A wi-fi question

[Spinney]

Need to move desktop computer to an upstairs room as an office. No phone lines upstairs.
The BT Hub is downstairs, and in my new office my laptop gets a weak wifi signal, but enough to download emails etc with no trouble.
Eventually I may get a phone line installed upstairs, or use one of those thingies that sends the internet via the mains wiring, but for a quick and simple fix, I was wondering about getting a wifi widget for my PC.

The question is, does it matter what type? The BT site says it must be 802.11n compatible (or a couple of other letters after the 11).

But will this do:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/WIRELESS-AD...BGF4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345801791&sr=8-1

Or would something like this be better (assuming it is compatible) - i.e. will the aerial improve the signal strength I get?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/GMYLE-Wirel...YVTU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1345801791&sr=8-3

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Spinney

 

[ArDee]

It's a bit of a length of string question;

How weak is the signal in the signal upstairs?
Does the lap top reliably connect or does it drop out sometimes or cannot get a connection?

It's more the dropping out rather than the speed across the WiFi that's important, the speed of the WiFi connection will probably be limited by the connection to the house rather than the wireless network.

Given the difference in price, and if you buy the cheaper one and don't get a connection, you'd then need to buy the second, I'd personally go straight for the second item with the 5dB gain antenna.

 

[Stonepark]

Get the second, the proper aerial makes a difference in both transmit and receive. My 802.n sits in the middle of an 80's bungalow and happily gets into the garden on all sides of the house and about 50m down the track to the house.

Double check that your laptop is using 802.11n and not just 802.11g as n gives roughly 2.5 times the power and range as g and for a normal construction house ( wood frame or single brick) is more than adequate. if on the other hand you are between 3 feet of stone and lime mortar, better to run a permanent cable extension to the router from the phone socket filter and move the physical location of the router, rather than use the 1m cable that tends to come with the router and restricts where it goes.

.

 

[ian turner]

The BT site says it must be 802.11n compatible (or a couple of other letters after the 11).

that would be n/g/b . b is obsolete (quoted 11 mbps max) g is most of the wireless adapters in existence (54mbps quoted speed, note max realistic is generally half these values) so all they are saying is it has to be a wireless ethernet adapter.
As mentioned it's the weak signal that's of concern and the £4 cheapie is probably inferior to the adapter in your laptop. Personally I'd go for a pci wireless card with a couple of antennas but if usb and cheap it is then go for one of the tp-link devices instead as some of the comments on the one you linked to are woirrying.

 

[Spinney]

Thanks all.
User - I had considered what you suggest, but I understand (possibly wrongly!) that the room with the router in and the room where I want to use the PC must be on the same mains circuit - and they aren't.
Parts of the house have walls about 18" thick. The reason for not moving the router is that OH will want to use laptop with wifi downstairs.

I might try the anntena version as a short term quick fix, and if I have problems then I'll have to faff with phone extension cables/moving the router.

Thanks again for help.

Spinney

 

[MrJamie]

Id really look into what User suggested, its a much more robust solution if it works. I looked into them a bit to get ethernet to the sky box but forgot about it in the end, apparently they work off the AC phasing so dont mind that the upstairs/downstairs are on separate circuits as long as theyre in the same phase which is very very likely in a home, provided both plugs are connected through the same electricity meter.

I dont know it well enough to advise you 100% other than to say I think its definitely worth checking, its an incredibly common question if you google about powerline adapters on separate upstairs/downstairs circuits. IMHO its much easier than messing about with trying to make a crappy wifi signal work to get barely workable internet which may be the last thing from a quick fix, when you could have a solid ethernet/powerline connection. It also gives you the option of putting another wifi access point upstairs (i use cheapy £5 homehubs off ebay as APs) so your wife could also use her laptop upstairs.

Hope you get it working either way

 

[Octet]

[QUOTE 2002508, member: 45"]Just bite the bullet and get these. They're great.[/quote]

I've got a pair similar, TP-Link ones and they work a charm. I have severe Wireless problems in my room as well and so I have one of those which goes up to an old Wireless Router which I converted, turned of the DHCP and told it to get it from the upstairs one and it works a charm as a repeater.

 

[Berties]

I got a set of devolo plugs,they are great,full wireless signal or ethernet connection at the plug where ever you plug it in

 

[MattHB]

[QUOTE 2002508, member: 45"]Just bite the bullet and get these. They're great.[/quote]

just what I was going to suggest. awesome invention

 

[tincaman]

Quick, get these before they are all gone, Devolo basic kit for £15.79

 

[tincaman]

The advantage of homeplus means you can buy more in the future and just plug them in where you need them.

Don't put them on extension leads though, they either wont work or will be bery slow

 

[Spinney]

I will look into the mains thing, a much better solution if the two rooms do not have to be on the same power circuit.
Ta

 

[Octet]

I will look into the mains thing, a much better solution if the two rooms do not have to be on the same power circuit.
Ta

I believe they do, because it travels through the existing electrical wiring so if they aren't connected then it can't work.

 

[Spinney]

I believe they do, because it travels through the existing electrical wiring so if they aren't connected then it can't work.

Conflicting advice about this - I've found several threads on other forums that says it is OK as long as both circuits go to the same consumer unit (which they do). Might try from Amazon, then just send back if they don't work.

 

[MrJamie]

I believe they do, because it travels through the existing electrical wiring so if they aren't connected then it can't work.

Im fairly sure the circuits are irrelevant as long as they all share the same phase, as all the circuits in your house are usually connected by nature of them coming through the same electricity meter even if theyre on different switches/circuits after the circuit breaker box. You can get boxes that put each circuit on different phases apparently but theyre rarely in residential buildings.

Tempted to get some myself now to see what the Sky+ Anytime is like