extend wireless signal

my_definition

Hi guys,

I currently live in a 3 bed flat and we have recently realised that our wireless signal doesnt extend to one of the bedrooms. We have just got a tv for that room with the idea that my OH can play his xbox and watch his american football in there. He needs an internet connection in order to stream his football games but sadly there is no signal. Its not a terribly big flat so we called the internet providers and they gave us a new modem but that one doesnt reach either. I know that you can get things to extend the signal of the router but dont know where to start. Can anyone help?

Thanks

Browntoa

this will do it

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/on-networks-pl200-199uks-200mbps-ethernet-powerline-adapter-kit-18781472-pdt.html?srcid=867&cmpid=comp~Google~Networking~18781472&istCompanyId=9a35962d-802d-4e67-9721-0a3328ca1f02&istItemId=awaqwpql&istBid=t&ef_id=CuJPQUyQjFMAAEy-:20121201155604:s

Pound

Browntoa wrote: »

this will do it

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/on-networks-pl200-199uks-200mbps-ethernet-powerline-adapter-kit-18781472-pdt.html?srcid=867&cmpid=comp~Google~Networking~18781472&istCompanyId=9a35962d-802d-4e67-9721-0a3328ca1f02&istItemId=awaqwpql&istBid=t&ef_id=CuJPQUyQjFMAAEy-:20121201155604:s

"powerline adaptor also comes with a data encryption button, so if you need extra security online, just push the button to get protected simply and effectively"

What does that even mean? Does it mean my internet traffic is unencrypted unless I push a button? Why isn't it encrypted in the first place? And what encryption standard does "extra security" refer to?

Edit, I found this video which makes the product look useless:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN3UR1e9f9k&feature=player_embedded

So you get two 'units', one you plug in to your router and another you plug into your PC. But how does that extend your wireless connection if the distance between the two units is exactly the same as your router and PC? Since these don't come with an aerial I can only guess that the quality will be worse.

To extend your wireless network you really need something that sits in the middle of the router and PC and boosts the signal. This doesn't do that.

Neil49

Pound wrote: »

"
So you get two 'units', one you plug in to your router and another you plug into your PC. But how does that extend your wireless connection if the distance between the two units is exactly the same as your router and PC? Since these don't come with an aerial I can only guess that the quality will be worse.

To extend your wireless network you really need something that sits in the middle of the router and PC and boosts the signal. This doesn't do that.

A powerline adaptor doesn't use wireless to make the link between the two devices, it uses the electrical cable network within your house to join them together.

I have my router on the ground floor of a 3 storey townhouse and have a powerline adaptor connected to the router and another on the top floor with an ethernet cable running from that adaptor straight into the pc up there. No wireless connection is involved in this as the link is via the electric wires into the plug sockets. You could do the same with and XBox or PS3 etc.

Full wired connectivity using these is the best solution but you can get some where one device transmits a wireless signal (in this instance on the top floor).

Encryption isn't really an issue if you own the entire house but would be if you rented out separate rooms with just the one meter.

Pound

Neil49 wrote: »

A powerline adaptor doesn't use wireless to make the link between the two devices, it uses the electrical cable network within your house to join them together.

Oh right, might give it a go myself in that case then

zappahey

Neil49 wrote: »

Encryption isn't really an issue if you own the entire house but would be if you rented out separate rooms with just the one meter.

Surely around one third of the street will be on the same electrical phase.

Pound

zappahey wrote: »

Surely around one third of the street will be on the same electrical phase.

I guess that's why you press the button for 'extra security' (whatever that means)

macman

You can get Powerline adapters with a wireless unit attached. Otherwise you just use ethernet between the local adapter and your PC/laptop.

my_definition

Thanks for the suggestions - have just went and bought an ethernet cable for all the time we need to have the connection in that room its not really worth spending £30, but if we ever need a proper connection in there i know what to get

Mr_Toad

zappahey wrote: »

Surely around one third of the street will be on the same electrical phase.

The devices are a pair, you can't just plug another in and join the network. To add another device you need access to the master device so you can add the new one.

neilwoods

Actually you can just add another plug to the network, but obviously may not work depending on what make and how they were set up. Some simply let you just plug them in and away you go, others need to be paired up and some like the TP-links have management program where you add additional plugs and can alter the bandwidth of each plug and add priority to each plug