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n 31.03.2014 00:12, Julian Hall wrote:
On
30/03/14 21:47, bad apple wrote:
Actually, all this talk of wifi has just
reminded me of something I
meant to ask the list.
In my rarely-seen benevolent mode (I do actually have one,
believe it or
not) I promised to help out a friend who has just moved into a
hostel
for young at-risk people. The place is unsurprisingly run on a
shoestring budget and being quite large (approx 15 rooms on
three
floors), and made with very solid old fashioned walls and hefty
firedoors everywhere, the wifi signal from the crappy
Sky-supplied
Sagecom router/modem barely reaches beyond the single room where
it
happens to be installed.
Before I even start on sorting out their network and access
controls in
general, I initially need to boost the signal throughout the
entire
property. Now normally when I do this it's at businesses who
happily
splash out on big expensive gear - often with a Cisco badge on
it - that
I'm quite familiar with but this is a different environment from
what
I'm used to.
Their budget is effectively zero but I don't mind spending some
of my
own cash to get a TP-link repeater or something, which I'd
rather do
than muck about with cantennas and tinfoil for a DIY solution.
So anyone got some good, concrete recommendations for consumer
level
gear to this purpose, preferably something that you've used
yourself
successfully? I initially thought to replace the router's aerial
with a
proper one but sadly the Sagecom only has an internal aerial, so
it
would probably be more trouble than it's worth. I also had a
look
through my box of old/spare wifi routers to see if any of them
could be
repurposed but annoyingly not one of them offers the
functionality (I
thought it was supposed to be common?) or supports reflashing
with a
decent firmware like Tomato, etc.
Much obliged for any suggestions.
Regards
I know it's not what you were asking - and a relatively expensive
option given the zero budget - but would a Powerline solution
work? It would be more reliable and faster than WiFi, or would the
residents be more often using kit that has no Ethernet port, such
as phones, tablets and the like? Possibly worth investing in one
Powerline set with another wireless router say on the first floor
to maximise range while minimising outlay, or maybe even one on
each floor so each WiFi router only has to reach its own floor?
The Powerline plugs would set you back a bit, but the routers
perhaps not so much?
Just a thought.
Julian
there are powerline wifi plugs, basically a plug with an aerial and
some basic security options. They actually put out quite a
powerful signal if the electrics are up to it - equal if not
better than a wifi bridge between two routers I reckon. But yes,
zero budget is a problem...
S
--
www.oldhouse-cottage.co.uk
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