Home
 Always On Networks Created with a Wireless Router
Getting Wireless Set Up with Windows Operating System
How To Deal With Wireless Encryption Security Threats
Securing your Wireless Network
Wireless Devices What to Look For Range Speed and Standards
Wireless Installation Checklist
Wireless Internet Terminology Confusion Or Clarity
Wireless Router Security A Step By Step Guide
Wireless Troubleshooting 5 Things to Try
|
 |
How far can wireless go? Well, really, the answer is as far as
you want it to, or as far as you can afford. You see, even
though each wireless transmitter has a range limit, you can
install things called wireless extension points, often called
repeaters, to boost the signal and make your network's range
even longer.
So you're not getting the 11Mbps speed that you thought your
card's manufacturer promised? If you read your card or Access
Point's spec carefully, you'll probably see that data rates are
specified as a function of distance. Data rate drops off very
quickly with distance for 802.11b products.
What is a Repeater?
As you get further away from the origin of a wireless signal, it
gets weaker and weaker, until eventually it is impossible to
receive at all. No matter how much you spend on high-powered
wireless equipment, you will eventually reach a point where your
network just won't stretch any further.
Some people solve this problem by running wires out as far as
they want the network to go, and having it 'break out' into
wireless every so often using a wireless access point. This can
be more trouble than it's worth, though -- what's the point of
installing massive lengths of wire just to cover an area with
wireless access? You could just put ports in the wall, couldn't
you?
Well, to fix this dilemma, some manufacturers have started to
produce wireless repeaters, even though they're not part of the
wireless standard. These 'extension points' work as a relay,
simply taking the existing wireless signal and making it
stronger, making the range of the signal larger each time.
If you place the repeaters correctly, this can make it so that
you can move computers a long way away from the wired part of
the network (the router or access point) without stopping them
from working. The only requirement is that the ranges of the
points must overlap -- after all, a repeater can't repeat a
signal that it can't receive.
How Do They Work?
To understand how repeaters work, you must remember that
wireless networking signals are really just radio signals.
Repeaters simply take all the radio signals they receive on the
frequency used by wireless communications (2.4Ghz) and use their
power to amplify and re-broadcast them. This process does not
degrade the signal, and can be done as many times as necessary.
In theory, you place wireless repeaters in a line for several
miles and so extend a wireless network out that far. Because
extension points don't need all the computer technology required
in a router or an access point, they are relatively inexpensive,
and so this possibility isn't as unlikely as it sounds.
Some companies, for example, use a combination of repeaters and
directional antennas (antennas that focus a wireless signal in
one direction) to connect two LANs that are miles apart. They
find it's cheaper to do things this way than to worry about the
problems that come with doing it over the Internet or to install
their own underground wires. It is technology like repeaters
that could, in the future, help to build wireless networks
covering whole towns and cities.
Choosing a Repeater
For the moment, you're limited to the bigger manufacturers when
choosing a repeater, and even some of them have it missing from
their product range. Different companies give their repeaters
different names, such as 'Range Expander' (Linksys) or 'Range
Extender' (D-Link).
When you're thinking of buying a wireless extension point, there
are some things you need to think about. The most important
thing is whether it will work with your existing equipment --
because there's no formal standard for wireless extension
points, there's no guarantee that one you get will work on your
network. It's best to stick to the same manufacturer that you
have the rest of your equipment from, or at least do a web
search to find other people who've made the combination work.
Another consideration is whether the extension point has any
Ethernet ports. It's not an essential feature, but it can be
useful if you want to connect the extension to a wired network.
This is mainly only important if you're trying to connect two
LANs wirelessly, although Ethernet can also be useful for
connecting devices if something breaks and you need to
troubleshoot the network.
About the author:
Original Source: Articles-Galore.com
Information supplied and written by Lee Asher of CyberTech SoftShop
Suppliers of the DeadEasy
Ebook Maker and Publishing Wizard.
Written by: Lee Asher
|
|
Getting Wireless Set Up with Windows Operating System
It was supposed to be so easy, wasn't it? Windows and easy in
the same sentence !! Sometimes, for some reason, Windows just
doesn't want to play...read more
How To Deal With Wireless Encryption Security Threats
Because nobody wants to compromise the integrity of their network by having some hacker "borrow" your bandwidth or gain access and start snooping...read more
Securing your Wireless Network
When one thinks about home security, they ususally think of taking measures like installing alarms, deadbolts, and window locking devices. But if...read more
Wireless Devices, What to Look For: Range, Speed and Standards
Wireless Devices, What to Look For: Range, Speed and Standards
Michael Knowles
Not sure what you're doing in your wireless card shopping? Want to...read more
Wireless Internet Terminology - Confusion Or Clarity?
Wireless Internet Terminology, like many things in life,
especially those that have anything to do with computers is
filled with terminology. But...read more
|