Connection Query.

Post by **Dangerous Bob** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 6:05 pm

OK, Anyone got a quick theory/answer on this one.

In one of my stations, the business next door seems to have a Netgear wifi connection unprotected.
It DL's at about 0.5Mbps, so is useful for checking up emails etc while down there.
Not fast enough to watch youtube etc though, and the signal strength is a bit flakey.

I've been playing with a Linksys router (WRT54GS) which I've upgraded the firmware with the "DD-WRT" firmware package. This allows me to use the router as a repeater. Useful at home for extending the signal around the house and into the garden.

Anyway, I tried it out on the netgear connection , with a WPA into the 54GS and assigned it a static IP on the netgear's network.

It works brilliantly. So much so, I did a quick speed test. 6Mbps DL and pinging about the same 45ms.

So why does it work so much better through the repeater? The signal at the repeater is not that much better (had not moved the repeater to get the best signal yet)

The only thing I can hazard a guess is that the network recognises my laptop and throttles the speed, while the 54GS router gets the full amount.....

Any other ideas?

Post by **Class--** » Wed Feb 20, 2013 9:56 pm

I believe it just because your repeater has better antennas and therefore better signals no? I just might have to try this in my house as this is what I want done

I'm guessing if they have an open wifi they will also have default admin password so you could gain access to the netgears settings. Default for netgear yused to be
admin
password

or I have used

root
password

before. Suppose you could even boost the output signal from the netgear so you get an even better signal

Post by **Claw** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:28 am

I'd go with Class' Antenna suggestion too. Also, how old is your Router, and does it have much gear around it that would, even in a small way, cause some interference?

Post by **Dangerous Bob** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:56 am

No idea where the router is, somewhere in the next building...

Post by **Claw** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 8:22 pm

Dangerous Bob wrote: No idea where the router is, somewhere in the next building...

Ah, I thought you were asking why the repeater was working better with the pilfered connection than it was with your router at home.

As the repeater 'passes on' the wifi signal it boosts it too.

Post by **Dangerous Bob** » Sat Mar 02, 2013 10:02 pm

But would that improve the DL rate so much as well though?