New MIMO router or repeater?

[ziscwg]

I have this dead spot in my dining room. I have a Linksys WRT54G. I have some slightly tweaked frimware to increase the transmission power. This did help a little. I also have a 8 dbi antena on there. That helped some too. I still have problems though.

Would it be better to try a MIMO router using the same wireless cards on the laptops?

Or, would it be better to use a repeater in the kitchen? The kitchen gets decent signal.

Frys has a AirLink MIMO router for $29 and repeater for $19. So, it would not cost me much.

 

[versello]

Go with MIMO. Repeaters are always iffy.

 

[xeetim]

i got the airlink mimo. it works quite well. i don't even need a mimo card for the laptop and it's pretty fast.

 

[0ldman]

If you have something physically blocking the signal now, MIMO can help a bit, but probably won't do better than the modified setup you have now.

I'd go with the repeater in another room, somewhere to take up the slack of the original router's weak spots.

 

[tacticus]

that 8dbi antenna if its a real 8dbi will do more then a mimo ap could any day

especially if you don't have mimo clients

is there eth cable available in other parts of the house?
if there was i would think about getting an older wrt54g(s)
and just setting up the desktops with 2 associations

if there wasn't i would think about getting an older wrt54g(s) and chucking dd-wrt or hyper-wrt or open-wrt or any of the other varients out there and using wds though its not exactly easy to get working with wpa but can be done
though 2 connections will also be needed as far as my configurations go :\

(can you tell i like the wrt54g(s)'s )

good luck anyway

 

[ziscwg]

If you have something physically blocking the signal now, MIMO can help a bit, but probably won't do better than the modified setup you have now.

I put the MIMO router in and it did help a decent amount. My software scans show a 15% increase with the same wireless card in my laptop.

I'd go with the repeater in another room, somewhere to take up the slack of the original router's weak spots.

I'm thinking I will get the repeater to test. It can be put on top of a cabinet out of sight.

 

[ziscwg]

that 8dbi antenna if its a real 8dbi will do more then a mimo ap could any day

It's one of those AirLink antenas. It was cheap so I tried it. It did help some.

especially if you don't have mimo clients

I actually pick up a MIMO card too. I have not installed it. All my tests were done with just the router.

is there eth cable available in other parts of the house?
if there was i would think about getting an older wrt54g(s)
and just setting up the desktops with 2 associations

if there wasn't i would think about getting an older wrt54g(s) and chucking dd-wrt or hyper-wrt or open-wrt or any of the other varients out there and using wds though its not exactly easy to get working with wpa but can be done
though 2 connections will also be needed as far as my configurations go :\

(can you tell i like the wrt54g(s)'s )

good luck anyway

There are no other ethernet connections. I'm trying not to add to much complexity. Both my wife and I use it for VPN connections to work. Her VPN is so iffy as it is, I would not want to add more frustration to her efforts. (I get fewer things thrown at me that way. However, I have become rather good at doging those paper wads)


Thanks for the help