How to increase wifi range on my Trendnet TEW-633GR?

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shebalord

Weaksauce
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Oct 13, 2005
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Hi ppl,

How can I increase the wifi range/signal on my Trendnet TEW-633GR? I have it setup in the basement and I can get signal on second floor, but sometimes it is a little weak. I'm using the wifi on my iPhone so there's nothing I can do software wise on my device.

Is there a simple/quick fix that I can do to increase the range/signal? does changing the antenna help with range at all?

Thanks!
 
Yes, a better antenna will transmit a stronger signal.

If you have the router in the basement and all the devices above it, there's a good chance you've got your antenna pointed the wrong way. On a typical antenna that comes with a router, the signal is sent out mostly perpendicular to the antenna. If you have the antenna pointed straight up and down, the signal is going out sideways in all directions. If you tip the antenna down so that it points at the wall, half the signal will be going straight up to the other floors, but half will also be shot down at the basement floor. Even if you can't get a higher dB antenna to use, a directional antenna rated for the same dB will direct the vast majority of the signal up (rather than wasting it down or shooting it side to side).
 
i have the router standing up, and the antenna is pointing upwards toward the ceiling...like the attached pic (borrowed pic)...

any suggestion on how i should point it to get better signal?

D8C66C379E13CAAACB8F0114091B9840C1CF6028_large.jpg
 
bend two of the antennas in a x and y axis, leaving the last a z axis. having it like that sort of defeats a lot of the purpose of multiple antennas.
 
What it amounts to is that with 2 antennas, you set them at 90 degrees to each other. With 3 antennas, at least 60 degrees in a plane, and if possible rotated in/out to maximize the difference in angle.

If moving the antennas doesn't work, you might want to try moving the router itself. Even placing it under a desk or inside a cabinet creates another unnecessary layer of interference. Keep it far away from strong power junctions (like a circuit breaker or refrigerator), and if possible, mount it up high on the wall, closer to the center of the house.
 
my router is in my basement on the left hand side of the house, should i point the antennas to the right hand side since all my wireless devices are used on the right hand side of the house?
 
just realized the router has fixed antennas....sigh..

i've angled the antennas in x, y, and z directions and will see if that will improve my signal on the 2nd floor...
 
 
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This quick and dirty method may work for you, a friend used this in an airport hotel when his reception was impossible and got acceptable results.

Buy a can of beer/coke
Drink it :)
Turn it upside down and you will see a concave surface much like a mini satellite dish.
Stick your phone antenna close to the curve (vary the distance for optimal results) and point the curve toward the transmitter.
You should find a direction where the signal becomes much stronger.

This idea can be extended using a curved metal pan lid, Wok etc.
 
ill give the coke can thing a try....idea sounds simple enough...

im thinking what would happen if i hang a chinese style cooking pan in the corner of my room to redirect the signal.... :D
 
just a thought...since my router has fixed antennas, is it possible to mod the antenna?
 
You could hang a pan but I wouldnt have it pointed at your head when you arent using your phone.
Perhaps hang a sheet of tin foil in front or some other way to block the signal when not using it.

You can increase the antennas gain by doubling the length exposed to the signal.
You need to be fairly precise otherwise you can cut off the frequency you want to receive while adding extra noise, so the S/N ratio may decrease instead of increase.
 
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