Top 10 Wi-Fi Boosts, Tweaks and Apps. All of these are very good tips to secure and optimize your network and wireless connection. In my case I have a Linksys WRT54GS and do not have any hacks (firmwares) on this router. After several tries I found what works for me. On the Basic tab I have changed the default Local IP address to something other than 192.168.1.1 and also made my DHCP limit to 5 ips (I tried to go with Static IP Address but it was a hassel to setup laptops or any other wired/wireless device when I had a friend over). On the Wireless settings I changed the default SSID "Linksys" to my on personal seclection and change it from time to time. Since now all my devices are WPA2 compatible I have that as my security with a very long and good password (a combination of CAPS, lowercase, symbles, numbers, all the goodies for a strong password). Also a mac address filter and change the default wiresless channel from 6 to 11 (channel 1, 6, 11, are less conjested and nonoverlaped channels, I think).
Victor (aka Tontito) Minimizing WiFi Conflicts with Neighbors, Barron Park (Neighborhood) Association, Palo Alto CA. Palo Alto CA 94306 Introduction Wireless (WiFi) computer networks have become increasingly common in our neighborhood. For example, in 2005 from my house I could detect only two other WiFi networks. In May 2007, I routinely detect nine neighboring WiFi networks. In March 2009, using the same equipment from the same location, I detected between 14-42 WiFi networks, depending on the weather.
To my surprise, my computer often sees a stronger signal from 1-3 of these than it does from my own WiFi access point in the very next room. Reminder on security: No security is perfect—it is a tradeoff balancing risk against usability and cost. Advice in Brief: Check that you have turned on the highest level of encryption that all of your WiFi devices can supportSet a meaningful SSIDSurvey for other WiFi devicesSelect a channel that minimizes conflicts, sticking to 1, 6 or 11If problems remain, strengthen the signal between your devices, by repositioning antennas or using directional antennas Sections.
Change Your Wi-Fi Channel Number to Avoid Interference. Most Wi-Fi wireless home networks transmit their signals in a narrow radio frequency range around 2.4 GHz. Various other electronic devices in a home, such as cordless phones, garage door openers, baby monitors, and microwave ovens, may also use this same frequency range. Any such device can interfere with a wireless home network, slowing down its performance and potentially breaking network connections. Likewise, the wireless networks of neighbors generally all use the same form of radio signaling. Especially in residences that share walls with each other, interference between different home networks is not uncommon. The 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi signal range is divided into a number of smaller bands or channels, similar to television channels.
Many wireless products in the U.S. ship with a default Wi-Fi channel of 6. Unlike television channels, some Wi-Fi channel numbers overlap with each other. 20 Myths of Wi-Fi Interference [RF Solutions. The growing ubiquity of wireless devices combined with the advent of mobility applications requires businesses to be diligent in managing inference throughout their deployments. The many wireless technologies and commonplace electric devices already in use and newly emerging impede wireless performance. RF interference can be a major inhibitor to wireless performance, creating security vulnerabilities and wireless network instability. This paper exposes the top 20 most pervasive myths around wireless interference. Myth #1: "The only interference problems are from other 802.11 networks.
" There are a tremendous number of 802.11 devices out there. It is true that the other 802.11 networks can cause interference with your network. This type of interference is known as co-channel and adjacent channel interference. In reality, the many other types of devices emitting in the unlicensed band dwarf the number of 802.11 devices. Summary: Interference is out there. Myth #10: "I give up. 10 Ways To Boost a WiFi Signal. Wireless devices are everywhere now... from laptops and netbooks, to smartphones, tablets and ebook readers. Even printers and hard drives can be connected to a wifi network. So it's important to get the best possible signal from your wireless router. WiFi is a type of radio signal, so it's simply a matter of eliminating interference and boosting that signal to extend as far as you need it to, and doing it in a way so you'll still get the same amount of power.
There are ways to boost or extend your WiFi signal, and most of them won't cost a penny. Here are my ten ways to boost your wifi signal: Position The Router - Yes, where you place your router does matter. If you're looking for optimal wireless coverage in various parts of your home, position the router in the middle of the house.
