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[mywifeshusband]

OK the question is probably daft but unless I ask it I'll stay as ignorant as I am now.

It there a Bluetooth dongle or wireless adapter or something that I can plug into the Ethernet socket in back of a BT Voyager 205 Router so as to turn it into a wireless device. For me this little Ethernet router performs so much better than its more modern wireless brothers (two BT Home Hubs and a BT Voyager2110,) giving me more than twice the connection speed and a completely stable connection. Problem is though that it has to be on either a long permanently installed DSL extension lead and socket, or a long temporary Ethernet cable running across two rooms, which I have to disconnect if the doors are to be shut and a tripping hazard eliminated. I'd like to try turning the 'Ethernet only' Voyager 205 in to a wireless device which will communicate with a Voyager 1055 receiver dongle. Is this possible, or am I ahead of the technology, - or just plain daft?
Vital statistics:-
Voyager 205 Sync at 1000Kbps & rock steady. SNR margin between 7 & 9 Down Line Att 50.5 to 60 db Yes I know it should be static but it aint.
Voyager 2110 Sync at about 500dB it has not yet settled and has ranged between 1250Kbps 3 days ago (but it didn't last,) to 350 today!!! Trend downwards!   SNR margin 8 to 9 but 10.1 this morning. Down line Att 63db and steady. See footnote.
Both BT Home Hubs, Sync at about 135kbps or 500Kbps if down hill with a following wind .  SNR margin about 5dB Down line att also 63 to 63.5dB.
Footnote.
N.B. the Voyager Downstream DSL connection Rate for the Voyager 2110 is still up above 1300 which is higher than the Voyager 205 even, which never got above 1250 or so. Neither of the BT Home Hubs got above 700.
This though is not a BT kicking post but a request for technical hardware advice.
Ta!

[roseway]

It's not a daft question at all. What you need is a WAP (Wireless Access Point), e.g. http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/112497

I don't use wireless myself, so I can't recommend a particular model, but in theory at least the Belkin referenced above should work with your Voyager 1055.

[kitz]

or an alternative.....  and you could do exactly what I did when I first got maxed.
I had a Solwise SAR110 (which is the same as the Voyager 205) and a Voyager 2100 (which is similar to the 2110).

Plug the Voyager 205 straight into the phone line and let this be your main router controlling your connection.
Then using a short piece of ethernet patch cable hook up the Voyager 2110 and the Voyager 205.

• Change the IP address in the Voyager 2110 to one in the same range as the Voyager 205 for eg 192.168.1.100.

 ~  Advanced > Configuration > Local Network > IP Address

• Turn off DHCP on the Voyager 2110

~  Advanced > Configuration > Local Network > DHCP Server > DHCP Server off > apply

The Voyager 2110 will now act as a Wireless Access Point and you can also still plug in any PCs via ethernet to the ports in the back of the Voyager 2110 so it acts as an ethernet switch....  yet the Voyager 205 will be acting as you *main router".

Edited to add

You can also turn off DHCP in the Voyager 205 (which is what I did) and set the IP addresses on the PCs and laptops manually.

[mywifeshusband]

Thanks folks.
Roseway reply looks straightforward and no great cost if it doesn't work. Some users say though it gets horribly hot!
Kitz reply looks interesting but I'll probably have to ask some supplementary questions before I risk delving that deep in things I don't altogether understand.
First though I'm going cliff walking in Dorset for a few days and forget about the whole thing 'till i come back!!
Thanks again.

[mr_chris]

Yep, kitz is right, just use one of your wireless routers as an access point.

Just reinforcing what kitz said about turning off DHCP on the Voyager 2110, very important. Otherwise your clients will try to route through the 2110 for internet access, which obviously won't work!

[mywifeshusband]

Hello Mentors
Thanks for all your advice.
It seems as If I have been complaining for long enough to be granted an audience with BT UK based Broadband help desk  and when I told them about the performance of the Voyager 2110 they asked for it back and said they would order me a BT Voyager 2500 as a replacement. (That's a 2500 wireless router and not he 205 Ethernet job. I've got tone of those already and I'm not parting with it!- albeit I do need wireless.) So the option of linking the 205 to the 2110 has passed I'm afraid.
The Voyager 2500 seems to have a good right up but is isn't an expensive unit so I don't know if this is a step forward or backwards. How do I get Stats for a BT Voyager 2500 I wonder?

[kitz]

>> How do I get Stats for a BT Voyager 2500v I wonder?

iirc its the same as for the 2110 ?
http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/frogstats.htm#anchor11

>> So the option of linking the 205 to the 2110 has passed I'm afraid.

If the 205 is giving you the most stable connection, the you should be able to hook up the 2500v to the 205 in the same way as described above..  but the voip part of the 2500v probably wont work when used like this.

[mywifeshusband]

Hello Folks
So far the 2500 has not turned up. I'm chasing BT and it looks as if, despite having email confirmation that it had been despatched it, was never sent. The BT delivery agency had no record of ever receiving it either. However, I'm now dealing with BT Customer Care and The BT UK Broadband Help desk and am albeit slowly making some progress, I think!
Thanks for asking. I'll keep in touch and let you know if and when it turns up and how it performs.

I've still not had any explanation from BT or any one else though why the Downline attenuation rate on my BT Voyager 205 can vary between 60dB and (now recently) 49.5 dB. All I can get out of them (BT) is either disbelief, or a "I can't explain it" statement. The line has been checked time without number and passes everytime. Maybe this though is off the point for this forum. So I'll just say that the 2 home Hubs and a Voyager 2100 all had a down att steady at 63dB: and made the difference between a sync at 135Kbps and 1000kbs with the Voyager 205.
Ta! again.

[kitz]

Hi

I just thought of something with my old SAR110 - There was one version of the firmware which gave me high attenuation readings (I cant remember which one now since it was several years ago)...  which did strange things with my downstream attenuation figure.

It reported my attenuation as 21db which is a far cry from the 7-9dB reported by most other routers.  It was fixed by upgrading the firmware..  since the SAR and Voyager 205 are basically the same - it may be worth checking the firmware version.