# Trying to extend wifi range **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 14, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-extend-wifi-range/274742 "2004-11-14T18:56:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-extend-wifi-range/274742/1 "2004-11-14T18:56:16Z")
Because of walls and such I cannot use my wireless network throughout the house. I even have purchased a repeater. Are there any tricks (maybe connecting a special antenna to the repeater) that would increase my range? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-extend-wifi-range/274742/2 "2004-11-14T19:27:28Z")
Wifi is a lot wimpier than many people realize, especially if to has to punch through walls. If the repeater doesn’t help, you might want to try a [directional “Pringles can” style antenna.](http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/has.html) ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-extend-wifi-range/274742/3 "2004-11-14T22:41:28Z")
Are you aiming for increased performance in just one direction? If this is the case, check out the links below. I haven’t had the need to make any of these myself, but if I do, I’m trying them first. The [simple version](http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/template2/index.html) needs tinfoil, and two sheets of stiff paper. The [slightly more complicated](http://new.freeantennas.com/prod01.htm) version needs some wood or something. I like their [gallery](http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/template/#Gallery%20of%20Successful). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-extend-wifi-range/274742/4 "2004-11-15T01:29:52Z")
If you have something popular like the Linksys WRT54G, third-party firmware is available, that will let you kick up the transmit power. How much space are you looking to cover that a repeater was ineffective? ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-extend-wifi-range/274742/5 "2004-11-15T03:27:57Z")
It’s only about 100 feet, but includes several walls. With a laptop I get weak and dropped signals there so I though I repeater should do the trick. I have a dlink 624. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-extend-wifi-range/274742/6 "2004-11-15T03:31:07Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > If you have something popular like the Linksys WRT54G, third-party firmware is available, that will let you kick up the transmit power. > > How much space are you looking to cover that a repeater was ineffective? Tell me more! ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-extend-wifi-range/274742/7 "2004-11-15T03:51:51Z")
[These guys](http://www.hyperlinktech.com/) are supposed to sell some pretty intense gear. You can pretty much punch a signal through any wall for miles around with the stuff they sell, at least according to what [Make Daisey](http://www.mikedaisey.com/) said on [The Screensavers](http://www.g4techtv.com/screensavers/episodes/1740/17904.html?) a couple of months back. (Hint: Be sure to check the “Yes I am in the military” box on the order form.) ---
**Author:** ![RevCo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@RevCo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RevCo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-extend-wifi-range/274742/8 "2004-11-15T05:51:40Z")
> [@dauerbach](#): > > Because of walls and such I cannot use my wireless network throughout the house. I even have purchased a repeater. Are there any tricks (maybe connecting a special antenna to the repeater) that would increase my range? Well, I just finished a project setting up an old building with Wireless Access Points (WAPs) the place was pretty broke, so I set them up with Belkin 802.11G wireless access points - browse em [here.](http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=&pcount=&Product_Id=136486) Worked pretty good, even through heavy walls - I won’t go into the gorey details, but you could put one WAP in the middle of your house - the bottleneck even with 802.11b is going to be the internet, not the wireless network, so you should be fine. Unless you have a server or have a peer-to-peer network, it should be more than enough. Just make sure you have the latest firmware for everything, are on teh right channel, etc. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-extend-wifi-range/274742/9 "2004-11-16T00:19:50Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Tell me more! For the WRT54G and GS: [http://www.hyperdrive.be/hyperwrt/](http://www.hyperdrive.be/hyperwrt/)