On Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:26:40 +0100, Tim W wrote:
Family complaining about poor internet wireless reception around the
castle. A quick search and I see the first thing to try before boosters
and repeaters is simply a bigger aerial on the router (currently 3"
long) at a cost of around £20. Being a tight wad I thought I might test
a home made aerial first - an aerial is just a length of metal I think -
and am considering how to do it.
Am I right in thinking I can leave the insulation on a length of copper
wire and use that? Will the length I cut it at make a difference? I mean
obviously it will be longer, maybe 30" instead of 3" but does it have to
be a multiple of a wavelength or something? I am guessing the aerial can
be thin - a coat hanger not necessary here - but is solid copper better
than strands?
A bigger aerial doesn't help on a transmitter, only on a receiver. That
makes it useless on a wireless router. The electrical length of the
aerial is fairly critical to it's performance (and isn't usually the same
as the mechanical length!). Also, many router aerials are actually a
solid or flexible core with the aerial wire wound around it. The whole
thing is then covered with insulation. If you want to try a mod then go
ahead, but I doubt very much if it will make things better - probably
much worse so make sure that your mod is easily reversible! As the
original is almost certainly tuned to 1/4 wavelength you could try
something exactly twice the length to make it 1/2 wave or even work out a
length for 5/8 wavelength (which is probably better than either but not
legal as it has gain).
The very best way to get more range is to move the unit to a central
location in the house. If that doesn't work very well for keeping the ADSL
lead short then you could add a separate non-wireless ADSL router and
connect it to the wireless one using CAT5, effectively putting them on
their own wired network.
--
Mick (Working in a M$-free zone!)
Web:
http://www.nascom.info
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