Wireless Internet Gurus

[Vick]

I have a Linksys router downstairs which I connect to. I have the exact same router sitting in my closet right now. If I wanted to extend the range of the router downstairs, can I fire up my second router and put it in my room? Can the main router downstairs broadcast a signal to my second router and then have the second router broadcast the signal to my laptop? Pro's and cons of doing this? Saleem, Swi and Underground Gabroo's advice would be much appreciated...

 

[terabaap]

depends if you want to go to the length of "hacking" it.
Why do you want to use the second one? Is the strength of the signal from the first one too weak?

 

[Saleem]

Hm,
There are certain "range extender" points that will do just this: http://www.linksysbycisco.com/US/en/products/WRE54G
Not sure if your router can be hacked/duplicated to do it, what's the model #? Update: this seems to be what youre looking for. Do I need to do to you what I do to pritpal, LetMeGoogleThatForYou? http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=890888

What is commonly done is to turn your omni-directional antenna (sending a weak signal out in a sphere) into a uni-directional antenna (focusing a beam like a narrow cone)
Here is one out of a pringles can: http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448
Different options for your cantenna: http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html

PS - not your personal army lol

 

[Underground Gabroo]

what are the models of the linksys routers? certain linksys routers have the feature to be used as extenders already built in... get me the router model and firmware version and i can look into this for you... i tried this though... due to the size of the heezie, i had 3 placed to optimize wireless signal in all areas of the house... while it did help, it also created havoc as i couldn't use anything beyond 128 bit wep, and anytime i made a change i had to add mac addresses to all 3 wireless access points so my device could talk to all points... (mac address filtering was enabled or security)

at the end of the day, i bought high gain antennas along with ddwrt firmware on my device... ddwrt allowed be to boost the gain the wap was pushing out... now i have 1 access point upstairs around the middle of the house, and i have a full signal nearly anywhere in the house...

if you give me model numbers, i would be more than happy to help you... you can also pm me your phone number or email address, id love to help a fellow bhangra supporter...

 

[ENVY BANG-RUH]

I have a wireless router question myself. My router lets me browse the internet for about 15-20 mins, then disconnects? why does it do that?

 

[Saleem]

I have a wireless router question myself. My router lets me browse the internet for about 15-20 mins, then disconnects? why does it do that?

Log into your router's admin page. Change the default channel. Change the name (SSID). It may be conflicting with a neighbor's.

If it still is happening, try ruling out other issues (temporarily disable security, connect via wire to router, etc etc)

 

[zagreus]

Saleem is correct sir! I currently have 2 routers running in my house, I use my netgear wireless-n as my main, and i put a trendnet router on repeater mode. Made a world of difference. It takes like...5 minutes to go through setup, verify, and test.

And the channel thing is very true, you may have an internal conflict in your house as well. It depends on what spectrum your wireless router is broadcasting on (might interfere with phones and other appliances in the house, and others around you). Also, don't just change the channel up 1 or down 1 from your current default. Test the extremes and see.

 

[Vick]

after reading pages and pages of google instruction iv realized this is a weekend project... i have to basically hack the firmware...

 

[JasBains]

I have a wireless router question myself. My router lets me browse the internet for about 15-20 mins, then disconnects? why does it do that?

Mine used to do this all the time and especially when I used MSN Messenger. All I did was upgrade the firmware for the router from a computer with a wired connection and I haven't had the problem come up again since I did it which is about nine months now. Give it a try if your router company has any new firmwares to upgrade it. Just make sure you do it from a computer with a wired connection and you firmware you upgrade it with is the right one or it'll mess up your router.