Stoopid wifi question

[graham@reading]

We're moving offices next week, across the road (probably 30 metres max) but BT can't move our ADSL until 4 days after we shift the equipment. We don't complete on the sale of the present office until after that however so we have both buidlings for this month.

Our router/ADSL modem is a wireless Linksys (although it's usually hardwired into the switch obviously) and I have a spare Draytek Vigor. Can I "chain" them? ie leave the current one where it is and point the Draytek at that one from across the street?

Or do bogstandard routers/modems not allow wireless uplinking?

Not really worried about performance, just want to keep email going.

[slinky]

Big long network cable..

[graham@reading]

The thought had crossed my mind

[ThePassenger]

Note: I've never actually tried this.

Leave the Linksys running and go to the new offices, if you can get a WiFi signal of any reasonable strength then you could just put another access point as close to the Linksys as you can get. Most, should have some form of repeater/bridge mode which allows them to extend the signal.

Alternativley, if it's a temporary lash up across the street, then go to Toys R' us and get a bow n' arrow, a length of Cat5e and open the windows

[graham@reading]

Yeah, if worst comes to worst I'll get a wireless card and slap it into the server. I'd like to make use of existing eqpt if I can though and I'm not entrely sure the existing signal will reach.

Although the idea of getting a composite bow and getting one particular employee to catch the arrow is tempting...

Edited by graham@reading on Tuesday 14th November 21:58

[BliarOut]

Can you run external antenna's if the signal is weak? (I know you can, just don't know if those models support it)

[aldi]

Don't know if the vigor will do bridge mode, a little bridge mode box shouldn't cost more than £40 ish anyway -
www.overclockers.co.uk/productlist.php?groupid=46&catid=116&sortby=&subid=254&mfrid=
Bang it on ebay afterwards, you'l get at least £30 for it!

[graham@reading]

Cheers folks, that gives me something to work on tomorrow. If anyone sees a bloke wandering around Pangbourne with a laptop waving it around and adopting strange positions to determine signal strength, buy me a pint

[puggit]

Shouldn't you be in Scotland?

[graham@reading]

Don't. Go. There.

/grinds teeth and mutters incantations directed at solicitors and estate agents

[GreenV8S]

30m of fresh air may be OK if there's nothing in the way, but you can get directional antenaes that increase the range substantially. If you're expermenting, make sure you move both boxes around to find the sweet spot. These things seem to be extremely sensitive to position, and just an inch movement at either end can make all the difference.

[Graham@Reading]

Not even any hint of a signal.

Time for a directional antenna then

[murph7355]

Have you tried using a wifi enabled laptop and see where the signal drops out? i.e. walk out your door towards your new place and see what happens.

And as has been mentioned, experiment with where the router is positioned....

[ThePassenger]

Graham@Reading said:

Not even any hint of a signal.

Time for a directional antenna then

If it's a cheap lash up then to the corner shop for a couple of cans of pringles more like

[Graham@Reading]

murph7355 said:

Have you tried using a wifi enabled laptop and see where the signal drops out? i.e. walk out your door towards your new place and see what happens.

And as has been mentioned, experiment with where the router is positioned....

Yeah slap bang in the middle of the road

[zumbruk]

What you need is a wireless bridge;

www.wirelesspro.co.uk/default.php?cPath=15&osadcampaign=bridgekit&gclid=COrrmLury4gCFUYGQgodBRSOKA

[Graham@Reading]

zumbruk said:

What you need is a wireless bridge;

www.wirelesspro.co.uk/default.php?cPath=15&osadcampaign=bridgekit&gclid=COrrmLury4gCFUYGQgodBRSOKA

I'm not spending 400 quid plus on something that'll be used for 3 days

[zumbruk]

Graham@Reading said:

zumbruk said:

What you need is a wireless bridge;

www.wirelesspro.co.uk/default.php?cPath=15&osadcampaign=bridgekit&gclid=COrrmLury4gCFUYGQgodBRSOKA

I'm not spending 400 quid plus on something that'll be used for 3 days

So walk back and forth with CDs, then.

[Graham@Reading]

zumbruk said:

Graham@Reading said:

zumbruk said:

What you need is a wireless bridge;

www.wirelesspro.co.uk/default.php?cPath=15&osadcampaign=bridgekit&gclid=COrrmLury4gCFUYGQgodBRSOKA

I'm not spending 400 quid plus on something that'll be used for 3 days

So walk back and forth with CDs, then.

For internet access? Hmm...I could packet sniff HTTP requests then run them over the road and upload them, then burn off the response and shuttle back to the office

Anyway, it's now a non-issue, I've managed to get BT to bring the date forward to the Monday rather than the Thursday, so we'll only be offline for the weekend o/ Ta for the suggestions folks