Extending wi fi signal

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Hi all,
Hope this has not been posted before.
I have just had talk talk fibre optic installed 80mb and all is great except that wi fi has virtually ground to a halt upstairs in our loft conversion. It is very intermittent and weak and things like the printer can't find it.

What are my options?


Many thanks on advance.

Rich
 
Homeplugs?
Have you got a new WLAN? Try connecting the old one back in.
 
Hope this has not been posted before.

It gets posted about twice a week. Sometimes every day :D But as my grandfather used to say, there's no such thing as dumb questions, only those too dumb to ask them. Anyway...

There's no magic solution for "weak" wi-fi signals (whether emitted from Access Points or client devices - in wi-fi LAN's everything is a transmitter.) You simply have to move the communicating entities closer to each other. Either move clients closer to Access Point, of move Access Points closer to clients. If you can't do that, then you have to put up more AP's to fill in the coverage holes.

Have a read of this - it discusses how to do it (relatively) painlessly...

http://www.avforums.com/forums/networking-nas/1554662-faq-using-two-routers-together.html
 
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It's probably worth having a read of the "Interference" FAQ here too - it may be that you're suffering from interference from the neighbours and a change of wi-fi radio channel's could be all that's needed to fix the problem.
 
Thank you guys I will read through all the links. Really appreciate your help.

My old wireless g router had a stronger signal so I will try and change frequency as maybe that's the issue. I do have a cordless phone on its proximity which I can't move nor can I move the router.
 
Thank you guys I will read through all the links. Really appreciate your help.

My old wireless g router had a stronger signal so I will try and change frequency as maybe that's the issue. I do have a cordless phone on its proximity which I can't move nor can I move the router.

In my experience the best solution I have used for myself and others works like this.

Home Router --ethernet--> homeplug <----mains wiring----> homeplug --> 2nd router (running dd-wrt in repeater bridge mode)

works perfect.
 
In my experience the best solution I have used for myself and others works like this.

Home Router --ethernet--> homeplug <----mains wiring----> homeplug --> 2nd router (running dd-wrt in repeater bridge mode)

works perfect.

With the caveat that I don't know dd-wrt...

I doubt you need "repeater-bridge" mode: That's designed to provide a (point to point) link over wi-fi thence onward connection to the downstrean wired devices and also avail regular wi-fi connection at the 2nd router without a cabled backhaul (ie your homeplug link.)

All you need is regular "access point" mode. If you really are using your 2nd rounter in repeater-bridge mode, I'd worry you may have created a loop in your topology which isn't a good thing.

Incidently, you could have achieved this without dd-wrt - special firmware isn't required to use a SOHO "router" as an outpost wi-fi Access Point with a cabled backhaul. :smashin:
 
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No, the use of repeater bridge on a dd-wrt enabled device allows said device to act as an AP for wired and/or wireless devices with all DHCP requests handled by the gateway router. As the OP stated he wished to extend his wireless network reach to a deadspot a wifi point to point or WDS connection isn't the solution, hence the homeplugs.

The SSID & WPA/2 key on the AP can remain the same as the gateway so your wireless connected devices seemlessly switch.

There's no loop in topology here, everything is on the same subnet, and the Gateway manages all DHCP assignments, portforwarding and firewall rules for every device on the primary and extended network.

The reason for usng dd-wrt is that the firmware is extremely flexible and can be installed on a used WRT54G/S that can be picked up for as little as £15.
 
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Mmmm. Maybe you want to have a read through this...

Repeater Bridge - DD-WRT Wiki

What you describe previously is bog standard wi-fi AP (or router-used-as-an-AP-&-switch) functionality. Any router will do this and custom firmware is not necessary (though as you say, dd-wrt give you a lot more to fiddle with than most "standard" O/S's built in to router.)
 
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Something worth considering is what speeds are you hoping to get in your loft extension ? You have 80mb fibre then your unlikely to get that over 200mb powerline plugs across the distance your talking about. I find that 80mb is possible with two adapters in the same room but 60mb or 40mb is more likely as you move up each floor. If you just want to get internet connection for browsing then no problems but if you want to download at full speed your going to need to get 500mb powerline plugs if that is part of your solution.
 
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Thanks all. So re the power line plugs. I plug one in down stairs and one in to a socket up stairs? I assume it connects to the router but does it need an Ethernet cable to the laptop and if so how do I get a signal to my printer that has no USB or Ethernet connection as its purely wireless and iPhones?

Sorry for the dumb questions but I really don't have a clue.
 
Your right - one adapter has a ethernet connection downstairs - into the router is most common.

Upstairs you have the other one. If you want Wifi you can either buy powerline plugs with wifi built in but I think they only come in 200mb speed at the moment

e.g D-Link DHP-W307AV Powerline AV 200 Wireless-N HomePlug Starter Kit

or if you already have a wifi router or access point spare you can just buy non wifi powerline plug (500mb speed are best if you can afford them) and connect your spare router/ access point into it and setup a wifi using the same name and password on it as you have downstairs.
 
I have used the plug in socket wall Ethernet adapters and they worked fine in my old house. I moved in November and they don't work in my new house I have tried everything even spoke to a rep about them and the conclusion was the electricity cable run was to long and each plug could not receive a strong enough broadband signal. So being a loft conversation the plug in wall adapters may not work.
This was my experience with them they may not all work the same so this could be totally e relevant to you.
 
Mmmm. Maybe you want to have a read through this...

Repeater Bridge - DD-WRT Wiki

What you describe previously is bog standard wi-fi AP (or router-used-as-an-AP-&-switch) functionality. Any router will do this and custom firmware is not necessary (though as you say, dd-wrt give you a lot more to fiddle with than most "standard" O/S's built in to router.)

I never said anything other than this being an AP. I am fully versed with dd-wrt and it's functionality and I've used it for a number of years in various situtaions.

Whether you use it as an AP, Repeater, or Repeater bridge, dd-wrt gives you more fexibility on a single cheap device.

"The reason for usng dd-wrt is that the firmware is extremely flexible and can be installed on a used WRT54G/S that can be picked up for as little as £15. "
 
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