Wifi Repeater use

[TheGreatSatan]

Anyone have any experience with Wifi repeaters? I'm thinking of adding one to my house. I don't know how they work/connect

[slaveofconvention]

They're usually just standard re-transmitters - they simply receive the existing wireless signal, then re-broadcast it - is throughput important to you? If so, you should bear in mind that a repeater halfs the speed of the connection - I'm sure someone here can explain why, because I can't.

I have just installed a powerline wireless network for someone - they have existing wireless - I put a standard RJ45 unit near the router, then the 802.11 unit at the opposite end of the apartment - coverage is now flawless and both routers broadcast at the full speed possible. It means the customer has two wireless networks now instead of one wider range one, but the second "half" of the network runs at full speed instead of being halved...

[progbuddy]

They're usually just standard re-transmitters - they simply receive the existing wireless signal, then re-broadcast it - is throughput important to you? If so, you should bear in mind that a repeater halfs the speed of the connection - I'm sure someone here can explain why, because I can't.

I have just installed a powerline wireless network for someone - they have existing wireless - I put a standard RJ45 unit near the router, then the 802.11 unit at the opposite end of the apartment - coverage is now flawless and both routers broadcast at the full speed possible. It means the customer has two wireless networks now instead of one wider range one, but the second "half" of the network runs at full speed instead of being halved...

It is in half because the repeater signal doesn't work as a full duplex, as it would not work as such. The signal has to be received and transmitted twice to reach its destination.

[slaveofconvention]

It is in half because the repeater signal doesn't work as a full duplex, as it would not work as such. The signal has to be received and transmitted twice to reach its destination.

See - told ya someone would know the technical reason why :p

My house is fully wired for Cat6 - I only use wireless for my Wii, Joggler and Soundbridge (all low bandwidth items), and occasionally when I use a laptop in the house so don't really pay it that much attention :P

[x88x]

It is in half because the repeater signal doesn't work as a full duplex, as it would not work as such. The signal has to be received and transmitted twice to reach its destination.

You could get around this by having two routers, one acting as a wireless bridge and the other as a wireless transmitter. You would have to make sure that they're operating on different channels though, or you would just get a giant mass of interference.

[progbuddy]

You could get around this by having two routers, one acting as a wireless bridge and the other as a wireless transmitter. You would have to make sure that they're operating on different channels though, or you would just get a giant mass of interference.

They make MIMO routers that solve this problem.

[Crazy Buddhist]

Wifi repeaters use the WDS "Wireless Distribution Standard". (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_Distribution_System)

There are limitations you won't like.

1) You are restricted to using WEP encryption on the whole network with 99% of equipment.

2) It can cut throughput massively as both base stations have to have the same SSID and be on the same frequency - and as someone has said the second device must recieve then retransmit every packet creating congestion.

Basically it weakens your whole wireless network, both throughput and security, though giving greater range. Generally there are better solutions.

CB

[TheGreatSatan]

Wait, WEP is NOT good? That's how my current network is set up

[Crazy Buddhist]

Wait, WEP is NOT good? That's how my current network is set up

WEP is total crapola. Free tools to crack it are all over the net, the security algorithm is flawed and there are video's on youtube telling you how to do it.

I seriously advise against using it.

CB

references:

WEP was intended to provide comparable confidentiality to a traditional wired network (in particular it does not protect users of the network from each other), hence the name. Several serious weaknesses were identified by cryptanalysts and any WEP key can be cracked with readily available software in two minutes or less — and WEP was superseded by Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) in 2003, and then by the full IEEE 802.11i standard (also known as WPA2) in 2004. Despite the weaknesses, WEP provides a level of security that can deter casual snooping. (Wikipedia)

Casual snooping ... no protection from someone who wants in. None at all.

How To Crack 128-bit Wireless Networks In 60 Seconds (http://www.shawnhogan.com/2006/08/how-to-crack-128-bit-wireless-networks.html)


http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/unwired/3minute-wep-crack-6140
3-Minute WEP Crack

"At a recent ISSA (Information Systems Security Association) meeting in Los Angeles, a team of FBI agents demonstrated current WEP-cracking techniques and broke a 128 bit WEP key in about three minutes."