured. Can you decribe yours?[end edit]

Netstumbler is free and works with most wireless chips except broadcom. www.netstumbler.com....

I used Netstumbler for a long time, good stuff. These days I'm so lazy, I just scan with my ipod touch. I used it a while back to T-hunted an open wireless access point at work. It's simple, but handy.
 
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