Accidental IT: Boosting Your Wi-Fi Signal

More Power
If repositioning your APs doesn't get around some of your office obstacles, you might want to try boosting your AP's signal strength.

WiFi radio waves use an unlicensed portion of the radio spectrum, and that's one reason it's so simple and inexpensive to set up your WiFi network. A condition of the no-license arrangement is a limit of 1 watt on the transmission power an AP can output. The typical computer-store AP is rated at .1 watt, which is low enough to keep bordering networks from interfering with each other.

But sometimes there simply is no substitute for horsepower. Adding a booster, or power amplifier, is simple and quick, and can even be combined with high-gain antenna when needed. Hawking Technology's WiFi Signal Booster can be set to boost an AP's power to .5 watts (500mW) by simply connecting it in place of the antenna on your AP.

More Frequencies
Adding frequency bands and the number of radios in an AP can make better use of the wireless radio band. Belkin's Pre-N router and network cards use Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MIMO) technology to increase range and speed. The label "Pre-N" alludes to the fact the devices are based on the yet-to-be ratified 802.11n WiFi standard. Keep in mind that to get the advertised increases of 8x range and 6x speed, both the AP and the client adapters must be Belkin's Pre-N products.

ParkerVision's SignalMax line applies advanced radio frequency management techniques to improve the effectiveness of the standard WiFi signal. ParkerVision guarantees to deliver connectivity anywhere within a small office, and up to 1 mile outdoors.

One important note here: If you have installed an 802.11g router to take advantage of the increased connection speed of up to 54Mb/sec over 802.11b's 11Mb/sec, you may not be getting all the speed you expect. If there is even one 802.11b client connecting to an 802.11g router, the router's modem decreases its speed to accommodate the slower 'b' client. That means that all the 'g' clients are also running at the slower speed. One advantage of having multiple modems in a router is that each modem can support its own speed. Belkin's Pre-N units can handle 'g' traffic at its full speed even when 'b' clients are connected.

So, Fix It
Armed with the right tools and a modest budget, you should be able to address the groaning coming from your wireless co-workers. Start by mapping your office space to see just how bad the problem is before you start buying equipment. Then make a few changes at a time, and judge your success by the decreasing noise level coming from those who are connected wirelessly.

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