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Possible Duplicate:
What’s the best way to increase the range of my 802.11g router?

My wireless router does not cover my whole house... Can I do something maybe with multiple routers, perhaps wired to each other?

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JoelFan
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  • What type of router? How many sqare feet? How many stories? Where is the router in relation to the rest of the house? Is it next to anything, how high up? – Move More Comments Link To Top Oct 14 '09 at 01:02
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    Duplicate: http://superuser.com/questions/29290/whats-the-best-way-to-increase-the-range-of-my-802-11g-router, http://superuser.com/questions/45960/improve-wireless-signal – hyperslug Oct 14 '09 at 01:02

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Instead of a wireless repeater, you could replace your router's antenna with a more sensitive one, and/or boost the signal output via a 3rd-party firmware. This won't extend the range as much as a repeater, and not all routers have replacable antennae or chipsets that support signal boosting. But it's an alternative for sites with the right equipment where you just need a liiiittle more range to fill in the gaps.

See A Dwarf's answer for a cheap DIY antenna replacement.

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quack quixote
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My +1 goes to ~quack and derek posts. But I feel I should also include here a third option which may entice those of us who like to get our hands dirty. You can make your own antenna extension with a screw, some copper wire and... a drinking straw.

Now, I'm not much into derisory claims without having tested it myself. And I did, And I was able to extend the range of my D-Link DVA-G3170i ADSL Router to cover the whole house. Although to be honest I was missing just a few divisions on the far side, around 10 meters that I needed to gain.

How to do it is here: http://www.instructables.com/id/WIFI-Antenna-Hack!/

A Dwarf
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nice solution: Apple Airport

Apple sells a nice combination solution for this. The Airport Extreme works as the primary base station, and the Airport Express works as a repeater station. It supports any computer that uses wireless (including game devices) and can be set up from both Macs and PCs.

http://www.apple.com/airportextreme/

http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/features/sharing.html

Mark Harrison
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For best results draw a straight line between the antennas and minimize the thickness of any intervening material. Remember that a wall crossed on an angle is much thicker than one straight on.

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Chris Nava
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