Do you have any tips or tricks to boost a wifi signal? Cantenna. 5.5 GHz cantenna as a feedhorn Cantennas are typically used to increase the range of (or discover) Wi-Fi networks. Construction[edit] The cylinder portion of the can may consist of metal-coated paperboard. Although some designs are based on a Pringles potato chips can, this tube is too narrow to increase the signal by a useful amount.[1] However, a cantenna can be made from various cans or tubes of an appropriate diameter.[2] Some designs include a pole mount to elevate the cantenna.[3] At 2.4 GHz, losses can occur if the cable from the cantenna to the Wi-Fi circuitry is too long. A more efficient cantenna can be made by minimising this length or connecting the cantenna directly to the Wi-Fi circuitry.[4] Use[edit] Cantennas are typically used for extending a wireless local area network (WLAN).
The tiny design makes them ideal for mobile applications such as wardriving. Cantennas can be used to increase cell phone range,[5] improve reception, and decrease noise. See also[edit] References[edit] Antenna on the Cheap (er, Chip) Antenna on the Cheap (er, Chip) Rob Flickenger Jul. 05, 2001 05:20 PMPermalink Like many would-be 802.11b hackers, I'm increasingly obsessed with pushing more bits further and faster for less cost (I believe the unofficial goal of our community wireless project is to provide infinite bandwidth everywhere for free.
Of course, there are problems with approaching infinity, but it's still fun to try!) The work that Andrew Clapp and others have done is helping to demystify the ancient black magick of Resonance (i.e. antenna building). And so, over last weekend, some friends and I decided to give it a go for ourselves. (standard disclaimer): Anything you do with your gear is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. This is a stupid idea that will probably ruin your radio, set your house on fire, bring the FCC to your door, ruin your crops, and send famine and pestilence across the land. Once this was up and running, we looked at the design, and of course speculated about ways to optimize it. Parts list: Have fun! Wifi pringles tube (DIY Cantenna) The Essence of Community Wireless. Extend your Wi-Fi range with a parabolic reflector - Slideshow. DIY WIFI Antenna Reception Booster. Parabolic Templat. Custom Search (c) M. Erskine 2002-2015 All Commercial Rights Reserved My Bitcoin Address - Please Donate NOTE: Some pictures on this site are contributed by persons who have built this antenna, all pictures on this site are used with the permission of their author(s).
Please send me a picture of your effort and let me know how it went. E-Mail Here FAQ Here Gallery of Successful Builds Advantages over other antennas such as the Pringles Can Antenna I needed a parabolic reflector to eliminate off property coverage. The drawing can be scaled upon a copy machine to make a dish of any reasonable size. There is a square drawn upon the diagram.
Focal length varies with the size of the dish (but proportionally) therefore the focal point is also shown on the drawings. Parabolic reflectors also loose gain if your finished reflector varies much from the correct curve. The reflector is designed to be fed by a dipole. The reflector is designed to be "square". The template is a bit large but be patient. Urban Wireless - Parabolic Reflector. This parabolic reflector antenna, made with cardboard and foil, can increase your wireless reception by 6dB. The performance of this reflector is comparable many commercially produced antennas. How to make: Download Template or another reflector template design : parabolreflector_en.pdfOpen in a graphic app and resize as desired. Ensure that you keep the square on the diagram square.Print image on business card stock or acetate (document protector).Cut it out and open the six slots with scissors or an X-Acto knife.Glue tin foil to either side of the reflector surface (its best to bend the surface first as foil doesn't stretch well!)
Assemble by placing the six tabs in the six slots. Note: If printed at the download size you will see about 9 dBi of gain. Six inch reflector pattern at 2.4 GHz: Source: The Open Source WRT54G Story. Linksys gave wireless home network tweakers a gift in its Linux based router. Here's how you can get started with open source firmware upgrades. The story of the Linksys Wireless-G Router (model WRT54G) and how you can turn a $60 router into a $600 router is a little bit CSI and a little bit Freaks & Geeks. It’s also the story of how the open source movement can produce a win-win scenario for both consumers and commercial vendors. What’s especially exciting is that tricking out this router doesn’t require any eBay sleuthing or other hunt for some off-the-wall piece of hardware.
Instead, grab it off-the-shelf. The WRT54G is stacked high in every Best Buy and Circuit City across the country and, of course, most online retailers — Amazon.com sells it for $55. It’s ubiquitous and, some would say, a diamond in the rough. While routers used to be the domain of networking specialists, they’ve gone mainstream along with residential broadband. Feature-Packed Firmwares That’s just the short list. OpenWRT Table of Hardware. Hack Attack: Turn your $60 router into a $600 router. Turn your wifi router into a repeater. Www.dd-wrt.com. How to improve signal strength from my router. How Best To Deal With WiFi Interference.