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If you live in a city with similar architecture that of Edinburgh, i.e. walls thick enough to stop cannon balls (and wireless signals), offices split between two floors. Then you may of had issues with your wireless network. What’s more old buildings where never designed with network cable in mind, so it’s more than likely your business will rely on wireless as the primary connection between your computers, servers and printers.
Now I can’t write up a post on wireless networks without mentioning security. It still surprises me on the number of wireless networks that are open. I recently moved into a new flat where one of the neighbours named his open network after his business, left the default admin password for the wireless box and had his Windows XP firewall turned off! I called round secure it for him.
So from this post you should find tips on how to…
- Increase the strength/range of your wireless network
- How setup your wireless network
- Add additional layers of security
Now you can throw money at the problem, wireless repeaters (repeats the signal), hi-gain antennas (bigger antennas), IT people and n-draft wireless routers (latest wireless technology) can solve most issues. Although, before you go down this route try out some of the tips below. I recommend trying out one tip at a time, test it with a program like Netstumbler (Mac macstumbler and Linux kismetwireless) which will give the strength of the signal (Signal to Noise Ratio) rather than guessing if it’s stronger!
1) Use a wired network
Easier said that done, but three reasons still use wired cable over wireless network. Security - You usually need physical access to your office, wireless you can stand outside the office and pick up the network. Speed - Typically your wired network will always be faster, specially as Gigabyte equipment is more or less standard. Reliability - Your much less like to have networking issues in terms of strength, bandwidth and connectivity.
Three problems I’ve had with wireless networks…
1) Wireless network disappears causing the client to lose connectivity and then network reappears. ADSL router was randomly disconnecting from the local exchange and for some reason also affected the wireless network. I replace the filter and upgraded the firmware on the router.
2) Windows Domain and Wireless networks. We bought a batch of Toshiba laptops for client which would lose sight of the Domain Controller (Windows Server) during login and therefore default to local profile login. We fixed the problem with a tool from Intel called Intel® PROSet/Wireless, which made sure the laptop was connected to the wireless network before contacting the domain controller.
3) Another connectivity problem, this time Windows Vista client would connect for an hour or so and then drop off if there was no traffic between the network and PC. Upgraded the Windows driver for the network adapter, but eventually replace it with a new card. A temporary work around was to constantly ping the router, ping 192.168.0.1 -t
Terinea
2) 10 Tips for Extend the range and the strength of your wireless network
Position your wireless router (or wireless access point) in a central location. When possible, place your wireless router in a central location in your home. If your wireless router is against an outside wall of your home, the signal will be weak on the other side of your home. Don’t worry if you can’t move your wireless router, because there are many other ways to improve your connection. Microsoft
3) Step-by-Step: Creating a Wireless Network
A business. You may need it all – speed for moving large documents around your network quickly, good range for providing access to users spread throughout several rooms or floors, and strong security to lock down your communications and prevent sensitive information from being compromised. Practically Networked
4) Five Steps to Better Security and Compatibility
Do a Site Survey Potts likes to ask his customers this question, “Do you know where your wireless signal is?” Unless you know exactly how far your wireless network reaches, and in what directions it travels, chances are you’re leaking a Wi-Fi signal that anyone with a laptop and a Wi-Fi card – including hackers – can use for free. CWS Internet
5) 10 tips to increase wireless range
Reduce wireless interference. Cordless phones, microwave ovens, and other wireless electronics in your home or office can interfere with your wireless network. To improve reception, look for cordless phones and other electronics that use the 5.8GHz or 900MHz frequencies. They won’t interfere. Daily Wireless
6) Securing Your Wireless Network
Passwords on Your Router. You configure most routers using a Web browser. When connect to the router, you need to log in. Every router has a default password, like admin. As this article points out, most people don’t bother to change that password. Doing that is simple, though.Geeks.com
7) Optimize your wireless network
Cnet.com give a complete guide from choosing the right gear to securing the network, all via short video’s. Cnet
8 ) 5 Minute Wireless Network Security for your Home
- Change the default password
- Disable unnecessary remote administration options
- Change the default SSID
- Disable SSID broadcast. The SSID is the name of your wireless network.
- Disable unnecessary remote administration options
paininthetech
9) Set up a home wireless network
As ever Life Hack provide a wealth of useful resources on this subject matter.
- Turn your wifi router into a repeater
- DIY laptop wireless antenna
- Expand your wireless network with a wireless distribution system
10) How To Secure A Wireless LAN (WLAN)
The old encryption standard Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) can be hacked within 30 seconds, no matter the complexity of the passphrase you use to protect it. Unfortunately, millions of Wifi users are still using WEP encryption technology to encrypt their information, despite the availability of the vastly superior WPA2 encryption standard. Daily Wireless
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thank you good article
Comment by wireless — June 22, 2007 @ 5:33 pm
You started by talking about buildings not compatible with network wiring, then mentioned the option “get a wired network”.
One option you should include is to use Homeplug technology through the existing electric power cables. Plug one of the adapters into a socket, and you have a working ethernet port. It works straight out of the box and is (in my experience) utterly reliable. More than can be said for typical wireless.
Comment by Griff — June 7, 2008 @ 8:49 pm