Wireless network range
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Thread: Wireless network range

  1. #1
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    Wireless network range

    What is the range (how far they can be apart) of wireless network cards/routers?

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Registered User Gollo's Avatar
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    They say up to 1000 feet but that's open field and at 1mb. on an average in house install your looking at MAYBE 100-150 feet. If you get a linksys ap ap/router you can get their signal booster (but at that price you might just as well get another ap and place it on the other side of the house/building).
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    Geezer confus-ed's Avatar
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    The only sure way is to try one !

    It really does depend on just what's inbetween, its very rare for me to get more than 50ft out of most (then again most British houses are stone or brick built, which impacts 'muchly') ... I have had well over 300ft (from my loft to my garage - yet downstairs in my 'old' house it won't always get from one room to another)

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    Halogen lights muck mine up - don't think hubby will like me suggesting we change the lounge lighting just 'cos the signal is a bit poor....
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  5. #5
    Avatar Goes Here Radical Dreamer's Avatar
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    I get 300-400ft with mine
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    Registered User Escape_Driver's Avatar
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    any advise on going 3.8 KM ??? Thats what I need

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    Registered User Bigtimbre's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Escape_Driver
    any advise on going 3.8 KM ??? Thats what I need
    So far all the replies have focused on standard SOHO type equipment, from someone like Linksys or D-Link. The range will be affected by a number of things:

    Line of Sight - For omnidirectional antennas this most often means walls or floors/cielings in a business environment. For directional antennas it could be other buildings, trees, etc. All of these things will affect your LOS and ability to maintain signal.

    Strength of your antenna - You can dramatically increase the range of the device by going to a bigger antenna. Of course there are some gotchas with this.

    For the distance you are trying to cover, you're going to need to go with high end equipment (I.e. Not linkSys, D-Link or Netgear). Are you sure this is the best way to cover the distance? Whats the goal for the implementation?

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    Registered User Major Kong's Avatar
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    Hi ya Bigtimbre...where are ya at in Anchorage? I live up in Eagle River.
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  9. #9
    Registered User Escape_Driver's Avatar
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    Line of sight is very hard... I need High Speed Internet connection at home and the distance I need to cover is 3.8 KM to the conection at my office. High speed is not avalable at my home. (If I had know that I probably wouldn't have moved there)

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    You're gonna have to have Line of Sight. I've got two Linksys WAP11 w/ 16dB Gain Vagi antenna about 60ft in the air each and I've got a 1.2 mile link. I could technically go farther than that though. I've heard of people going 4 miles with a similar setup, but the have to have line of sight.
    Sounds like you need a good FDISK

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    Registered User silencio's Avatar
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    Whatever you do, don't buy an Ipaq. Mine doesn't reach from the bedroom to the office (30' at the most). ...junk
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  12. #12
    Senior Member - 1000+ Club Outcoded's Avatar
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    I'd be starting to think of microwave links at that kinda range.
    I'm in charge and I say we blow it up

  13. #13
    Registered User Bigtimbre's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ksm2552
    You're gonna have to have Line of Sight. I've got two Linksys WAP11 w/ 16dB Gain Vagi antenna about 60ft in the air each and I've got a 1.2 mile link. I could technically go farther than that though. I've heard of people going 4 miles with a similar setup, but the have to have line of sight.
    What kind of budget are you thinking? I would recommend going with equipment that will support more sophisticated encryption for the type of distance we are talking about. Make it that much more secure, unless of course you want to offer free access to anyone along the shot...

    With a distance like that, weather may affect the transmission as well..


    Major Kong - I'm in Anchorage.

  14. #14
    Registered User WebHead's Avatar
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    Why not just get a Sony Ericsson GC82 EDGE PC Card Modem. You can get unlimited data usage for $79.99 p/month from AT&T Wireless (yes I'm always looking to make a sale).
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  15. #15
    Registered User Gollo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Outcoded
    I'd be starting to think of microwave links at that kinda range.
    Ummmm..... FYI 802.11b is microwave.

    Anyways, Your gonna need LOS (line of site) and then some (see fresnal zone). If you don't have it then your probably out of luck. There are ways to bounce signal as well so if you have any towers in the area maybe talk to them to see if they might help.
    As far as security goes I would just enable wep (this is all irrelevent if you can't get a link) and rotate the key every month or so.

    For more info check out the nestumbler forums. Search around because your question has been answered before and they will get mad if you ask the question again without searching (you've been warned )
    "I feel like one of those mass murderers on death row. I never understood how the hell they got more chicks than I did. Now I know. They sold crap on eBay." -- Anonymous ebayer

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