Signal Boosting

[Dman3434]

Hello TSF! Thank you for taking the time to hear about my issue.

I am in the Army currently serving in Iraq on my second tour. There is a service provider named Sniper Hill that produces wirless service to the base I am on. Where I work, I am on the first floor and cannot receice this wireless signal from Sniper Hill unless I go to the second floor with my Toshiba X205 laptop (Vista 32 operating system).

My question is: Is there a way that I can place a router or signal booster on the second floor, and wirlessly connect from the first floor? I cant have many cables laying around on the first floor, so I am looking to setup something on the second floor that allows me to wirelessly connect to it using my laptop on the first floor, but lack the knowledge to do so... I am willing to buy whichever product needed to get the job done. I currently have in my possession a lynksys WRT54G. If this is possible, can you give me step by step instructions on how to acheive this? I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to networking, but I am not a complete noob, so go easy on some of the tech terms, please.

Thank you very much for your time and understanding. I think what you all are doing with TSF is a very noble thing, and really appreciate your work and dedication.

[johnwill]

I'd try increasing your range directly on the laptop, a much easier way to deal with this. I've had good luck with a Rosewill RNX-G1 Wireless USB Adapter paired with a Hawking [HAI15SC] Hi-Gain 15dBi Corner Antenna for long range WiFi. I suspect something similar would work for you, and you wouldn't have to screw around with repeaters and remote locations.

[Dman3434]

I am not sure how the two Rosewill RNX-G1 Wireless USB Adapter and Hawking [HAI15SC] Hi-Gain 15dBi Corner Antenna go together. I assume the adapter is plugged into my laptop on the first floor and connects to the antenna on the second floor wirelessly? If this is not the case, I need to know how to do that. If I need to learn more on how to use remote locations and repeaters then I will need to do that.

Thank you for your expedient response!

[johnwill]

Actually, the adapter connects to your computer and the antenna connects to the adapter. No need to put the antenna upstairs, the whole point of the hi-gain directional antenna is to increase the signal strength where you are. If you put the antenna as high as possible on the first floor, that will help.

If it's still a problem, can you run a wire to the second floor?

[Dman3434]

We have these giant barriers that surround our first floor. I think signals have a hard time getting through the barriers, so I need to put the antenna on the second floor. I can actually get a signal periodically from the second floor without any range boosters, so if I had a booster I could probably get full bars. I can run a wire from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor. I just need instructions on how to do all of this, and what wire to use.

Thanks again, and sorry for taking so long to respond. I am going to purchass the two products you instructed would increase my signal strength. Does the wire connect from the adapter to the antenna? It needs to be on the second floor.

[johnwill]

Well, if you can get a USB cable to the second floor, you can just locate the two devices up there.

Another way that might be a better solution would be to buy a Wireless Bridge product and run the Ethernet cable to the second floor, you can run Ethernet as far as you need to without an issue.

[Dman3434]

Ya, I tried using a USB to a Hawking signal booster my friend owns that was on the second floor, but the device was not responding from the USB cord I had connected. I think the distance was too far or something, so I plan on just using an Ethernet cord to connect.

Just to be clear, I cannot access any sort of signal on the first floor due to the barriers surrounding it. To circumvent this, I will place an access point on the second floor. I will also place a WRT54G wireless internet router in the window seal on the second floor to achieve the best signal. This is where I am confused... Do I run an Ethernet cord from my computer, on the first floor, to the access point? Or do I need to run an Ethernet cord from the Router to the Access Point, and connect wirelessly to the access point from my computer? (Laptop>Ethernet cord>Access point>wireless>Router OR Laptop>wireless>Access Point>Ethernet>router) Not sure how to configure this setup...

Can I attach a range boosting antenna to my WRT54G router. that will help acquire a better signal from the second floor?

Here is a list of some hardware I was planning on purchasing, after I hear what you have to say:
Router: I currently own a WRT54G and will use an antenna to boost the signal strength. This is what im looking at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000SEN9U6//ref=nosim/connorswebguidec

Access Point: I plan on purchasing http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...nnorswebguidec

Is this equipment good as well as compatible with each other? Please, let me know what Im missing so I can finally get this started.

[johnwill]

Yep, a hi-gain antenna would be good.

If you put the wireless router on the second floor, you don't need a WAP, you already have one. That directional 15dB antenna that I mentioned recently would be a good match for this combination.

I'm assuming the WRT54G is one of the models with the removable antenna, right?

[johnwill]

Yep, a hi-gain antenna would be good.

If you put the wireless router on the second floor, you don't need a WAP, you already have one. That directional 15dB antenna that I mentioned recently would be a good match for this combination.

I'm assuming the WRT54G is one of the models with the removable antenna, right?