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I'm having some strange wireless (WiFi) problems.

As some of you may recall, I was having problems with my old wireless router, and how I seemed to be losing a good deal of signal strength between the router (which was in the basement), and the computers upstairs (we have a two story house).

Long story short: after several "lock-ups" on the old Linksys router, I bought a new wireless router. And I found that there was a Belkin one that was even cheaper than the Linksys one I was eyeing.

I got it home, set it up (like the old one, so I wouldn't have to reconfigure the other computers), and life was good again.

Except for one strange thing: I'm still losing a good deal of signal strength from the basement to the upstairs.

To give you an idea, I happen to have two TiVos in the house (one on the main level, and one upstairs), both connected to the network wirelessly. This gives me the opportunity to see what percentage of signal I'm receiving, both at the main level, and upstairs.

My main level (which when you neglect the floor, is only about 10-20 feet from the wireless router) TiVo typically repots only about 70-80% signal. I do not know why it's not 100% or close to it.

My upstairs TiVo typically registers between 30% and 50%.

Any ideas/suggestions?

I did already try changing the RF channel that it broadcasts on, and nothing changed.

I suspect there is something interfering (I admit, I do have two computers on in the basement, both running 24/7, but I cannot imagine how they could interfere that much), but I can't figure out what.

Can anyone help?

Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 6:57 am Post subject:

cheaper router... cheaper transmitter... not as much signal strength. If you could relocate the router to the main level (stick it in the middle of everything) it should help wonders... otherwise, you'll have to find a way to boost the transmit power on the router or buy a booster antenna for it.

Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 7:23 am Post subject:

Slymer wrote:
cheaper router... cheaper transmitter... not as much signal strength. If you could relocate the router to the main level (stick it in the middle of everything) it should help wonders... otherwise, you'll have to find a way to boost the transmit power on the router or buy a booster antenna for it.

The problem(s) with moving to the main level:

1) No CAT5 run to the main level, and no, the wife won't let me run any
2) No good place to put the router (especially that will be out of sight, and I really don't want to have it just sitting on a desk somewhere with no computer around or anything)

As for either boosting power on the router or buying a booster antenna, any suggestions for where I would look for more information on either?

Is there a way to boost power on a cheap Belkin wireless router?
Can I use any replacement booster antenna, or should I look for something specific?

Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:15 am Post subject:

Concider something along the lines of this:

http://www.netgear.com/Products/PowerlineNetworking.aspx?for=Home+Networking

I don't know how well they work or if they will interfear with the power to other equipment. (other equipment will see the data transmitted on the power lines as aditional noise).

Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:38 am Post subject:

unless there's some advanced options in the router's config, or DD-WRT has a firmware version for that router, you'll be stuck with the current levels. as for the booster antennas... anything that'll fit the connector that the antenna fits onto the router with will work. hopefully it has a removable antenna.

What's the model? might try working some google-foo and see if you can't fins something about boosting the power on that router. though I bet a high gain antenna would work wonders.

Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 10:23 am Post subject:

i should have listed this one to be more specific: http://www.netgear.com/Products/PowerlineNetworking/PowerlineWirelessAccessPoints/WGXB102.aspx it plugs into your current router and a spare power jack. then you place the other one into a spare power jack up in the upstairs section of your house and it acts as a ap / repeater.

Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 1:57 pm Post subject:

If your old linksys router is behaving itself now, you could load the DD-WRT firmware on it and use it as a repeater.

Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 2:50 pm Post subject:

Have you ever just tried attaching better antenna to it?
Also, the orientation of your antennas matters...have you adjusted its position any?

I have a 9dB gain antenna on my router...

Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 5:29 pm Post subject:

Extreme wrote:
If your old linksys router is behaving itself now, you could load the DD-WRT firmware on it and use it as a repeater.

The problem is, the old linksys router isn't behaving... Not only was it losing power over time (apparently a problem I'm seeing with the new one), but it was also regularly locking up requiring a power recycle. At first it was requiring that weekly. Then a couple times a week. Now it's up to every couple of days.

Naw, not worth the hassle any longer, which is why I bought the new one.

As for what model is is, lemme check. It is a Belkin F5D7230-4 router with one external antenna (not sure if this is worth much, but I just realized that it only has one antenna, while my old linksys had two).

Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 6:58 pm Post subject:

if it's removable... take it off... verify what kinda connector it uses (hopefully the standard kind) - you might even try swapping out the linksys router's antenna with it and see what happens - and get yourself a better antenna. should fix you right up. don't worry about the lack of secondary antenna... most of the single pole routers work fine now days.

Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 6:03 pm Post subject:

Have you considered a Signal Amplifier