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Mending the wireless

Posted on 18 Jun 2009 at 11:31

Paul Ockenden offers a number of suggestions to help cure a flaky Wi-Fi network, from the free to the rather expensive.

Probably the next simplest option is to position a wireless repeater somewhere between your bedroom and office. A repeater is a device that looks very similar to your existing modem, the only difference being that you don't need to plug it into a phone socket. In the domestic and SME market sector these things are usually marketed as "range extenders", and last time I popped into my local PC World it had a couple of models on the shelves. The extender works by picking up the signal from your existing wireless network and re-broadcasting it, the idea being to place it midway between the modem and the area where you need to use the wireless network. Do they work? Yes, very well indeed, with the proviso that you'll need to have a suitable mid-point location available that can receive a strong signal from the modem, and where the re-broadcast signal will reach your laptop.

Another option, which is perhaps a bit radical, is to abandon your Wi-Fi network completely. Don't worry, I'm not suggesting that you should drill holes in your walls, floors and ceilings to install a proper wired network! What I'm going to suggest is that you might consider investing in a HomePlug setup. I've written about HomePlug here several times before, but to recap, these are devices that allow you to create an Ethernet network that runs over your electricity mains wiring. It's a great technology and I use it for part of my network at home. Just be aware that there are a few different standards kicking around. The original HomePlug 1 ran at a theoretical 14Mbits/sec, although its real-world throughput was far less, usually around 4Mbits/sec. This was followed by a high-speed version at nominally 85Mbits/sec, although you'll be lucky to see 20Mbits/sec in practice. This high-speed version is more than adequate for routing a typical broadband connection, and the good thing is that the 14 and 85Mbits/sec kit is fully interoperable.

The problem comes with newer kit that's nominally rated at 200Mbits/sec, from which you should see at least 45Mbits/sec. First, there are several different 200Mbits/sec standards knocking around, although most manufacturers now seem to have settled on HomePlug AV as a standard. Second, although HomePlug AV devices can converse at the same time as HomePlug 1 devices over the same wire, they can't talk to each other. If you follow the HomePlug route, I reckon you'd be fine with either the newer AV standard or the cheaper 85Mbits/sec standard.

One good reason to go for HomePlug AV is a clever piece of kit affectionately known as the Piggy6, which is sold by the good folks at Solwise (www.solwise.co.uk). This is a brilliant device that combines six power outlets and three Ethernet ports, which is a great way to get data into your computer, and it's equally at home sitting behind your TV and feeding your media streamer, Xbox and the rest. At £63 (exc VAT), I think it's a bit of a bargain!

Getting flash

If you're a bit strapped for cash and don't mind getting a bit technical, another thing to do is to update the firmware in your modem, and also update the drivers and possibly the firmware of the wireless card in your laptop. To update the firmware in the modem, you'll probably only need to log in to its admin interface (usually by pointing a web browser at 192.168.1.1 or similar address - check the manual). There's normally an option within the router's user interface that will check the firmware against the latest version on the manufacturer's website and walk you through an upgrade if one is needed.