Extending the wi-fi signal

[steve1]

I know this has been discussed before, but I can't find it using the search function, so here we go again.
I need to get a better wi-fi signal in different parts of the house, and possibly in the garage, can someone point me in the right direction as to how to do this, is it a plug in thingy that transmits it through the ring main, or did I dream that.

[Liszt]

Yep exactly that.

Google "homeplug wifi access point"

[steve1]

So basically you need the home wifi unit plugged into a socket and then a remote unit plugged in to extend the signal to wherever you need it, as long as it's on the same ring main.

[ewenm]

Another option is something like an Apple Airport Express that you put near the edge of your current coverage and set it to extend the wireless network from there.

[Famous Graham]

To clarify the homeplug thing - it's not extending the wifi. It's extending the wired network. You connect the homeplug to your main router (which may or may not be the same box as is serving up wifi). That enables the other homeplug to have things plugged into it.

If you want wifi at the other end, rather than wired, you'll have to connect another wifi access point into that remote homeplug.

[steve1]

Seeing as it's for my iPad I might take a look at the apple product, does anyone know how far it extends the signal, in the real world, and not what they say.

[200bhp]

I was browsing a Maplin catalogue the other day and saw a Netgear device which extends wi-fi range. So if you have a netgear router in one part of the house, you can locate this other device somewhere on the edge of that signal and it boosts it.

This is it:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003LAD8BY/ref=asc_df_B...

Edited by 200bhp on Tuesday 28th February 16:54

[ThatPhilBrettGuy]

Famous Graham said:

To clarify the homeplug thing - it's not extending the wifi. It's extending the wired network. You connect the homeplug to your main router (which may or may not be the same box as is serving up wifi). That enables the other homeplug to have things plugged into it.

If you want wifi at the other end, rather than wired, you'll have to connect another wifi access point into that remote homeplug.

There's one that has a WIFI hub built into the homeplug, that's probably what's been seen.
ETA This http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?c...

[steve1]

So simplify things for me, I have a bt home hub wired into the desk top, but also giving the wifi signal for me to use my iPad in most rooms in the house within reason, but when I go upstairs it really does struggle with signal strength, and if I were to take it down the garge it drops out altogether.
So what do I need to be able to boost the signal upstairs and to allow me to use the iPad in the garge as well, ( which has power into it via the house dist. Board ), and is approx 20 mtrs from the house.

[Famous Graham]

ThatPhilBrettGuy said:

Famous Graham said:

To clarify the homeplug thing - it's not extending the wifi. It's extending the wired network. You connect the homeplug to your main router (which may or may not be the same box as is serving up wifi). That enables the other homeplug to have things plugged into it.

If you want wifi at the other end, rather than wired, you'll have to connect another wifi access point into that remote homeplug.

There's one that has a WIFI hub built into the homeplug, that's probably what's been seen.
ETA This http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?c...

Oh cool, didn't know they were out.

ETA - OP, that'll work for you. Although it'll be a second, separate wifi signal in the garage. Once you've connected to it, though, the iPad should switch over to that one automatically if the first drops out. Might not work very well if the signal's just very weak though - you'd have to manually switch wifi signals as it'll try and stay on the original one.

[ewenm]

steve1 said:

So simplify things for me, I have a bt home hub wired into the desk top, but also giving the wifi signal for me to use my iPad in most rooms in the house within reason, but when I go upstairs it really does struggle with signal strength, and if I were to take it down the garge it drops out altogether.
So what do I need to be able to boost the signal upstairs and to allow me to use the iPad in the garge as well, ( which has power into it via the house dist. Board ), and is approx 20 mtrs from the house.

I had a similar problem and used an Airport Express in the downstairs room nearest the garage - that gave me coverage in the garage, garden and upstairs at the back of the house. Setup was trivially simple - open up the utility and set it to "Extend existing network".

[Liszt]

To clarify further:
You need a home plug which will connect via a network cable to your router.

In the dodgy wifi area you plug in a Homeplug with a buil it wifi access point.

You will now have a strong wifi signal in that area.

You could plug another one in your garage and bingo! More wifi coverage.

This, IMHO, is better that units which just repeat the signal.

ETA: have this in my place and works fine, it picks up the strongest signal and I can happily wander around the house and not care which access point it is connected to. It doesn't drop out just switches automagically in the background

Edited by Liszt on Tuesday 28th February 17:01

[tank slapper]

Homeplugs are bloody awful devices and should be banned until such time as they conform to radio emissions standards.

[steve1]

So if I bought the edimax unit/s as in the link above they should sort out the problem.

[Bleah]

Dont waste your money. Get a single DIR-615 (about £5 on ebay s/h) and install DDWRT on it.
You can then use the DDWRT software to repeat the wireless signal in repeater mode.
I have two DIR-615's at home and am using them for exactly this purpose.

DDWRT is free and is donation based.

A £5 fix to an expensive problem.

[Bleah]

tank slapper said:

Homeplugs are bloody awful devices and should be banned until such time as they conform to radio emissions standards.

Couldn't agree more.

[Dracoro]

As I understand it, the homeplug type devices must be on the same ring - no good if your garage, extension etc. is on a different ring.....

[FlossyThePig]

Bleah said:

tank slapper said:

Homeplugs are bloody awful devices and should be banned until such time as they conform to radio emissions standards.

Couldn't agree more.

Searching the internet only seems to return hearsay evidence and not that recent either. Are the newer forms as bad as the original?

wikipedia said:

Newer versions of HomePlug support the use of Ethernet in bus topology. This is achieved by means of OFDM modulation that enables several distinct data carriers to coexist in the same wire. Also, HomePlug's OFDM technology can turn off (mask) any sub-carriers that overlap previously allocated radio spectrum in a given geographic region, thus preventing interference. In North America, for instance, HomePlug AV only uses 917 of 1155 sub-carriers.

[200bhp]

Dracoro said:

As I understand it, the homeplug type devices must be on the same ring - no good if your garage, extension etc. is on a different ring.....

Not so.

The latest homeplugs allow you to use the devices anywhere within the home, regardless of which "ring" it is fitted to. Some more complex homeplug type system manufacturers provide filters to fit in the incoming supply to prevent date from leaving your property.

[zcacogp]

200bhp said:

Dracoro said:

As I understand it, the homeplug type devices must be on the same ring - no good if your garage, extension etc. is on a different ring.....

Not so.

The latest homeplugs allow you to use the devices anywhere within the home, regardless of which "ring" it is fitted to. Some more complex homeplug type system manufacturers provide filters to fit in the incoming supply to prevent date from leaving your property.

200BHP is underpowered, but correct. I fitted one for a friend last night with the two devices on seperate rings, but which both connected to the same meter, and it worked fine. (Rather better than I expected, actually.)


Oli.