Advice on Wireless network for home

My house is quite big and I have a 108Mbps NETGEAR wireless router which even goes through the wooded(almost foresty like ) part of my yard down to my garages. I have no complaint whatsoever about that product, and it's quite inexpensive if you can snatch it on sale.
I've had different wireless routers before and they didn't do as well in my house and yard.

 

Tom,

In the spirit of keeping it simple, I use a Linksys 54G Router-that is on the host computer in my office at home. On my laptop, I use a Linksys wireless card, and I get reception everywhere in a 2K sq ft home. I can even get great signal in the backyard on my laptop. The 3rd computer is in my son's room and I have a Linksys-mini USB Adapter that connected so easily to the network, that it scared me...(Security wise).

We use Bell South DSL extreme and when I do a test on Toast.net, I am getting a download speed of 1.6mbs on my laptop.

For the complexity of your house, for a few dollars more, you can by a signal booster, (really cheap-from Linksys), and place it somewhere between the 2 and you will still get awesome speed.

I don't know if that helps, but that works for me! Have a blast Tom!!

 

Hello Fire,

My setup is similar to Steve's, except I have a D-Link 2.4GHz wired/wireless router. It includes 4 wired ports. The Main computer, is upstairs where it is wired into the D-linK together with a multitude of peripheral devices like scanners, printers etc. I connect wirelessly, a personal laptop, my IPAQ, and my work laptop. I am on my work laptop now and it is showing 54Mbps for the wireless connection. The laptops "found" the wireless network quite easily and setting it up was a breeze.

The personal laptop and the main computer are also networked wirelessly with file sharing between them.

I use my laptop from downstairs. We also have a 2 storied house but it is quite open and does not have to go through brick walls. I have also used it outside on the deck without any problems.

We have Roadrunner cable modem.

I am sure you will have a great time setting it all up, have fun....

PS: Actually it does go through walls because I can connect my IPAQ siiting inside my car in the garage.

 

Ok, I have a similar set up. I have a Linksys WRT54G wireless router/access point hooked up to our computer and cable modem.

From that, someone can be on the internet in our study (on the other side of our house), and I can be on the internet on my laptop, playing a video game on my Xbox 360 (by using my Linksys Wireless-G game adapter), and be listening to internet radio stations around the world with no slow down whatsoever on my PalmOne LifeDrive Mobile Manager (note: all of these things that I do our on the other side of our house where our living room and my room, guest room, and sister's room is).

I can even go outside, and surf the internet by our pool or listen to radio stations on my pda with no drop off. Everything was extremely easy to set up.

You can even get a Wireless-G range extender to extend the range of your wireless network (in your case, you may or may not need it):

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Sate...578138&pagename=Linksys/Common/VisitorWrapper

Here is all of Linksys wireless networking products:

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Sate...939789&pagename=Linksys/Common/VisitorWrapper

Here is Linksys New SRX technology:

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Sate...825933&pagename=Linksys/Common/VisitorWrapper

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Sate...804580&pagename=Linksys/Common/VisitorWrapper

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Sate...435381&pagename=Linksys/Common/VisitorWrapper

 

Excellent commentary Erik, I could not for the life of me think of the name of the range extender. That is exactly what I meant when I said Signal Booster, total "Civilian word". Great job. Tom has some choices now!!!

 

Thanks Steven.

I am always looking out for my WA buddies.

 

I've heard good things about new MIMO hardware. I think Netgear and Dlink are supposed to have the two best for those. Another thing to look for regaurding you VOIP service is a router that will give priority to certain things. I noticed at Best Buy the other day that I believe it was Dlink had a new one that was meant for gaming (but I guess you could use it for anything) that gave bandwidth priority to certain devices. That might be something to look into. I think some of the "open WRT" firmwares out on the net might give the plain old Linksys boxes that ability to.

 

Congrats on your wireless network Fire.

Wireless (imo) is the best way (and cheapest) way to set up a network without running wires everywhere.

 

That is true for the typical American home, Erik, but not practical for those of us who live in small European apartments where a cable DSL/ADSL modem will work just fine. That's my setup, I may consider a W-LAN solution when I move into a bigger place.

 

you can run 3rd party firmware on the linsky wrt54gL that turns that router into a 750$ router and then you can turn the power up on it up to 251mw's as it is only 24mw's straight out of the box ,and it really sends a signal for long distances like your neigbors house, you can also do many more things with the firmware ,one is HyperWRT at Thibor's HyperWRT page but it runs on camand line i think and just google hacking linsky wrt54gL they are usually free i think the only one that cost anything Sveasoft and it is only 20$ there is also Open-WRT also make sure that you get the WRT54GL as the WRT54G doesn't have enough memory for third party firmware but the hackers complained and they came out with the GL as it is Linox based like the first versions of the WRT54G until they changed and took most of the memory out ,you can get it at Newegg.com - Buy Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more! as you will not find it in any stores but it is really cheaper it cost 62.99 and Linsky has a 10$ mail in rebate right now so that makes it 52.99 can't beat that here is the link to it Newegg.com - LINKSYS WRT54GL IEEE 802.3/3u, IEEE 802.11b/g Wireless-G Broadband Router - Retail
just google the router as there are lots of forums and blogs about it.
I hope i have been helpfull.

 

Wow, this is some great information. Can you give me some advice? I have a Linksys WRT54g and the only thing I really need is the boost you described to crank up the output power of the device. What would be the easiest,fastest, and safest way to go about that?
Thank You very much,
Andy

 

I have the Linksys WRT54Gx and it has the srx on it I love this router. It gets such good range people 2 houses down from me can use it lol. Sorry I just get excited talking about wifi.

 

I agree I have the Linksys WRT54Gx and I would also love to learn how to do this.

 

here are some sites you need to go to they will show you how to do this .I love WIFI as well especially cracking wep for fun.
How to hack the Wireless Fantastic
Linksysinfo
Sveasoft
OpenWrt
Try these to start out with thanks, lovemussel