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Thread: Expanding my WiFi

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jun 2002
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    Expanding my WiFi

    What's the best easy inexpensive way to increase the radius of my wifi coverage so I can reach the backyard? The cable and Apple Airport Extreme are at the front of the house, and we're all on Macs.

  2. #2
    jp's Avatar
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    May 2009
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    Maine
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    Re: Expanding my WiFi

    Move your airport closer to the back of the house.

    Or buy a second AP (and a long ethernet cable) for out back. Things like foil faced insulation or metal screen can stop the signal dead, so house construction is a big factor in range going from indoors to out.

  3. #3
    retrogrouchy
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    Mar 2010
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    Adelaide, Australia
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    Re: Expanding my WiFi

    If the AP supports an external antenna and you're in a single-floor situation, buy a higher-gain antenna (e.g. 10dBi) and make sure it's perfectly vertically oriented. And make sure the antennae on your receiving devices are also vertical. The added antenna gain means less power goes vertically (into your roof and floor; largely wasted) and more goes horizontally (out the back of the house), so you get more signal.

    It also means that people driving by on the street get better signal, so make sure you're using WPA2. WEP does not suffice.

  4. #4
    Format Omnivore Brian C. Miller's Avatar
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    Jun 1999
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    Everett, WA
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    2,997

    Re: Expanding my WiFi

    Since the AirPort Extreme doesn't feature an external antenna, you'll have to either use an access point which does feature it, or else a WiFi repeater such as the Linksys RE-1000. Just do a search on WiFi repeater, and you'll have a number of hits.
    "It's the way to educate your eyes. Stare. Pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long." - Walker Evans

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jul 2007
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    southwest PA, USA
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    416

    Re: Expanding my WiFi

    IIRC, there's an Apple repeater for the Airport Extreme.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    Sai Kung, Hong Kong
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    89

    Re: Expanding my WiFi

    2nd wifi hub with same SSID and long cable between them is the proper solution. These devices are far better with close but weaker signals and when you're near the wifi hub, they should adjust power automatically. Going for anything that increases the signal strength will cause all sorts of problems especially if you have neighbours and/or other wireless devices as it will interfere with those devices and cause them to channel hop or use more power creating a pool of contention as they all fight with each other.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Scarsdale, NY
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    334

    Re: Expanding my WiFi

    Quote Originally Posted by wentbackward View Post
    2nd wifi hub with same SSID and long cable between them is the proper solution.
    So you put out another router, configure it like the first, then put a data cable between them, connecting the cable to a local port on the router near the modem, and the internet port on the distant router....right? Seems to me I did this sometime, and it worked, but I thought there were some special configuration requirments for the "slave" router.

    Charley

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Pacifica, CA
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    1,710

    Re: Expanding my WiFi

    You could make one of these...

    http://www.exe64.com/mirror/wokfi/

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Illinois
    Posts
    49

    Re: Expanding my WiFi

    Netgear WN2000RPT works for me...

  10. #10
    Kirk Gittings's Avatar
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    Mar 2004
    Location
    Albuquerque, Nuevo Mexico
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    9,864

    Re: Expanding my WiFi

    My Wifi has to cover two separate buildings. I just use those Apple extender thingies. I forget the name oh yeah Airport Express. They are effortless to setup and work like a charm.
    Thanks,
    Kirk

    at age 73:
    "The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
    But I have promises to keep,
    And miles to go before I sleep,
    And miles to go before I sleep"

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