Long Range Wireless

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  • Nunners
    Automated Home Jr Member
    • Dec 2004
    • 26

    Long Range Wireless

    Hi All - and apologies if this is a little off-topic, but I couldn't think where else to ask!

    Does anyone know of a decent WAP that will allow us to connect an existing stie, with one about 200metres away. Both buildings are brick, and therefore the current Drayteks I have do not quite reach each other.

    I've read that something like a D-Link DWL-900+ might do the trick, but there aren't many reviews regarding it's long range efforts!

    Does anyone have any suggestions - that are preferably affordable and not a Wireless Hotspot!

    Thanks
    Nunners
  • TimH
    Automated Home Legend
    • Feb 2004
    • 509

    #2
    There's a few options that spring to mind, this site is pretty good, and only requires a little bit of time (not money )


    There;s another great site that uses chinese cooking tools to boost wireless signals coupled with a USB wifi dongle. The site appears down at the moment, but here it is for reference:

    EDIT: site seems to be available again...

    Googling for "wok usb wifi" will throw up plenty of similar links

    I've also seen pages discussing putting a USB wifi dongle in place of the LNB on a sky minidish, plus one at the other end, and you should get some pretty impressive gain figures.

    There are commercial solutions of course, they're not *that* expensive but may still be more than you want to pay.

    One final option - some of the long distance video sender kits include external/upgraded aerials. Since they also work on the same 2.4Ghz frequency as b/g wifi, they may also be an option, e.g. p/n A72CY from www.maplin.co.uk

    HTH,

    Tim.
    Last edited by TimH; 3 October 2008, 05:51 PM. Reason: 2nd url now working :)
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    • toscal
      Moderator
      • Oct 2005
      • 2061

      #3
      Also google for the "pringles antenna". Or look here http://binarywolf.com/249/pringles_cantenna.htm
      Fitting a decent hi gain antenna to a Wifi router helps, in some cases this can double the range.
      Another option is to use a system like the WICA series by Aphelion. http://www.aphelions.com/Aphelion_WICA.htm
      Last edited by toscal; 3 October 2008, 08:03 PM.
      IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
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      • jpdw
        Automated Home Guru
        • Oct 2007
        • 169

        #4
        Dispense with the domestic "wireless/dsl routers" and look for proper 802.11b/g/n access points. Though the draytek stuff is good, it's probably suffering from being a many-in-1 box (dsl, fw, 802.11b/g etc).

        With a real AP, you should be able to choose from a range of antennas to suit your needs. Something tightly directional like a yagi will probably get your the best range -- though the tight directional means you need to take care aligning them when you install.

        You mention the buildings. Presumably this is a permanent link, so take the time/effort to mount the antennas on the exterior face of the building and at a good enough height to avoid line-of-sight by cars/lorries that may pass between the two buildings.

        A quick google suggests, for instance, that D-link do a range of antennas for their APs (so do parent Cisco, but that would be more £££). Probably the same for other vendors. I've not used these vendors myself as my experience was all using a high end enterprise vendor, but the theory should be the same especially as the technology keeps improving.

        HTH
        Jon

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