Wireless signal booster.

[EZ_Ragwheed]

I have a guy with who has a router with a WAP built in (Linksys BEFW11S4) He needs to boost the signal to cover his house. Anyone had any experience with boosters? Linksys sells the WSB24 but what kind of difference will it make?

The problem is in The Bahamas the houses are built of concrete bricks with rebar supports in them, filled with cement. All of the walls...there is no drywall period. (Hurricane survival) So the signal gets punched in the face and told go away basically.

[EZ_Gyorg]

I don't know. But comp USA has dlink AP's for 89 w/ a 20 rebate. Thats what I"m going to use for my apartment since the damn linksys router refuses to function as an ap no matter what and is too much of a head ache.

[Aidden]

the booster will increase the signal. this includes noise..

for extendeding the range use a High gain antennea..

www.radioshack.com/produc...=278%2D844

this is a link to one at radioshack that will work for your device.

[EZ_Ragwheed]

Thanks Aidden, naturally they are out of stock.

Supose I give the guy the options between getting the Linksys booster or the high gain Ant. and he wants the booster (less wait time since RS is out of stock right now)

Will the noise be that much of a problem? Wouldn't the booster give greater range over the high gain Ant. ?

I have a feeling he won't want to wait for RadioShack to get the part back in stock, he will want me to order the Linksys booster instead.

How badly will the noise affect his signal on the whole?

[Aidden]

you may have no noise..( i doubt that with all the cement)..

My point is all the booster does is make whatever signal there is ( bad or good) louder.. doesnt extend range at all..

so if you sit 2 rooms over and get a 20% signal, the booster may make it a 60% signal..

The antenneas would allow you to have a signal 3 rooms over where you couldnt without them..

I used that link as a suggestion.. you can find those just about anywhere.. if you have a local radio shack they probably have them in stock in the store.

[EZ_Ragwheed]

Right, I forgot what I actually learned when I worked at Radio Shack a couple years ago. Boosters increase the signal, Antennaes extend the range of the signal.

Worse case scnerio, put the hgh gain on the booster! Lol

[Aidden]

dont laugh.. thats what I do..


Until I can justify spending the money on a Cisco AP1200, thats my current setup.

[EZ_Ragwheed]

High gain on a booster? Cool.

I have wireless in my house, soon as I get a power supply for my laptop I'll have a reason to do that. So I might end up doing the same in my house.

[EZ_Grinkle]

Cement and re-bar is going to be hard to get through, as you noted.

Are the ceilings made of the same stuff, or is there a layer of wood or something less dense that yields to a crawlspace above? If so, can you put the router in the crawlspace maybe?

[EZ_Ragwheed]

We discussed doing that actually. But there aren't any electrical outlets up the attic most likely. Plus, if there are it would be a pain in the ass to get to the router if he ever needed to. Wants me to get the high gain antennae to try.