Wi-Fi Booster

[Mad Mart]

Can anyone recommend a home Wi-Fi booster?

[Galileo]

Only use Draytek routers to cover 130 sites, they are well made kit that last but not the cheapest, this AP700 is only £20 used, and you only need to set it to universal repeater mode and plug it in:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Draytek-Vigor ... 3641.l6368

If you want new then shop for the AP-710, about £65-70.

[James467]

Apple Airport Express Mart.

I have an airport extreme and an airport express to boost it via a power line ethernet adapter on the other side of the house, I'm not a fan of apple products but the routers do work.

[Toledo Man]

Have you considered powerline adaptors?

[Len Hughes]

I use a Devolo 500 setup.

Plug one unit into your router and the other unit where you want the enhanced wifi. Simple configuration and you can link any number to make one seamless WiFi zone through the house, garage, etc. The remote unit also has an Ethernet port so you can plug non WiFi devices in as well.

[Toledo Man]

I've got one of those as well. I bought it so I could use my network printer. In the end I bought a pair of powerline adaptors one of which has 3 Ethernet ports so I could use both desktop PCs and the printer.

Edit: It is the TP_Link TL-WA850RE 300Mbps universal range extender. It cost me £22.99 from Argos in January 2015

[Robert 352]

Another suggestion might be to use a PowerLink PT-18N wireless LAN adapter on the device which is remote from the house modem.

PL-18N.jpg (8.17 KiB) Viewed 4215 times

I am using one of these on a computer which is situated some way away from the office. The packaging suggests that it might be good for distances of up to 2000 metres! It certainly works for me and was a relatively cheap option.

Robert

[Mad Mart]

Do you think this will be any good?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121638124233? ... EBIDX%3AIT

[GTS290N]

I think this would be better:
http://www.ebuyer.com/610624-tp-link-tl ... a4220t-kit
3 year warranty, 60 reviews, brand name.
Pays your money.....

[Carledo]

Another suggestion might be to use a PowerLink PT-18N wireless LAN adapter on the device which is remote from the house modem.

PL-18N.jpg

I am using one of these on a computer which is situated some way away from the office. The packaging suggests that it might be good for distances of up to 2000 metres! It certainly works for me and was a relatively cheap option.

Robert

Is that thing "line of sight" range or any conditions Robert? My workshop is only just over 1/4 mile from my house and it would be great to use my home internet at work!

Steve

[James467]

Huawei are a brand name.

Amongst other things they make good mobile phones and supply majority of modem routers out there that you get free with your broadband package.

Go with the eBay one Mart.

[Robert 352]

Steve

Your question led me to ask whether I too might be able to receive a signal in my workshop, not that I have any desire to sit at my screen in that area. So, looking a bit like some geek from google with their camera and modem hunting car I did a bit of a walk around my property with the aerial in front of my notebook to “see” what sort of signal I had.

The workshop on the south side of the property? No signal but between the modem and the aerial were two barriers, a corrugated iron roof and a corrugated iron wall.

Walking out to the east with the aerial pretty much in line of sight with the modem aerial I still had a reasonable signal at 90 paces/yards/metres until I reached the electric fence. I baulked at trying to climb or go under the fence!

Going out to the west where the signal was partly shrouded by the corrugated iron roof I lost reception at 70 paces.

The modem in the house is a Netcomm N300 Modem Router, which is a (free???) giveaway from the phone supplier so I doubt that it is anything very clever.

Folk on this thread have been asking about boosters. Maybe the proper answer is a well performing modem, allied to something like this aerial if you want to reach your workshop.

One of the folk in the city is stating that he picks up the Wi-Fi signal from the local library some distance away (1500 metres) which suggests that the answer is a decent modem and one of the aerials which I have here. It certainly works in the situation where I am using it.

Robert

[dursley92]

I have a BT Home Hotspot in the garage so I can use the spare laptop in there, saves running back into the house with oily clothes and boots on all the time. Gives a good local wifi signal in the garage and works with the powerline adapters in the house via the 240v mains. Also means that range is not an issue.

[matienzo]

Mart,
You might find this an interesting read for background information on range extenders vs ethernet / home plug options.
http://b4rn.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2 ... elp-v1.pdf

Steve