Steel frame House + wireless

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JimmyLizar

321 posts

Ultimate Geek

#28786 11-Dec-2008 16:03

We are getting prices for a new house and one comapny has suggested steel frame (as opposed to timber).

Any issues anybody knows of with wireless? or anything else re: interference for TV etc

Thanks

.....c'mon sucker lick my battery........
binary solo...0000110000110000111...

lonney

85 posts

Master Geek

#183566 11-Dec-2008 16:52

The wavelength of 2.4GHz is about 12cm. This will easily fit through the steel framing. The wallboard materials+insulation etc will absorb the signal more than anything else.

How does one go about nailing things to walls with a steel frame? Personally I'd stick woth wood, its a very versatile material.

richms

28198 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#183601 11-Dec-2008 18:23

You use tek screws to attach things to the walls.

I know that there are lower limits for weight attached into a steel framed wall then timber. Something to watch out for with hanging your TV etc.

There will be more deadspots then wood framed I would expect too, but considering that a single AP has trouble covering a wood framed house unless its the size of a 3 car garage virtually, I would just do what is prudant in any house and install multiple accesspoints where you will need the best signal.

TV is on the outside of the house so unaffected, cell coverage may have more deadspots if you are in a weak signal area, but I doubt that would be a concern.

Richard rich.ms

JimmyLizar

321 posts

Ultimate Geek

#183602 11-Dec-2008 18:24

everything is screw fixed. Yeah, making changes to a steel framed house part way through is difficult ie. not so versatile

.....c'mon sucker lick my battery........
binary solo...0000110000110000111...

lonney

85 posts

Master Geek

#183609 11-Dec-2008 18:40

There will be more deadspots then wood framed I would expect too, but considering that a single AP has trouble covering a wood framed house unless its the size of a 3 car garage virtually, I would just do what is prudant in any house and install multiple accesspoints where you will need the best signal.

You need a better access point if it doesnt cover your house. Mine easily covers our 5 bedroom house end to end, side to side.

iainw

75 posts

Master Geek

#184274 15-Dec-2008 14:14

The biggest impact a steel framed house will have is a dramatic increase in multipath interference.

All that extra metal is going to mean a lot more signals bouncing all over the place.

If you use 802.11n, then this is a good thing and it will actually increase your range and throughput compared to a wooden frame. If you use 802.11a/b/g then it is a bad thing, and your range will be shorter, and your throughput will be less. You can mitigate this by making sure your access point supports antenna diversity (two antennas) - on consumer grade equipment, many times one of the two antennas is actually internal, so you can't always tell by looking at the picture.

As to coverage, assuming a fairly typical 25mW radio with a 2dBi antenna, this will give you 54Mbps at up to 80m through clear air with a reasonable margin of error. Every GIB wall it goes through halves the signal strength (-3dBi loss).