Low wireless strength - booster/antenna help

[DAAAAAAAVE]

I've noticed that my friends macbook picks up wireless signals from further away than mine does. I also noticed that at home there are various blackspots in my wireless. I was wondering if anyone here has any good tips on extending the range of my wireless. Maybe an easy to install booster/antenna?

 

[designgeek]

An antenna would depend on what brand/model router you have. For example a new AirPort Extreme Base Station does not have a connection for an external antenna but some D-Links and others have antenna connections so it would help to know what you have.

If you get a range extender make sure it's the same brand as your current router since Wireless Distribution System technology is proprietary meaning only Apple wireless products can extend an Apple network wirelessly and Linksys can only extend Linksys so on and so forth.

There are settings that can be changed on the router itself such as multicast rate, channel, IEEE Protocol (i.e. 802.11b/g/n and which one is best depends on the wireless capability of your laptops and any other devices you have such as iPhones, game consoles and printes etc.) but those are quite difficult (and a last resort for me) but can help if nothing seems to work.

Hope this helps.

 

[srexy]

If you have the Airport Extreme Base Station pick up an airport express.

The airtunes speaker is worth the price of entry alone.

 

[DAAAAAAAVE]

ok may have been a bit vague. i was more interested in making the range of my laptops wireless further meaning that i want to be able to pick up signals from further away