Best way to extend the connection to an existing wireless network

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gangstafm

34 posts

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#37965 22-Jul-2009 12:34

Hi,

My mate has recently connected to Telecom broadband and has the Thompson router sent through to him.

We live in a building and im on the 3rd floor while he is on the 2nd floor. Apart from that the direction is opposite as well. He is on the east end of the building and im on the west end.

My aim is to connect to his wireless network while sitting in my apartment.

When I take the laptop over to his place it works fine but it doesnt pick the signal more than 10mtrs away from his place.

I was thinking of purchasing a WAP and setting it up at my place but then was told by the salesperson that it may not be compatible and they wouldnt refund my money.

Can anyone share some ideas on what they can recommend in this situation ?

I feel weird going to his place all the time just to surf the net!!!

Thanks

Fizz

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#237828 22-Jul-2009 12:41

you could try getting a repeater (dlink 2200+ap works well).. adding a bigger omni directional aerial than the stock one provided.. you would also need to get a bigger aerial on the thompson (if it can infact be changed at all).. however this will cost in the vicinity of $500.. and depending on what the building is made of possibly wont work anyway

gangstafm

34 posts

Geek

#237883 22-Jul-2009 14:25

thanks.. what if i was to get another router similar to what my mate has ... do you think that would solve this ?

wellygary

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#237887 22-Jul-2009 14:32

What sort of construction is the building?

If it is of concrete construction, you may be sh*t out of luck no matter what you do,

The router you shoud look at beefing up is the one in your mate's room, the default one given to him by telecom is unlikely to have a grunt antenna on it.

You say you loose the signal 10m away from his place, where in relation to your apartment is this ( out side your door??.. on his landing??)

How far away in metres is the closest part of your apartment to your mate's?

gangstafm

34 posts

Geek

#237889 22-Jul-2009 14:45

the building is made of concrete but the walls arent...

ive drawn up a crude drawing of where i am in relation to my mate but i cant attach the pic here so not sure how to explain it .

my apartment is on the 3rd floor which is at the end of the corridor -- about 10-15m length of corridor

My mate is on the 2nd floor on the other end of the corridor.

I lose the signal at the stairs going up from the 2nd floor to the 3rd floor (about 10 metres from the router)

Hope this makes sense

cyril7

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#237891 22-Jul-2009 14:56

H, going through a reinforced concrete floor between floors is going to be tricky to say the least, and presumably on each floor there are timber partition Gib walls between each apartment, so a few of those and your dead out of luck.

What kind of building is this, private aparments or student accomidation of some kind

Cyril

gangstafm

34 posts

Geek

#237893 22-Jul-2009 14:59

private apartments

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cyril7

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#237894 22-Jul-2009 15:02

how many apartments per floor

gangstafm

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#237896 22-Jul-2009 15:03

there are 6 apartments on the 2nd floor .. he is in 2A and there are 7 in the 3rd floor.. im in 3G

cyril7

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#237897 22-Jul-2009 15:07

So there is a diagonal between you and him and through at least one other aparment, I think I would try something else, its very much up hill.

Cyril

gangstafm

34 posts

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#237898 22-Jul-2009 15:09

yea it seems worse and worse as i come to realise it... what would you suggest?

cyril7

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#237903 22-Jul-2009 15:20

Hi, you could, get your own DSL connection, anything else would most certainly contrivine your mates ISPs T&C and require you to have a friendly building manager.

Cyril

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wellygary

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#237906 22-Jul-2009 15:25

Ponying up for you own BB might be the only real way out of it,

The only other possibly hack, ( and it is an ugly one) is to see what sort of common wiring there is in the building, ( I am thinking that all the phone wiring terminates in a cupboard with a patch panel somewhere)

If there are spare pairs going to you and your mates apts, you might be able to connect up a ethernet workaround, but you would need to rope in someone who a) had authority to monkey with the wiring, and b) knows how to monkey it so as to not screw it up.

cyril7 - Snap

gangstafm

34 posts

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#237909 22-Jul-2009 15:27

hmm.. thanks guys.. looks like this aint gonna work like i imagined in my head

cyril7

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#237911 22-Jul-2009 15:29

The only other possibly hack, ( and it is an ugly one) is to see what sort of common wiring there is in the building, ( I am thinking that all the phone wiring terminates in a cupboard with a patch panel somewhere)

If there are spare pairs going to you and your mates apts, you might be able to connect up a ethernet workaround, but you would need to rope in someone who a) had authority to monkey with the wiring, and b) knows how to monkey it so as to not screw it up.

Which is what in around about way I was trying to say without upsetting anyone. But I have done this before, it requires the approval of the building manager, in the cases I have been involved with they were happy with this as at the time there was a shortage of local DSLAM ports, lots of angry residents and therefore lots of reasons to quell the crowds. That is not always the case, dont be surprised if they dont want to know and tell you to get your own connection.

Cyril

Jimmyoo0

19 posts

Geek

#237914 22-Jul-2009 15:34

do you share a common outside wall with a opening window? maybe a little outside the box but you could run an antenna cord out the window so the antenna is just outside the window and your mate could do the same, then you wouldn't have to try and get the signal through all that concrete.

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