Wireless Access Points

Ebumar · Post by **Ebumar** » December 8, 2005, 12:46 am

Okay, so as a personal project, I am setting up a wireless access point for my neighbors and I.

I am looking for the maximum range routers. I know linksys has some good ones, but I am really looking for some reviews on ranges. I'm looking for something that'll go through several walls and still have a radius of about 150 feet.

Also - is it true that wireless B networks have a farther range than wireless G networks? My boss says so, but I'm not sure if I believe him.

Any input is great, thanks in advance.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » December 8, 2005, 7:34 am

B and G are going to be pretty much the same from what I've seen for range. The building you're in will make more difference than the one you pick.

Grab a Linksys or Netgear box and try different mounting locations until you get the range you need. A remote antenna can help a lot. Systems with dual antennas on the same frequency will attenuate the signal outside of the plane of the antennas.

http://www.veeshanvault.org/forums/view ... hlight=802

Ransure · Post by **Ransure** » December 8, 2005, 11:07 am

Have your neighbor build a pringles can antenna for his wireless card.

Neost · Post by **Neost** » December 8, 2005, 12:15 pm

Try the SRX technology from linksys.

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellit ... torWrapper

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » December 8, 2005, 12:38 pm

Just go with the Belkin Wireless Pre-N and be done with it.

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductP ... _Id=184316

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » December 8, 2005, 12:51 pm

my dell laptop w/ centrino wireless can see 9 WAPs in my neighborhood (lots are about 1/4-1/2 an acre), without an external antenna.

i have a dell truemoblie pc card adaptor with the Cisco Orninoco chipset and that thing has monster range. It is wireless B, but if you are having range problems, that may be a super cheap solution, and not as ugly as the CANtenna.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » December 8, 2005, 1:26 pm

Works that way at my sister's house too, she can see a bunch and could get access via most of them.

I've got rebar in my walls and steel tiedowns in the attic, from some angles I can't get a signal across the house.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » December 8, 2005, 2:41 pm

On those WAPs that aren't password protected...I know you can access the internet but can you also access their network? (hard drives)

I'm using cables for my internal network but the router I use to access the internet has wireless and I can't remember if it's turned off. I know it's not password protected. I've got some happy neighbors if they've been able to access my server.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » December 8, 2005, 4:25 pm

Winnow wrote:On those WAPs that aren't password protected...I know you can access the internet but can you also access their network? (hard drives)

You can see shares, print, pretty much anything you could do from the wired side.

The wireless side on most routers is on the internal network with no screening, some have a selection to turn off bridging to the wired network. On mine that pretty much cuts off access to the inside, but lets you go outbound (IIRC).

Ebumar · Post by **Ebumar** » December 8, 2005, 5:43 pm

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6833124050

This is the router I am going to get.

Next questions are about the setup. Two of my neighbors are going to be using this connection. I want them each to be on their own network, so they can't see eachother's work or anything like that. However, I want them both to be able to see my network drives, so they can get at my music, movies, programs, etc...

Any other ideas?

Thanks again for all your help.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » December 8, 2005, 5:56 pm

they can firewall their individual machines

Clatis · Post by **Clatis** » December 8, 2005, 10:36 pm

ebumar is his neighbors bitch

Soreali · Post by **Soreali** » December 9, 2005, 12:34 am

How good is the PRE-N and SRX? I sell the shit but they're not nice enough to give me a set to try myself.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » December 11, 2005, 6:24 am

You may want to try out the new Netgear RangeMax 240. Supposed to get 100Mbps wirelessly.

http://www.netgear.com/products/details/WPNT834.php