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Wireless - distance problem?

Hi all,

My current set up involves a PC in one room, that has a Netgear wireless router (54mbps) and the occasional use of a laptop (with wireless card) in another. Both machines run XP.

There are two doors in between the two rooms and the wireless connection in the 2nd room is usually slow or unreliable althogh it does work.

I will soon have to move the PC upstairs and I'm wondering if there is a quick and easy (not to mention cheap) way of briging the gap between floors.

I've seen that Netgear do some sort of device that plugs into an electrical socket. I also noticed the price... round about £90.00. Has anyone used this device?

What about having a faster router??

Basically, I will have the PC upstairs but won't to use the wireless laptop downstairs.

Unfortunately, leaving the PC where it is is not an option.

Thanks for any help

Comments

  • espresso
    espresso Posts: 16,448 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Have you tried taking the laptop around the property? Radio signals normally penetrate plaster and floor boards quite easily. Site the wireless router in the optimum place in the property and see how you get on.
    :doh: Blue text on this forum usually signifies hyperlinks, so click on them!..:wall:
  • Conor_3
    Conor_3 Posts: 6,944 Forumite
    What is more important is what materials the walls are constructed of. If there's plasterboard, you're gonna have a hell of a time.

    I can log on to my router from my sis in laws which is across the street some 80ft away.
  • Bob63
    Bob63 Posts: 1,320 Forumite
    si_man wrote: »
    I've seen that Netgear do some sort of device that plugs into an electrical socket. I also noticed the price... round about £90.00. Has anyone used this device?

    Save money, don't buy the Netgear box. Solwise do an 85Mbps homeplug device for £25 which you would plug into your wireless router. Then you can either buy a matching device and hardwire your laptop at the other end, for for around £50 you can get a combined homeplug / wireless adaptor.

    http://solwise.co.uk/net-powerline-pl-85pe.htm - homplug box
    http://solwise.co.uk/net-powerline-pl-85pew.htm - homeplug/wireless box

    I use both and the resulting reliability/performance is fantastic.

    Mike
  • si_man_2
    si_man_2 Posts: 25 Forumite
    Thanks cheesy.mike, the site & product looks great. I think I'll give it a go.

    regards.
    Si
  • albertross_2
    albertross_2 Posts: 8,932 Forumite
    Move the pc and try it before you start spending money on more equipment. Angling the aerial at 45 degrees can help, as can changing channels if you have neighbours with wireless
    Ever get the feeling you are wasting your time? :rolleyes:
  • espresso
    espresso Posts: 16,448 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    si_man wrote: »
    Thanks cheesy.mike, the site & product looks great. I think I'll give it a go.

    regards.
    Si

    You seem to be looking for a solution to a problem that you most likely don't have.
    :doh: Blue text on this forum usually signifies hyperlinks, so click on them!..:wall:
  • weegie.geek
    weegie.geek Posts: 3,432 Forumite
    repositioning the wireless router might help as well...
    They say it's genetic, they say he can't help it, they say you can catch it - but sometimes you're born with it
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