wireless broadband distance question?

Question

I currenty bought a Linksys wireless-N broadband router....and im trying to connect it to a friends computer. There both laptops and were located in a 3-story standard barracks that the army provides. With that router we are unable to connect to eachother which is a total guess distance of 300-400ft "located from across the end of the hall to the other." Is there any other way or any router that might be able to cover that area? Remember we are in a building with a lot of concrete and steel. If there are any ideas can anyone please help to increase the distance for me to pick up the wireless routher....thanks.

Answer 1

Just want to correct some misinformation above: An access point is not the same thing as a repeater.

There are special-purpose repeaters, which are the best way to repeat a signal.

Some access points have features that let them act as a repeater, but this tends to be more complex to set up.

I've posted a link to a Linksys repeater below.

Going through walls is bad for a signal - you definitely want to minimize the distance the signal has to pass through concrete. If I understood your description correctly, your situation is about worst-case because the signal has to make a shallow angle through the two walls on either side of the hallway. The shallow angle means that the signal spends a long time inside each wall (getting weaker and weaker as it does so).

You can get special-purpose directional antennas which will boost your signal, but I still think your signal environment will be too unfriendly to easily get a signal to your friend unless you can somehow do so without having the signal go through as many walls.

Answer 2

Following on from the other answers, you should try positioning the router at the window - assuming your friend has a window roughly the same level as your own, the signal should 'curve' into it more effectively than blasting through concrete. You can also angle each antenna (or extended it using copper wire attached between where the antenna and the router meet).

If you get a signal (pushing it, I know), but only a weak one, try the settings of the wireless card to improve performance. Failing all of that, I'd go for a cheap access point.

Not being cheeky (well, a bit), but shouldn't the army boys be a little more advanced than this?

:)

Answer 3

Umm, well...

You could use an "access point" and set it half the distance between the two locations. Access points are like signal boosters. The router is more expensive because it manages the internet connection. The access point is just a dumb device that only relays/amplifies the signal.

Answer 4

if you are trying to increase the "capacity" of a hardware, i would say no, though what you can do is to make a web of wireless routers, or just use wires to connect two wireless routers if you really want to be in one LAN network

Answer 5

i comprehend you're speaking abt the form-4 modem that's around 1800/- ..... the form 4 modem has a wireless which does not help long distance, the max it may help is one hundred meters... in case you want to earnings the form of two kms attempt cisco aironet 350 or 1500 with 20db & freq of 86, yet boss very costly.

Answer 6

your router needs to be connected to the LAN.