# How can i get a better signal from my router?



## rattel (May 20, 2008)

I have recently set up a router so i can have internet on the top floor of my house. The router is situated in another building (the office ). My desktop computer does not have a direct line of sight to the router as it has to go through the wall (as it is on the floor) and the router is on 5 feet off the ground resting on the inside of the window. I would also like to mention that there is a small tree that is beside the window and is not helping the actual distance from router to my computer is about 25 feet. 

My router is the linksys wireless-G with a firmware upgrade (DD-WRT v23 SP2 (09/15/06) std) and my computer has the wireless-g PCI adapter. Both have speed booster.

any help would be great.


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## rattel (May 20, 2008)

I also forgot to mention that I can sometimes connect to my router but i can't go on the internet and that the signal strength is never above 10%. 
And to give you a clearer idea of the location and the obstacles, here is a picture showing the location of the router and (if one could see through walls) where my computer is.


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## Cellus (Aug 31, 2006)

Obviously the number one recommended fix would be to either move the computer and/or router closer to each other. Try to find some way of doing so, as it will save you money.

The next step would be to look into a high gain antenna to boost the signal, such as for example this.

By the way I should note that DD-WRT firmware is *not* official first-party firmware, but third-party software. Keep this in mind if you have problems.


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## rattel (May 20, 2008)

I have manged to as close as possible, and i have a signal strength ranging from 13% to 19%. I can connect to my router no problem, but i have problems connecting to the internet. For some reason something won't let me connect to the internet. Every time i try to go onto Google, it freezes for lack of a better word. It is still thinking and trying to collect the data but nothing happens. 
It is strange because I'm currently downloading a torrent. it is painfully slow, but still downloading. 
Any ideas?


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## Cellus (Aug 31, 2006)

That is a very low signal strength. No wonder you are having problems.

One thing about moving the devices closer to each other is to keep them away from EMI-generating devices such as microwaves, or other various appliances which use and generate a lot of power. These can interfere with the signal. Also, try to have as few physical obstructions as possible within line-of-sight of the two as you can so it doesn't have to punch through as much.

Another thing to try would be to change the wireless channel inside the router's configuration page. If the channel is, for example, 6, change it to 11. And of course make sure it is running in 802.11g mode, and not something like "a" or "b".

If this doesn't work, definitely look into getting a high-gain antenna, as recommended above. This will boost the signal.


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## rattel (May 20, 2008)

I have boosted my signal strength so it is now around 25%, not great but better. I still have the same problem, when i type anything into google/Yahoo the internet thinks and collects data and doesn't load the page with my results of my search. But if i know of a site url and type it in, it goes there right away. I really don't understand this. what is happening?


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Hawking Tech has a number of products that will help you increase your wireless range. The root page is Hawking Hi-Gain™ WiFi Range Extending Products.

Some of the more interesting products are this Hawking [HSB2] Hi-Gain WiFi Signal Booster, which can be used on either end of a wireless connection to boost the signal power.

Another way to increase your signal strength is by the use of hi-gain antennas. You can choose from omni-directional or directional models, here are a some examples.

Hawking [HAI7SIP] Hi-Gain 7dBi Omni-Directional Antenna

Hawking [HAI15SC] Hi-Gain 15dBi Corner Antenna

[HAO14SD] Outdoor Hi-Gain 14dBi Directional Antenna Kit


This is just a sample of available products, many people have hi-gain antennas with similar specifications, but I haven't seen any other suppliers of signal boosters.


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