[Gllug] WiFi modem / routers etc - recommendations for increased range please!

[Christopher Hunter]

On Mon, 2009-06-08 at 00:42 +0300, Bob Giles wrote:

//snippage//

> I would ultimately like to be able to access the network over three 
> floors, all of which are separated by reinforced concrete. There is an 
> awful lot of steel used in the construction of our house which tends to 
> play havoc with wireless signals.

You may find that it's necessary to have additional hardware to cover
each floor - I have that problem in one house, and found that a wireless
router on each floor with a hard-wired "spine" interconnecting the
routers gave flawless performance.  The routers are all cheap "Netgear"
things.

> The only other 'issue' that I have is that we have an ISDN phone system 
> and the modem/router has to connect through this.

Stick with what you've already got if it's working.  You just have to
connect additional gear to it.

> My initial research suggests that the N1 or N+ range from Belkin may fit 
> the bill but being naturally suspicious of manufacturers claims, I 
> thought that I would ask the opinions of those with practical 
> experience.

My experience is that Belkin equipment has unrealistic claims for usable
range.  They may achieve the quoted distances in a desert, between
hilltops where there are no other networks within miles, but in the Real
World, in an electrically noisy city, ranges are severely curtailed.

Chris

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