Wireless range issue

Skyline On Fire

Skyline On Fire

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Luke
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Okay I use a BT homehub for my broadband. I use a little outbuilding thing around 70-80 metres from my house as an office. Currently I can get broadband there via a belkin wireless dongle wrapped in cellophane, on a metal pole, out of my skylight! So yes... I want a replacement. I currently get 2 bars max, and recently its just dropped so bad, I think the dongle is on its way out.

What should I look for, for maximum range? I basically just want the most powerful one I can buy, that's reasonably priced. Any ideas?
 
I would have thought that a pretty good range myself.

I suppose you could try a wireless booster at the nearest point in the house to your outbuilding.

You might also try some of them home plugs, if you have power to your outbuilding.
 
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Yes I do have power to the outbuilding, but it's on a different circuit.

I've just brought a high gain antennae thing, and its boosted me from 2 to 4 bars, much faster.
 
Hi Luke

Had this with a mate of mine who has a large house in the country, he has an office about 70m from his main house, his problem was he runs about 7 computers in this office, (dont ask :) ) the wireless option was going to end up expensive so in the end I installed Cat5E cable from his house to his office, put a switch and a wireless access point in and he was able to use his wireless locally in the office or simply plug any of his other computers directly into the switch, it works a treat for him, luckily we werent near the theoretical limit of 90m for the Cat5 as that would have meant more expense

Adrian
 
AdeM said:
Hi Luke

Had this with a mate of mine who has a large house in the country, he has an office about 70m from his main house, his problem was he runs about 7 computers in this office, (dont ask :) ) the wireless option was going to end up expensive so in the end I installed Cat5E cable from his house to his office, put a switch and a wireless access point in and he was able to use his wireless locally in the office or simply plug any of his other computers directly into the switch, it works a treat for him, luckily we werent near the theoretical limit of 90m for the Cat5 as that would have meant more expense

Adrian
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Thanks for that Adrian, the problem with the wired approach is that the 70ish meter divide between my house and outbuildings crosses a sort of fire road that other houses have access to for their vehicles and getting to their yards etc... So the wired approach isn't really doable I don't think.

As for WokFi etc I've considered that before, is it worth the effort? Does it make much difference?
 
if it were me id ask the neighbours and then go down the cable in a specific underground casing, it wouldnt take long to dig a small trench in the access road and then refill it? wouldnt need to be that deep etc.

but as mentioned there is a length limit to cat5, approx 100m. any longer and youll need to concider bridges and/or fibre optics.
 
neil_g said:
if it were me id ask the neighbours and then go down the cable in a specific underground casing, it wouldnt take long to dig a small trench in the access road and then refill it? wouldnt need to be that deep etc.

but as mentioned there is a length limit to cat5, approx 100m. any longer and youll need to concider bridges and/or fibre optics.
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I was thinking about that, but do you need specific permission to lay cables underneath dirt/fire roads that are public access like that?
 
If its just a dirt road that you all have access to then I shouldnt think it would be a problem, I know a few who have a similar situation with outbuildings at the rear of their houses but these are split by essentially a dirt track thats not really maintained by anyone
 
Ask the council to put in a sleeping policeman, and whilst they are at it, throw a run of external grade CAT6 through it!
 
Some of the other people have their own cables going over the road, so I can't see it being an issue for me. I'll ask if I can throw it along someone elses existing cable that's above the road to their outbuildings
 
Probably of no use to you but interesting. Most wifi routers are underpowered due to regulations in certain countries and the power can be boosted in some models by downloading a modified firmware hack.
 
PauloWanClift said:
Probably of no use to you but interesting. Most wifi routers are underpowered due to regulations in certain countries and the power can be boosted in some models by downloading a modified firmware hack.
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Problem solved for now, I ran cabling from my house, across my yard, up a pole, zipwired to someone elses cable that crosses the road, back down to the ground, a few inches under the topsoil/grass for 30 metres, and into my outbuilding. Job done!

Edit: Zip tied to Private cabling for someones CCTV not a telegraph pole or anything dodgy
 
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