Wifi booster

[Fnaar]

Having tried a few homemade booster ideas I'd googled, and without success, I bought a recommended and positively reviewed WiFi signal booster, as my daughter can't get WiFi signal on top floor of a 3 floor house. This also seemingly has no effect! Now, it occurs to me that parts of the walls and ceiling in this room (and another next to it) are insulated with foil-coated insulation. Could this be having any effect on the signal (ie blocking it in any way)? If anything, I'd have thought it would boost it, allowing me to broadcast to outer space!

 

[Red Light]

Why not run a network connection through the electrical wiring (power socket network connectors are easy to get hold of) and plug a wireless access point into the socket on the top floor?

 

[ColinJ]

I was picking up a very poor signal from my sister's WIFI. When I checked it out, I found she had the router on the floor in the corner of the roomand its antenna horizontal. I found that turning the antenna to vertical and putting the router at waist height on a shelf gave me a 10x boost in download speed.

It's worth experimenting with the router and monitoring the WIFI signal strength at different places in the house.

 

[BearPear]

Fnaar, the foil would have to be pretty advanced to have that effect!

The way I have got round your problem (in our three storey house) is a set of ethernet powerline adaptors like these to connect the router to upstairs and a cheapo wireless access point to distribute the signal there.

They're dead easy to set up.

[edit] ha ha - just saw the answer just before mine!

I have taken this as a bone fide recommendation (who wouldn't trust a cyclist?!!) and ordered the plug-in ethernet jobbies. I had been toying with the idea because our new router won't push the wi-fi to the extension, but my techie son had said that they won't work. The truth of it is probably that he's worried his sister will suck up all the interwebs & affect his on-line activities!

I'll report back, if I remember...

 

[Zoiders]

I once saw a device based on a Pringles tube.

This of course entails purchasing and eating an entire tube of Pringles first.

 

[TheDoctor]

You say that like it's a downside!!

 

[Zoiders]

When you scoff the whole tube it falls under the category of "crying while eating".

You know you should stop but you can't help yourself.

Pringles - the foul temptress.

 

[marinyork]

Cantennas do work in the sense of what they are designed to do.

 

[Red Light]

I have one of these. Doddle to set up and relays the signal to the far end of the house.

 

[BearPear]

I have taken this as a bone fide recommendation (who wouldn't trust a cyclist?!!) and ordered the plug-in ethernet jobbies. I had been toying with the idea because our new router won't push the wi-fi to the extension, but my techie son had said that they won't work. The truth of it is probably that he's worried his sister will suck up all the interwebs & affect his on-line activities!

I'll report back, if I remember...

I'm reporting back - success, the link plugs actually work in daughter's bedroom. Peace is restored in the Bear household, thank's for the recommendation Uncle Mort!

 

[Fnaar]

Fnaar, the foil would have to be pretty advanced to have that effect!

The way I have got round your problem (in our three storey house) is a set of ethernet powerline adaptors like these to connect the router to upstairs and a cheapo wireless access point to distribute the signal there.

They're dead easy to set up.

[edit] ha ha - just saw the answer just before mine!

I think I'm going to give these a try, Uncle Mort, but just one numpty question if I may...
I'm assuming I plug one of the thingies in downstairs (where main PC and existing router are) and connect router to it. Then upstairs, where signal is needed, I plug in the other one, and pair them... er... then what? Do I connect the new router to that? What do I connect the laptop to that daughter wants to use up there?
Thanks in advance

 

[Fnaar]

Yes, you just plug the new router in and the easiest way to set them up is as a wireless access point.

Typically, you first configure the router by plugging it into a PC and logging in as an admin and setting up your new network's name, channel etc, then unplugging and connecting it with your old router. You want to use a different channel from the one used with your existing router, in case things get complicated. The cheapo router I've linked to was very easy to set up.

It's easier than I've made it sound!

Thank'ee kindly Mort... going to order the stuff today...