Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[renluop]

We live in an early 70s 3 bed house of standard construction and the TG585v7 router is in the small bedroom at the front of the house. Have had no  signs of break up until the afternoon, when wife was using IPOD Facetime to call daughter in Africa on 44th birthday. Whilst downstairs, say 30ft direct from the router via upper floor and one load bearing wall the signal was OK. but when the IPOD was brought to me in the conservatory, and extra 8 to 10 ft, break up started.

Is that to be expected from a 11g router or would a 11n be more reliable at that sort of distance and condtruction?

[burakkucat]

when the IPOD was brought to me in the conservatory, and extra 8 to 10 ft, break up started.

If it is a micro-PVC clad, galvanised steel constructed conservatory then that distance and the conservatory's fabric could be significant. 

[asbokid]

Is that to be expected from a 11g router or would a 11n be more reliable at that sort of distance and condtruction?

The construction and performance of the transceiver is more important than its 802.11 revision.  802.11n uses antenna diversity for MIMO and wider channel bandwidth, but if the poor performance is because the attenuation is too great, neither 802.11g nor 802.11n will be any good.

In a nutshell, improve the gain of the antenna and sensitivity of the transceiver (not practical for the IPOD), or maybe try re-siting the access point.

cheers, a

[renluop]

@B'cat No idea about its core, but it was built more than 10 years ago, prior to our moving in. Previous owner was dirst occupier so could be much older.

I wonder anyhow if the construction would be significant, as access from inside house is the glass  sliding door.

@ asbo

ATM I cannot see much else where to site the router but in the room where it is now. It is on top of the computer tower that sits close by my desk. Would, were it practical, siting the tower and router not so close to the desk, or placing the router higher, say on the desk, improve matters? There it would sit amongst keyboard, monitor and speaker.

[asbokid]

ATM I cannot see much else where to site the router but in the room where it is now. It is on top of the computer tower that sits close by my desk. Would, were it practical, siting the tower and router not so close to the desk, or placing the router higher, say on the desk, improve matters? There it would sit amongst keyboard, monitor and speaker.

Perhaps study the radiation pattern for the access point's antenna(e).  If it is radiating mainly horizontally in a vertical plane, then siting the AP upstairs is maybe not so good for reception downstairs.

Also, the output power for some of the APs can be cranked up to transmit at beyond the statutory limits for the UK/EU.

If wonkypedia has it correct:

23 dBm / 200 mW = EIRP for IEEE 802.11n Wireless LAN 40 MHz-wide (5 mW/MHz) channels in 5 GHz subband 4 (5,735–5,835 MHz, US only) or 5 GHz subband 2 (5,470–5,725 MHz, EU only)

20 dBm / 100 mW = EIRP for IEEE 802.11b/g Wireless LAN 20 MHz-wide channels in the 2.4 GHz ISM band (5 mW/MHz).

(EIRP = Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power)

If the firmware for the AP can be hacked, e.g. by changing its regulatory region, it's quite possible to transmit way above those limits 

Alternatively, you could replace the antenna(e) for something more directional, to increase its power gain to improve coverage in the wi-fi cold spots of your home.

cheers, a

[renluop]

Asbo! The bit in quotes is quadruple Dutch to this old codger!
Of that you say in the rest, I would not know how one studies the radiation pattern of an antenna, nor how to do the other things you suggest.

Any suitable kiddies' primers on Ebay?

[asbokid]

Maybe just wander around the house with the ipod, noting the SNR at various points.  Then realign the antennas of the AP and repeat, etc..

cheers, a

[renluop]

I'm not sure that one can get or how one can get SBR readings from an IPOD.

[asbokid]

I've never had an ipod (too mean to buy one) but maybe it has a signal strength bar graph or similar indicator?   Could you buy another AP and site that one downstairs?  Antenna Theory is a nightmare.  So many things to consider: reflections from mountains, houses, walls or, worse, things which are unpredictable and can't easily be modelled.  Organic objects like trees which cause seasonal changes to propagation, depending on leaf coverage, even rivers and waterways which rise and fall, affecting radiowaves differently.  It's not 802.11 but when a cellphone operator (GSM/GPRS/UMTS etc.) installs a new mast to improve coverage, their team will have already spent many many hours at their desks, studying the topology of the landscape to model the likely propagation of their signal (come rain or shine).  And they still get it wrong from time to time!

cheers, a

[burakkucat]

And they still get it wrong from time to time!

Shouldn't that be "most of the time!"?   

[renluop]

Wandering around the house with the IPOD!

Well at least it's inside and not conspicuous like wandering around outside with a MW receiver.

Wifey wouldn't have one had we not needed something to keep her entertained on a couple of long hauls. Have to keep them calm, you know!

Thanks for info, but I do wish I had taken more interest in things scientific.

[renluop]

Should I try this?

[burakkucat]

Should I try this?

Why, that is a good idea! Ensure that SWMBO is wearing her seat-belt, the corm-thruster is fully charged and insert the left-handed crabbing pins -- all should be well.  8)