Wireless Bridge or something else?

d726t9

Hi all.

I'm trying to help a friend who has a large shed at the bottom of the garden that he wants to use as an office with two computers in. He currently has a belkin wireless router in the house but I have tested it and a standard wireless USB adaptor is not quite strong enough to be used on the computers in the shed.

Is it possible to get another device, such as a second router that would be able to connect from the shed to the belkin router in the house, and then the two computers in the shed connect to that with cables? I have been trying to have a look for appropriate products but it never really seems clear what can and can't do this.

I'm trying to get this setup for him as soon as possible so if there's anything appropriate in PC World that would do the trick it would be great.

Many thanks for any suggestions,
Steve

Lorian

The parabolic reflector might well work. It's critical to get the aerial in the focal point correctly.

It's also worth checking on the router and client software to ensure the maximum power outpur is selected for the wifi cards.

Otherwise if the router has a removable aerial you could try a 9db omnidirectional antenna, around £10 from ebay etc. This will be about the same gain as the reflecor, but a little more professional looking, and without the trouble of alignment.

theCapt

remember your equipment will have to be compatable with mentioned aerials.

You should be able to use a WiFi connection (depending on the distance etc.) using a couple of routers but try to buy them as the same manufacturer and even better model as the equipment always works better the way.

If using two routers make sure you can change the IP address domain other wise it will cause errors on the network. Preferably buy a Access Point rather than a router and it will radicate this probelm. (access point is wifi only, possibly with a 4 port switch)

Cabled method is always best for security and speed, though impractical. If you go down this path buy a cheap switch and stick it in the shed as a network connection point.

GreenNotM

How are the services run to the shed ? Underground ? service ducting ?

If the the wireless/external antenna etc solutions do not work, You could try using the electrical cable for networking some solutions here
Or run a Thick/thin ethernet cable or CAT5 depending upon the distance between the 2 locations.

theCapt

don't use network hubs, they run at a speed of 10Mbps.

modern switches and routers operate at 100Mbps to 1000Mbps.

Never ever use a network hub, it just bottle necks everything.

nearlyrich

I have an office in the roof space (loft) here and the router is on the ground floor. I think the water tank and my steel filing cabinets deflected the signals and I used to have problems with low signals, so I bought an access point and stuck it outside the office door directly above the router but two floors up.

I bought Belkin to "match " the router and eventually hard wired it to the router ( or DH did LOL) because it was doing my head in when I spent a long BH weekend trying to get it sorted with "help" from Belkin.

Now I can pick up the access point in the lounge too!

Have you got a Staples nearby? they seem to do good prices on this kind of theing.

Zagu

Im not familar with the equipment that you are using, so this is a bit of a long shot.

At the moment I suspect that you are using 802.11g protocol. Would the equipment allow you to revert to 802.11b? That would increase your range, and although it is slower, I doubt it would be too slow to work well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11

d726t9

Thanks for all the useful posts. I think if it was my own house I would give the antennas a go -very interesting though don't want to spend too long at my friends getting the alignment right etc.

Unfortunately the current electricity supply to the shed is well buried so getting a cable under there would be too much hassle.

What I'm thinking will work is to get hold of one of these Belkin bridges:
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?product_uid=61885

I'm hoping that this will be able to be placed in the shed, and then will connect wirelessly to the Belkin modem router in the house. I would then hope to connect a switch to the Belkin bridge which would allow the two PCs to be wired up to it. If this is a stupid idea then please let me know!

Thanks again,
Steve

espresso

Not sure why you think that will help. If the signal strength is not good at the shed, you need to improve it. Where is the main router in the house? Could it be moved nearer to the shed in the house? i.e. on a window sill. Have you tried using 802.11b? Have you tried using a USB extension lead on the dongle, to find the optimum reception position? i.e. mounted outside etc.

d726t9

espresso wrote:

Not sure why you think that will help. If the signal strength is not good at the shed, you need to improve it. Where is the main router in the house? Could it be moved nearer to the shed in the house? i.e. on a window sill. Have you tried using 802.11b? Have you tried using a USB extension lead on the dongle, to find the optimum reception position? i.e. mounted outside etc.

The modem router is actually in a conservatory as near to the shed as possible. I'm thinking that using a bridge will possibly help as I'm assuming the aerials on the bridge are stronger than that in a standard USB adaptor. Using a USB adaptor the computer can see that there is a wireless router there but doesn't seem powerful enough to send a signal to it - I've tried moving the dongle around but no luck.

I'm going to go and help try set it up on Friday so will try the 802.11b option then. Thanks.
Steve

Lorian

You could end up buying the kit and still have no signal. Go armed with at least 1 9Dbi antenna as well for the existing router.

Also note that on that Belkin the maximum signal will spread in a elipse around the antennas, with the maximum signal being left and right from the antennas when looking at the front of it. So if you do buy the belkin you should "line up" the two antennas on the router with where the router is located.