Re: NETGEAR DG834G signal

Fed <Fed.2s9uj9@no-mx.wirelessforums.org> hath wroth:

>I am currently using a NETGEAR DG834G and I'm totally satisfied with it
>but I don't know if the wireless is working fine

Oh-oh. Unrealized expectations. Sounds like an overdose of marketing
hype. I'll try to help.

>my problem (if any) is the signal power
>the router is in my bedroom and when I try to use my laptop in my
>living room I hardly can get the signal

What are you using for a wireless *CLIENT*? Performance can be
improved by juggling location and antennas at either end of the
wireless link.

>the router is at roughly 7 meters from there and there are 3 walls
>between the router and the living room

That's about as far as you can go. My rule of thumb is one wall is no
problem. 2 walls are a crap shoot. 3 walls are impossible. It's
also important as to what's inside the walls. If their full or metal
or concrete, even one wall is a problem. This chart should give you a
rough idea of the numbers involved:
<http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi#Attenuation>
For every 6dB of attenuation, your range is cut in half.

>two are about 30 cm, the other one is smaller, but there are a couple
>of doors so the signal is likely to easily go through them, and btw I
>thought it would have passed them anyway

Open doorways are nice. Closed doors are not so nice. 2.4GHz signals
do bounce around quite bit. That might help get through the doorway.
However, it's not a reliable path and it will come and go as things
move around. For a reliable connection the "line of sight" has to be
a straight line between your unspecified client and the DG834G.

>the first wall is just behind the router

Unless the router antenna is right up against the wall, that won't
make much difference.

>is this the standard performance?

No. It's typical performance. I can't really tell unless you supply
client info, more numbers and building construction details. Even
then, it's just guesswork.

>is there a way to boost the signal?

Yes. Replacement antennas are available with more gain. I'm not sure
but I think the DG834G has a non-removeable antenna, so that won't
work. You could use an easy to build reflector such as:
<http://www.freeantennas.com>
You can also do something similar at the other end of link, but
without a clue what's there, I can't offer any specific suggestions.

Also, you might want to fix the shift and period keys on your
keyboard.


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Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558