What is the most powerful wireless router?

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Korodave

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Topic # 76995 9-Feb-2011 16:30

I'm looking for a wireless router that gives the furthest coverage. I'm with Telecom. I need a router that will reach to my office in my garage about 30 metres away. Wireless needs to travel through 4 walls (three gib and one tin). Can anyone suggest a wireless router that will do this job?

kyhwana2

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Reply # 437341 9-Feb-2011 16:34

ouch. It's not going to like that tin very much.

You're better off with directional antennas at both ends. The power wifi APs can put out is regulated and can't exceed 4Watts, so any that do 4Watts is as good as you'll get.

muppet

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Reply # 437342 9-Feb-2011 16:36

Well, I can't answer the question easily, but getting yourself a router where you can swap the antenna will help.

Then you can put a high gain antenna on it. If you can do that in your office as well (usb wireless with a swapable antenna) you'll do Ok.

http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=AR3277

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raytaylor

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Reply # 437386 9-Feb-2011 19:01

You may be better off looking at netcomm homeplug devices.
These use your internal power wiring to pass the data. It will probably also be much faster than a wireless signal going through.

4 walls and a layer of tin would probably be way too much for wifi.

Ray Taylor
Taylor Broadband (rural hawkes bay)
www.ruralkiwi.com

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For my general guide to extending your wireless network Click Here

Damager

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Reply # 437389 9-Feb-2011 19:07

muppet: Well, I can't answer the question easily, but getting yourself a router where you can swap the antenna will help.

Then you can put a high gain antenna on it. If you can do that in your office as well (usb wireless with a swapable antenna) you'll do Ok.

http://www.jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=AR3277

will this go on an ordinary thomson wireless modem?

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raytaylor

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Reply # 437575 10-Feb-2011 00:55

you cannot remove the antenna on an ordinary thompson.
look into a belkin or tp-link for a removable antenna.

Ray Taylor
Taylor Broadband (rural hawkes bay)
www.ruralkiwi.com

There is no place like localhost
For my general guide to extending your wireless network Click Here

sbiddle

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Biddle Corp

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Reply # 437585 10-Feb-2011 06:17

The biggest factor isn't always the power of the router, but the power of the laptop you're using to connect back to the AP. A 1W AP isn't any good if you've got got a 100mW laptop that doesn't have enough power to communicate back to the AP.

foremannz

34 posts

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Reply # 437596 10-Feb-2011 07:52

I got a pair of access points and 15db outdoor aerials for something similar for a site :)

As suggested above, the tin walls will act as a mirror to wireless signals - is there a window in the shed that has a clear view of the house? What you'd ideally have is an access point in each building that has clear line of site to each other.

This is the unit I am using for my site - only took a few minutes to setup a wireless bridge between 2 of them
http://www.tp-link.com/products/productDetails.asp?pmodel=TL-WA701ND
http://pricespy.co.nz/product.php?p=525395 ($54ea)

Korodave

3 posts

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Reply # 437734 10-Feb-2011 13:22

Is there anyway of increase power of laptop for wireless reception

kyhwana2

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Reply # 437735 10-Feb-2011 13:24

Korodave: Is there anyway of increase power of laptop for wireless reception

Get a USB wifi adaptor with a removable antenna, swap it out for a bigger one?

jonb

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Reply # 437750 10-Feb-2011 13:55

have you thought about getting a length of cat5 network cable to connect the laptop in the office to your thompson router? Might be easier than messing about with different antennas if you don't need to have wi-fi in the office, just internet connectivity for the laptop there.

jonb

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Reply # 437756 10-Feb-2011 14:06

As another potential no cost solution you could try moving the wireless modem from it's current location to a room with a phone extension socket nearer the office, you might just have enough signal there to connect. Worth a try.

You'd lose a bit of general broadband speed though, as you get the best performance with the modem connected to the master phone socket, where it probably is already located

scottjpalmer

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Reply # 437977 10-Feb-2011 20:27

Korodave: Is there anyway of increase power of laptop for wireless reception

I one of these today http://jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=YN8306&keywords=yn8306&form=KEYWORD

Works through a window then 400m+ in the middle of Wellington to an outdoor AP, just.

jonb

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Reply # 438219 11-Feb-2011 10:46

In reply to the post above, you would probably need a usb extension cable to locate the usb wireless adaptor in a house facing window of the tin walled office

http://jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=XC4839&keywords=usb+extension+lead&form=KEYWORD

semigeek

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Reply # 438243 11-Feb-2011 12:09

I use a Belkin wireless N router, dual antenna. It can send the signal through a gib wall and an exterior (roughcast) wall through to my Skyline type garage. I get about 3 bars reception in the garage which is about 20, 30 metres away from the router.

Zeon

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Reply # 444915 2-Mar-2011 17:46

TBH your probably better just to dig a trench and run some cat5e through conduit between the two buildings. A few hours on a Saturday will get you sorted :)