Wireless Router of choice for a plaster-floored house?

[Jimmy the Greek]

I'm putting together a WLAN for a friend in a Brooklyn, NY home that looks to have been built in the 60s/70s. Their modem resides with the main computer on the first floor, and they're looking to add a Wireless ethernet-ready system in their basement.

I purchased a Linksys WRT54GL, along with a Gigabyte wireless adapter.

Sadly, the signal can't reach through the floor, which we're guessing is made of plaster, wood, and potentially some form of metal mesh. Would a Wireless N router help out in a situation like this? Also, should the Gigabyte card suffice, or is an N card needed to take full advantage of the protocol's improved range?

 

[thespeakerbox]

That sounds kind of silly. I live in a 3 story brownstone and I get signal from the top floor to the basement. Are you sure everything is configured right?

If anything try a repeater.

 

[Jimmy the Greek]

That sounds kind of silly. I live in a 3 story brownstone and I get signal from the top floor to the basement. Are you sure everything is configured right?

If anything try a repeater.

I'm guessing that your floors are similar. What wireless router + adapter are you using?

Funny thing is, if they stand 20 ft away from the router on the 1st floor, they get 30% signal strength (using the PSP's WLAN connection test). Maybe they have too many sources of interference around the router (CRT television, CRT monitor, cordless phones, microwaves, walls.)

I haven't been there to assess the situation, though. I just gave them the equipment and left, like any good person would do.

 

[thespeakerbox]

Try mounting the router high , near the ceilings if possible. I have mine on the very top of a jerker desk, around 4 feet from the celing. I was using a wrt54g, but now have a buffalo whr54gs. Both routers give similar distances.. Try placement before you decide to add on access points.

Are you connecting via wireless G?

 

[Jimmy the Greek]

Try mounting the router high , near the ceilings if possible. I have mine on the very top of a jerker desk, around 4 feet from the celing. I was using a wrt54g, but now have a buffalo whr54gs. Both routers give similar distances.. Try placement before you decide to add on access points.

Are you connecting via wireless G?

Both the router and adapter can do Wireless G.

For various reasons, the router has to be on the first floor. Would positioning it closer to the ceiling make it easier for the signal to reach the floor below it?

Is it inherently difficult to propagate a wireless signal to floors below the router?

 

[moetop]

Both the router and adapter can do Wireless G.

For various reasons, the router has to be on the first floor. Would positioning it closer to the ceiling make it easier for the signal to reach the floor below it?

Is it inherently difficult to propagate a wireless signal to floors below the router?

Moving it father away from the floor may help and it also may hurt.. You need to consider the signal path and shape. If the signal has to pass through the floor at a heavy angle it will have to pass through more material. Typical "rubber duck" antenas have a doughnut shape signal, so turning them on an angle might help, but you also need to consider polarity.

 

[Dzero]

Sadly, the signal can't reach through the floor, which we're guessing is made of plaster, wood, and potentially some form of metal mesh. Would a Wireless N router help out in a situation like this? Also, should the Gigabyte card suffice, or is an N card needed to take full advantage of the protocol's improved range?

Unfortunately no. The metal mesh used for plaster in the late 50's to mid 60's makes every room a Faraday cage. Whether it's N,G, or B makes no difference, it's still the same frequency and will be blocked. Same reason you can look into your microwave oven without having your face catch on fire.

I assume the basement has a finished ceiling in plaster?

There may be another way though. You could use a chimney or plumbing chase to hardwire to the lower floor. There is usually plenty of room in a chimney chase wall to route wire. A plumbing wall is another possibility, follow the vent stack from the basement.

Another possibility is to use a flexible drill bit on any interior wall. After cutting out the hole for the wall jack, use a long flex bit to drill through the center of a wall into the floor below.

If it isn't possible to hardwire to the lower floor there's still one more way but depends on the layout of the house. It may be possible to use a stairwell/hallways as a waveguide to direct a wireless signal. Just as metal mesh can block a signal you can also use it to direct a signal. You would have to do a site survey for this though. Netstumbler would be your tool.

 

[magik20]

i agree with DZero


but another opition maybe to take one of the antenna jacks on the back of the router and hookup a external antenna.....

then attach that to the side of the building out of a window or something....


that MAY give you the ability to get outside of the Mesh in the floors and pickup the signal upstairs.

a directional antenna may be best, such as this Yagi Antenna from Hyperlink

http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/hg2409y.php

that unit, when pointed up, will spread the signal up and also side to side, so it may help.