extending wireless network (by a non technical)

[P Richardson]

Apologies for posting something that there is already many posts on.. I just can't find my answer.

My broadband is very poor. The Apple shop saw me coming and now i've pretty much everything I think. Adding an Apple Express, with a cable, gave me another wireless network that now allows me to send emails successfully from iPad etc (previously didn't work) I stay in a long house so I've extended this new network with another Apple Express.. and then added another one to extend from this to a new extension. My problem is that the signal now appears so poor by the end I can't go upstairs in the new extension and maintain a connection. Is there any value in getting another express to extend a 4th time or should i look at another solution totally? Thanks in advance, Pauline

 

[Vege-Taco]

This is what I used. It's a lot more work to run the cable outside and up to the peak of your roof, but the results are amazing. I can access the network from anywhere on my 5 acres now.

Hawking HOWABN1 Hi-Gain Outdoor Wireless-N Multifunction Access Point

 

[robgendreau]

And another way to go is to run some ethernet cable. It's pretty cheap, and depending on the layout of your house perhaps not that hard to run from place to place. And fast.

Rob

 

[Vege-Taco]

And another way to go is to run some ethernet cable. It's pretty cheap, and depending on the layout of your house perhaps not that hard to run from place to place. And fast.

Rob

And it's the most reliable method (and quickest network-wise) too!

 

[Apple fanboy]

Apologies for posting something that there is already many posts on.. I just can't find my answer.

My broadband is very poor. The Apple shop saw me coming and now i've pretty much everything I think. Adding an Apple Express, with a cable, gave me another wireless network that now allows me to send emails successfully from iPad etc (previously didn't work) I stay in a long house so I've extended this new network with another Apple Express.. and then added another one to extend from this to a new extension. My problem is that the signal now appears so poor by the end I can't go upstairs in the new extension and maintain a connection. Is there any value in getting another express to extend a 4th time or should i look at another solution totally? Thanks in advance, Pauline

I'm sure I read on here somewhere that if you extend your wifi with an airport express you actually reduce your wifi signal, as it uses your bandwidth up. That's why the hard wire option would be better. You can also buy plugins for your ring main circuit to use as a network extender but I forget what they are called. I'll see if I can find the thread tomorrow.

 

[smellalot]

and then added another one to extend from this to a new extension. My problem is that the signal now appears so poor by the end I can't go upstairs

I'm assuming here you did all extending wirelessly. Which is only possible once. You can't extend off another extension.

Sounds like it would be a good idea to run a cable either to the end of your house, where you would place an APX and add an extension upstairs.
Or run a cable upstairs where your primary APX is, place another one there and extend wired or wireless from there.

 

[mmomega]

I'm assuming here you did all extending wirelessly. Which is only possible once. You can't extend off another extension.

Sounds like it would be a good idea to run a cable either to the end of your house, where you would place an APX and add an extension upstairs.
Or run a cable upstairs where your primary APX is, place another one there and extend wired or wireless from there.

Second this. Wirelessly extending the network is handy to just get a signal across a long distance but the bandwidth is reduced quite a bit.

Ex: I have 100Mbps Internet, in my office at the main AEBS I get 95-100Mbps all day, in the living room with a 2nd AEBS wirelessly extended I would get 30-40Mbps.

I've since run a CAT6 cable from my main AEBS to the 2nd AEBS, and wire bridged them and now get 85-95Mbps in the living room.

Across my house I have a 5th gen AEBS in the office and 2 4th gen models creating a triangle for full coverage and high speeds everywhere I need it.

You'd be surprised if you are patient enough at how cheap you can get an AEBS for on eBay. $30-$40ish