need wireless HELP for my floor-thru apartment

brooklynpotter

i can't be the only one having this problem: these floor-thru apartments are killers when it comes to wireless because, at least in my case, the dead center of the apartment is home to a hard turn next to a steel fire door.

since my office is in the back of the apartment, and moving all my routers and modems and hubs (and printer and scanner, et alia) to the middle of my apartment, in the hallway, isn't feasable, i'm stuck working back there.

i know there are ways to make antennae out of cans; i don't have a soldering gun and, frankly, think this is insane. i've tried store-bought "larger" antennae but they sucked and i returned them.

(and while i'm at it, if anyone can help me make my wireless network password protected, when it's a linksys network and i'm using an ibook, i'll bake you something lovely. because everyone i know has tried to help, and nobody has succeeded...)

whyfi

Password -

You should be able to log on to your router pretty easily and change it from there. In your address bar of your browser, type in the address of your router. probably 192.168.1.1. When you hit enter, if should ask you for a username and password - probably Admin (or whatever default is there) and 'password' If that doesn't get you in, do a quick google for linksys default passwords.

Edit - User: admin
Password: admin

brooklynpotter

whyfi, i can log into the router. but after that anything i do insures the computer can't log into the network.

whyfi

:?
Like, your laptop doesn't recognize the network? Or the (changed) password doesn't take?

brooklynpotter

like you can't do anything; changed password makes entire network go down

whyfi

Well that's not good... So, as soon as you make the change and save, network goes down and it no longer shows when you scan for available networks?

doctorj

Changing the router password, while a very good first step, doesn't make the traffic secure, or stop people from logging on and using your bandwidth to do whatever they wouldn't do from their own connection. It just stops people from reconfiguring the router from beyond your walls so that e.g. they can get in from the internet or e.g. you can't get on.

What model router is it, and how old is it? Look for wireless...security and something like WEP, WPA, WPA2, etc. For example, with WEP, you need to create a key which looks like this 0ac0472d2fabc33bfd38aa83 which you then type into the ibook airport thingy and keep on your keychain thingy.

When fixing this for friends, I usually bring a second laptop, as the config tends to go more smoothly when you've got 1 machine plugged into the router and one using wireless. And because macs just confuse me these days unless I can pull up a bsd shell and sudo.

doctorj

brooklynpotter wrote: like you can't do anything; changed password makes entire network go down

That's actually quite normal (I config'd a friend's just yesterday).

Be prepared to restart the router & computer a couple of times if things stop working, and log back on.

brooklynpotter

doctorj wrote: [quote=brooklynpotter]like you can't do anything; changed password makes entire network go down

That's actually quite normal (I config'd a friend's just yesterday).

Be prepared to restart the router & computer a couple of times if things stop working, and log back on.

yeah, i've done this ad nauseum

whyfi

Ah, I was thinking that you had to set the network password from the router configuration page, but I got confuse-ed. Do what he said. In Windows, there's a network configuration wizard - I'm sure that it's been copied from something similar by Apple...

doctorj

Subject: Re: need wireless HELP for my floor-thru apartment

brooklynpotter wrote:
since my office is in the back of the apartment, and moving all my routers and modems and hubs (and printer and scanner, et alia) to the middle of my apartment, in the hallway, isn't feasable, i'm stuck working back there.

I'm trying to get the picture here... but if there's a location in your apartment where you can stand and see pretty much the whole apartment, that's the place to put something. Not all your routers and hubs and paraphernalia, but instead something like one of these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Universal-Wireless-Reapter-802-11G-Repeater-AP311W-NEW_W0QQitemZ130067068538QQcmdZViewItem
A wireless repeater.

doctorj

BTW, are you using Verizon DSL? That makes things more complicated, as they require a network password with PPPOE instead of just dealing you an IP via DHCP.

You have up to 3 separate passwords/security layers to define
1) the network username and password with PPPOE (I don't need one but you might). This is a right pain to mess with and I can't understand why Verizon does this to its customers.
2) the admin password for the router
3) the key for whichever wireless security protocol you go with. WPA(2) is much stronger than WEP, but WEP is enough to deter anyone but a determined hacker.

What are you baking?

brooklynpotter

yes, verizon.

i will bake cinnamon bread and it's quite delicious.

caaahyoko

potter--I have a floor-through and a backyard as well, so I did some research on this before I set mine up. I got a Belkin pre-n router, and I enabled the WPA encription. If you google the pre-n, you'll get a good explanation of why its a much stronger signal. I get a perfect signal on my laptop anywhere inside and a 4 out of 5 bar signal in the backyard!

Good luck!!!

PS-I got the Belkin pre-n off of Amazon. Don't worry too much about getting the notebook card that goes along with it unless you want to up the speed. If you're just concerned about a strong signal, any wireless card will do just fine.

PPS-Strangely enough, the Belkin N is NOT better than the Pre-N. Go figure.

brooklynpotter

i'm on a mac with an airport card; will this work with that?

doctorj

brooklynpotter wrote: i'm on a mac with an airport card; will this work with that?

Yes.

Upgrading to a stronger router like the Belkin pre-n sounds good. Can't know for sure it'll work in your place until you try it. This is a nicer, simpler but pricier fix than a wireless repeater if it works.

theoryofpractice

brooklynpotter wrote: i'm on a mac with an airport card; will this work with that?

FWIW I have found that if you are using a mac, the Apple Airport Express is really easy to configure -- as compared to wireless from other manufacturers -- with the added bonus of being able to print wirelessly (not all printer models, mind) and stream music from your mac to a stereo (with the addition of a simple cable). Not bad for $99.

