My WIRELESS NETWORK BARELY REACHES MY HOUSE. I NEED HELP MAKING IT REACH.?

Question

I HAVE A C-STORE ABOUT 100 YARDS IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE THAT HAS CABLE INTERNET ACCESS AND I USE IT AT THE HOUSE WIRELESSLY. THE PROBLEM IS IT DOES NOT WORK WELL UNLESS YOUR BY THE WINDOW. I CAN'T GET CABLE AT THE HOUSE ONLY SATELITE??? DON'T KNOW WHY...SO I NEED TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT I CAN ADD TO THE PRE-EXSISTING MOTOROLA SURFBOARD MODEM I USE TO MAKE THE SIGNAL REACH THE HOUSE----FULL FORCE...
I NEED TO PLAY XBOX LIVE IN THE LIVING ROOM THATS NOT BY THE FRONT WINDOW.

Answer 1

I agree that this question is not clear at all.

What specifically is unclear to me is ... why are you using a cable modem if you can't get cable service at your house? The "Motorola Surfboard" modem that you mention isn't going to do you any good at all unless you have it connected to a cable line and have an account set up with the cable company.

Please clarify?

* * *

Okay, after we've exchanged a few emails, I do understand your problem, and I've sent you a detailed reply just now that should answer your question. I'll paste it here after clarifying for the masses that he has a Motorola SBG900 cable modem, which is a cable modem which has a built-in wireless router. The cable connection is in another building across the street, so he's relying on the signal being sent from the modem itself, and in certain parts of his house, the signal strength is iffy.

Having set up a lot of (wired and wireless) networks, I would say that you have a few options. First, I'll do a little research and see what I can learn about that Motorola modem....

Alright, well, I found the support page for your modem on Motorola's website, but I haven't found the specific information I was looking for, but you'll be able to figure out the answer yourself easily enough.

Assuming that your modem has a standard, mini-coax female connector to which the antenna is attached, you should be able to simply unscrew the antenna that came with your modem and remove it, and then replace it with a higher quality (high-gain) antenna.

Here are some examples of antennas that would all work and will most likely instantly solve your problem:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Buffalo-Technology-6-5dBi-Indoor-Omnidirectional-Antenna-WLE-HG-NDR/sem/rpsm/oid/128186/catOid/-12980/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Hawking-Technology-Hi-Gain-Omni-Directional-Compact-Antenna-HAI7MD/sem/rpsm/oid/128634/catOid/-12980/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Hawking-Technology-Hi-Gain-Omni-Directional-Antenna-HAI7SIP/sem/rpsm/oid/128635/catOid/-12980/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

You can find these kinds of antennas at any big electronics store that sells computer accessories, like Circuit City or Best Buy. You can probably find them even cheaper online, or in a smaller computer shop in your area that stocks this sort of thing -- I would just call around and see what's available in your area, or order one through a website.

Now, if Motorola is NOT using the standard detachable antenna (if your antenna doesn't easily unscrew from the modem), THEN you still have the option of buying either a high-range wireless router or a cheaper wireless router and a good add-on antenna for the router. I can talk you through those options as well, if you need me to.

But assuming that your modem has a standard antenna connector, I would just go get a $30-$40 high-gain antenna and instantly solve your range issues.

Let me know if you need any more guidance. :)

* * *

I have a further update. I finally got the support page for your modem to load and downloaded the PDF "data sheet," which (unfortunately) clearly states that it has one "external, non-removable antenna." :-(

There is still a fairly easy solution, though. Buy a router that DOES have standard removable antennas (the vast majority of them will), and put a good antenna on it. Better yet, get a router that supports the new 802.11N band. The N-band has much better range than G.

Then you will disable the wireless radio broadcast from your modem, connect your new wireless router to the modem's uplink port with an Ethernet (CAT5) cable, and connect to your modem through the new router.

Answer 2

there are 2 opportunities. - an exterior antenna that would want to furnish you with as a lot as 6db benefit, even though it truly is ineffective because the possibility that your computing device has a plug for an exterior antenna is amazingly little (purely very few have one). - better useful is an better on the spot card (USB, PCMCIA or Expresscard, reckoning on your computing device) that has a plug for an exterior antenna. a nil.33 yet unlawful way is utilising a router with a extreme output wattage. Linksys once had the form of form (WRT54GS) that became in a position to confirm a on the spot community achieving a distance of about 15 miles (perfect case). yet, if you're close sufficient to the college's on the spot community, a sparkling N-router likely can do. those routers have a mode as a lot as 2000 feet -- and are criminal. further: ^_^ yea, that Hawking Booster is the very similar because the Linksys router WRT54GS became, yet so a lengthy way as i recognize you want a particular permission to apply it (it truly is no longer accepted in maximum countries. this became also the reason why the Linksys router became no longer accessible in shops like Newegg, Tigerdirect etc).

Answer 3

This isn't a joke, this actually works.
Take an empty can of beans and drill a hole in the bottom. Then slip the antenna of the transmitter through the hole in the bottom of the can. Then position the can so the top end is pointing towards the house.
The science behind this is that it focuses the signal on just your house therefore increasing strength of the signal.

Answer 4

Go to Best Buy or Future Shop and pick up an extender. I set one up for my landlord a while back because he couldn't read his signal everywhere in his house. Now I can see his signal on my laptop clear as day with full power. Almost as strong as my own network in fact.

(He lives about 300 feet away)

Cheers

P.S. We are both using Surfboard modems.

Answer 5

eh u can get little mini satellites but ur gunna spend hundreds for something like that lolol. otherwise ur kinda outa luck on that. they can boost the signal from their end tho and that would help U out but why would they wunna do that? lol

Answer 6

Try this:
http://www.binarywolf.com/249/
http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/has.html

Answer 7

Q is not clear!!!...........