wireless networking advice

whitewash

whitewash

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I'm trying to fix my parents wireless setup

currently they have

Orange livebox
a laptop with built in wifi - which is fine throughout the house, its a big house!
a desktop PC which is in a ground floor extension about 16-20m from the livebox. this desktop uses a Belkin wireless G usb adapter to connect wirelessly

It this desktop which is the issue, the connection is very very poor, and it drops out all the time, im presuming that this is because of distance more than anything. what options do i have, we have tried to buy a wireless repeater and it didnt work either (although this may have been down to it being a rubbish repeater)

would a better quality wireless dongle (or card) do the job, or could we extend the length of the usb cable to bring it round the wall so it would atleast have 'line of sight' (i know that wont help but it would atleast not have to travel through walls etc) with the router?

what are the options folks? as a wired connection between the two isnt really an option
 
If it is just web browsing etc then mains based wired networking is an option. Link

Does the laptop work from the location that the desktop is?? - If so it could just be a poor wireless card on the desktop. You can get a quality wireless card in the desktop with a cable running to a separate aerial which you can then locate higher up. Link for PCI-E card.

Signal booster for the existing or new wireless card Link
 
cowasaki said:
If it is just web browsing etc then mains based wired networking is an option.

Does the laptop work from the location that the desktop is?? - If so it could just be a poor wireless card on the desktop. You can get a quality wireless card in the desktop with a cable running to a separate aerial which you can then locate higher up.
Click to expand...

yes the laptop works fine, in the same room, with the signal strength saying its 'average' whereas the desktop only ever gets to 'very poor' when it connects.

what card would you recommend?
 
whitewash said:
yes the laptop works fine, in the same room, with the signal strength saying its 'average' whereas the desktop only ever gets to 'very poor' when it connects.

what card would you recommend?
Click to expand...

A decent branded network card should do the job nicely.....

PCI-E & Type "N" networking..

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/D-Link-DWA-556-Wireless-N-PCI-E-Desktop-Adaptor

This might be overkill but it is likely to work


PCI-E & 54Mbps networking..

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Dlink-DWL-G520-54Mbps-PCI-Wireless-Adaptor


PCI card & Type "N" or 54Mbps networking..

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Edimax-EW-7728In-80211n-Draftn-v20-300Mbps-wireless-PCI-card


I wouldn't advise USB for a desktop really unless you absolutely must!!
 
whats the significance of more antennae? does that provide better signal?

Im just having him check if hes got any PCI slots in the back of his pc, i presume their will be 1 or 2, its a small Dell desktop thingie
 
whitewash said:
whats the significance of more antennae? does that provide better signal?

Im just having him check if hes got any PCI slots in the back of his pc, i presume their will be 1 or 2, its a small Dell desktop thingie
Click to expand...

Best ask him the model number as you need to know if it has PCI-E or PCI card slots. Quite a few of the N type network cards have multiple aerials.

Basically if the laptop works there then a desktop using wireless should do too!
 
according to the specs its got 1x PCI-express (thats PCI-E right?) and 2 PCI slots, so i shall try a wireless card i already have in it when im passing tomorrow to see if that works, fun and games!

thanks for your help!
 
whitewash said:
according to the specs its got 1x PCI-express (thats PCI-E right?) and 2 PCI slots, so i shall try a wireless card i already have in it when im passing tomorrow to see if that works, fun and games!

thanks for your help!
Click to expand...

Hope it sorts it but it does sound like a dodgy USB based thing that you have now.
 
i bought it and it worked well in my house on a desktop in the attic (router was on the ground floor) but it seems to be fairly crap at my parents. I always presumed Belkin were a good make but now im not so sure!
 
whitewash said:
i bought it and it worked well in my house on a desktop in the attic (router was on the ground floor) but it seems to be fairly crap at my parents. I always presumed Belkin were a good make but now im not so sure!
Click to expand...

To be honest they are not normally a bad make. You can get faulty ones from anybody though! Like I said though if the laptop works in that room then clearly there is not a signal problem and it has to be the wireless card on the desktop!
 
is the wireless dongle/card jammed in the back of a desk/unit? that will hamper signal.

i used to use a wireless usb dongle on the end of a usb extension cable and get it towards the opening of the desk to get the signal up.
 
well i installed the card and it seems to be ok (although the signal strength is very low, but it seems fairly solid connection wise which is a step in the right direction.

so im going to buy him a card tomorrow from scan as im driving past that way.

Is it definetly worth me investing in an external antenna at the same time?

does this look like it would be good? there is not really any point in investing in wireless-N as the equipment is not compatable
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Edimax-EW-7128G-54Mbps-Wireless-PCI-Card
(for which i would need to buy a low prifile bracket)

i could then add a bigger antenna onto it if required to get a better signal

cheers
 
The advantage of the cards with external antenna is that the antenna can be placed higher up and away from the electrical interference of the computers
 
A neat solution is to pump the broadband through the mains wiring using a couple a belkin powerline adapters they can run upto 200mb and are good upto 30m in my experience.
 
I'd be inclined to go with powerline... ethernet over mains...

I'm using it now for work... I've got VOIP, email and a pile of other apps running...

I'm not following the recommendations, going through the main house circuit breaker block, and have my laptop end plugged into an extension lead on a spur... I'm getting about 50Mbps all the time. Never could maintain that with wireless...
 
3 rooms between the desktop and the router, one of which is a kitchen and we dont really want wires running through all of the rooms, we had a phoneline running through to the back room at one time and it was so much hastle it was untrue, hence wireless
 
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