In addition, a few more bucks buys the new Airport Extreme, which has a USB port that will let you share a hard disk via your wireless network: hello backup!

caaahyoko

brooklynpotter wrote: i'm on a mac with an airport card; will this work with that?

Yep works great with mine. It detected the network right away, and all I had to do was enter my password.

caaahyoko

theoryofpractice wrote: [quote=brooklynpotter]i'm on a mac with an airport card; will this work with that?

FWIW I have found that if you are using a mac, the Apple Airport Express is really easy to configure -- as compared to wireless from other manufacturers -- with the added bonus of being able to print wirelessly (not all printer models, mind) and stream music from your mac to a stereo (with the addition of a simple cable). Not bad for $99.

In addition, a few more bucks buys the new Airport Extreme, which has a USB port that will let you share a hard disk via your wireless network: hello backup!

Airport express is pretty good--this was the first thing I researched. You can conceivably make a network with a strong signal by buying extra Airport Express modules. It just becomes pretty expensive--you have to buy the base station AND the airport express to get the same strength of the pre-n.

brooklynpotter

i was hoping to avoid buying a new router, esp. the airport extreme.

doctorj

brooklynpotter wrote: i was hoping to avoid buying a new router, esp. the airport extreme.

That's why I was thinking a cheap repeater from Ebay for around $20 might be worth a shot rather than splashing out on a $100 router. But only if you have a place you can stash it where it's likely to work but it won't get in your way.

I tend to choose by price rather than ease-of-use for an interface I only have to configure once. Wireless is wireless, so no particular reason to buy Apple gear to go with iBook.

If you ever want a drive on the network, you can buy a little ethernet<->USB box and attach to your old linksys router.

caaahyoko

Subject: Re: need wireless HELP for my floor-thru apartment

doctorj wrote:
I'm trying to get the picture here... but if there's a location in your apartment where you can stand and see pretty much the whole apartment, that's the place to put something. Not all your routers and hubs and paraphernalia, but instead something like one of these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Universal-Wireless-Reapter-802-11G-Repeater-AP311W-NEW_W0QQitemZ130067068538QQcmdZViewItem
A wireless repeater.

That's cool! I didn't know about those. I definitely would have gone that way if I hadn't needed to buy a whole new router.

brooklynpotter

i have a very strong feeling i'm on a 802.11b

doctorj

Maybe you could post the model number of your router? Should be printed on the front. And also whether your iBook is capable of G even though you're using B. It makes a difference how old the gear is and what features it has when deciding whether to replace or extend.

quijibo

that Belkin Pre-N Router is about the same or more expensive than the Airport Express router

caaahyoko

quijibo wrote: that Belkin Pre-N Router is about the same or more expensive than the Airport Express router

huh?? Slowly put down the crack you're smoking :P

I paid $83.99 for the Pre-N on Amazon.

The Airport Extreme (which you need before even getting an Express) is $129 and then the Express is another $99.

:P :P


Edit: Well, maybe you don't need the Extreme...Does it work as a stand alone wireless router or as an extension of any other brand wireless router?? Anyway its still more expensive.

quijibo

according to this cnet page: http://reviews.cnet.com/Belkin_Wireless_Pre_N_router/4014-3319_7-30993672.html?tag=bc
you can get the Belkin anywhere from $75 to $149

the airport express sells anywhere from $98 to $129
http://reviews.cnet.com/Apple_AirPort_Express_Base_Station/4014-3265_7-30910240.html?tag=bc

theoryofpractice

caaahyoko wrote: Edit: Well, maybe you don't need the Extreme...Does it work as a stand alone wireless router or as an extension of any other brand wireless router?? Anyway its still more expensive.

It works great as a stand-alone router. Don't know if it plays well with others, though -- I'm sure some über-geeks got it goin' on, but only with the expenditure of lots of hours of free time.

I've been setting up Apple wireless stations since the first one came out in '99. Always more expensive than others, sure, but I've also noticed that I can set one of those up in 30 minutes, whereas I might lose an entire afternoon with a Belkin.

caaahyoko

theoryofpractice wrote:
It works great as a stand-alone router. Don't know if it plays well with others, though -- I'm sure some über-geeks got it goin' on, but only with the expenditure of lots of hours of free time.

I've been setting up Apple wireless stations since the first one came out in '99. Always more expensive than others, sure, but I've also noticed that I can set one of those up in 30 minutes, whereas I might lose an entire afternoon with a Belkin.

That's interesting...I don't know why I was confused as to that point when I first read the apple website's description. I guess they really want you to buy the Airport Extreme base station as well. How much of a range do you get on it as a stand-alone?

caaahyoko

quijibo wrote: according to this cnet page: http://reviews.cnet.com/Belkin_Wireless_Pre_N_router/4014-3319_7-30993672.html?tag=bc
you can get the Belkin anywhere from $75 to $149

the airport express sells anywhere from $98 to $129
http://reviews.cnet.com/Apple_AirPort_Express_Base_Station/4014-3265_7-30910240.html?tag=bc

ok, I'll concede to "about the same price". But the range is--as far as I know--still better on the Pre-n. And if you get the pre-n card, its faster. :P

Don't mind me, I just like that pre-n so much.

theoryofpractice

caaahyoko wrote: That's interesting...I don't know why I was confused as to that point when I first read the apple website's description. I guess they really want you to buy the Airport Extreme base station as well. How much of a range do you get on it as a stand-alone?

The airport expresses are right now only b/g. The new extremes are now b/g/n.

When I lived in a brownstone floor-through, the range wasn't extraordinary -- the cable modem and express were in the front, next to an old fireplace, and in the back there was only a weak signal. I suppose repositioning would have helped, but before long I moved.