Wifi Router Hardware questions

[TheForce]

Help me understand some basics on the WIFI router wiring configurations.


1. Some routers have one antenna and some have two. If I wanted to add a power booster such as the Hawking HSB2, can it work effectively using just one antenna connection? Or, do I need to buy two of them and install one on each antenna of the router that has two antennas such as the Linksys WRT54G?

2. Can I put two wifi routers on a single Cable modem as long as I use a different channel? Would the best war to wire them be through a small switch? I have a 4x1 switch.

 

[harshness]

How about you tell us how much area you need to cover and we make recommendations? You're jumping in somewhere in the middle and you may have already cut yourself off at the knees.

Note: some access points have three antennas. The number isn't necessarily important.

Note 2: You probably don't want more than one router, but you may need additional "access points".

Note 3: Most consumer grade wireless routers cannot be outfitted with outboard antennae.

 

[diogen]

Consumer level routers with two antennas and one radio, e.g. WRT54G, use only one antenna at a time.
The antenna is picked based on signal strength.

Hard wiring a channel is not a good idea.

Diogen.

 

[TheForce]

I have a wrt54G now. It has two antennas.

I have one of the antenna jacks connected to a Hawking HSB2 power booster and it doesn't seem to help.

I have a Hawking Range extender located about 30 feet from the router. It is marginal in being effective. I'm trying to get good connection through the house walls to outside and into the back yard. also to that garage which is about 25 feet away from the router. Most areas I'm trying to reach I'm getting one bar of signal and sometimes it drops out.

Another possibility would be to relocate the router more central in the house. This would not be easy though.

 

[diogen]

$50 WiFi boosters increase both, signal and noise, no "intelligence".
You can achieve the same by installing DD-WRT/Alchemy firmware on the router and boost the voltage.
Also, pay attention what cable you use to connect the booster.

Look into a DIY antenna, this for example
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantenna"]Cantenna - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Coke-cantenna-SV1ML-0a.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Coke-cantenna-SV1ML-0a.jpg/220px-Coke-cantenna-SV1ML-0a.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/9/9e/Coke-cantenna-SV1ML-0a.jpg/220px-Coke-cantenna-SV1ML-0a.jpg[/ame]
It can work for miles...

Diogen.