Calling Wi Fi Guru's - Advice?

[steambender]

like TW said, 802.11 Wi-Fi runs at the same frequency as your home microwave. The earliest versions are designed to co-exist with it, as most microwaves pulse at 60Hz, half cycle, so 50% of the time they're off, and the network would use those intervals.

I don't know if 802.11g, etc sticks to that, or maybe new, stronger microwaves changed to full wave...I've also never compared the legal leakage levels allowed for microwaves to the typical minimum required wi-fi receive levels, I should, it might be interesting to know how much interference to expect.

As far as propagation, absorption and shielding...Wi-Fi wants to go in a straight line...it'll bounce off metal if you need to make a bank shot, but unobstructed line of sight is what you want, and never get. That's why antennas work better high up, just as already suggested - better line of sight.

...Wi-fi wavelengths are about 4", so they'll sneak through gaps in metal that are bigger than an inch or so. they'll get blocked by metal ducts, foil backed insulation or low e glass windows (often have a transparent metallic coating to reduce solar load). they should go around small pipes and wires. They get absorbed by concrete, ceramic tile, wood and drywall. they fade with distance faster than lower frequencies, all in all, pretty tender stuff.

my linksys wireless access point has two antennas on swivels. It uses diversity reception techniques by exploiting the fact that two independent paths will experience different scattering as they bounce around the house, and so one of the two should arrive in better shape...it's very effective for time varying impairments like people walking around. yes, your body. a big conductive sponge to Wi-Fi.

Sometimes it helps to make sure that the two linksys antennas are pointed at right angles (one vertical, one horizontal, or both at 45 degrees). signal path scattering is also polarization dependent, and the little rabbit ears are polarized linearly with their orientation. that diversity trick, again.

if the access point is at the end of the house in the basement(?) and the access point antennas are removable, for a few bucks you could try a directional antenna aimed at the rest of the house...why waste signal in a direction you're not using?

whatever you do, don't forget your tinfoil hat. double ply is best!

[steambender]

I also heard a neat trick for getting networking and audio wiring installed in an existing house...central vacuum installers are expert at cheaply installing 1 1/4 (?) inch hoses in your walls, which are then dandy for snaking wires through...

[tw]

Originally Posted by Kitsune

Our new, overpowered, microwave eats the WiFi, here, completely. I need to change the channel on the router in the hopes that it might give it a bit more robustness, but I think we're out of luck for the most part.

Changing channels will not help. For all those Wifi channels, in reality, they overlap. Basically is only three separate channels - both ends and the center channel 6. They are all 2.4 Ghz. They share the same frequencies with many cordless phones, and other electronics - which also answers classicman's post.

Even XM working in lower 1.x Ghz frequencies can suffer interference if the antenna is located within 5 feet of the oven.

802.11a uses a different frequency from most other appliances (except some cordless phones). 802.11n should be more robust making interference less problematic. Netgear Rangemax was recommended previously due to its greater number of antenna configurations. Three more possibilities.

However in most every house, running an ethernet wire to another location is made so easy (but laborious) using things like the open space that goes from basement to attic alongside the chimney, those open back electrical boxes sold in Lowes and Home Depot, and, well, its amazing the number of tricks that alarm, telephone, vacuum, cable, intercom, and electric installers all have. Any can run provide holes for wires quickly. Running wires through walls is easy which is why I think poorly even of running exposes wires inside closets - another solution that makes running wires even easier. Difficult part is figuring where the drill bit will come out the other side. Thrill is when the drill bit emerges.

And then we have this miracle compound - spackle.

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by tw

Basically is only three separate channels - both ends and the center channel 6.

Ah, that sucks. I thought we'd had better luck on another channel, but it was really more due to the previous underpowered oven.

Running wires isn't an option for us in an apartment, so we're simply going to have to continue to time the reheating of dinner to not interrupt cellar posts/network gaming/etc, etc.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by tw

Changing channels will not help. For all those Wifi channels, in reality, they overlap. Basically is only three separate channels - both ends and the center channel 6. They are all 2.4 Ghz. They share the same frequencies with many cordless phones, and other electronics - which also answers classicman's post.

Please answer it again - My parents are looking to get new phones.

Originally Posted by tw

And then we have this miracle compound - spackle.

LOL - spackle is your friend

[steambender]

Classicman...

microwave ovens operate at 2.54 GHz, same as Wi-Fi and some home cordless phones. There are other choices of frequencies for cordless phones, I saw some 5.8 GHz ones at Costco last week. They are far enough away in frequency that they shouldn't be interfered with by the microwave. There are also the old standby 900 MHz phones, which came out before the 2.54 GHz ones.

Each time a new frequency band is made available, and the chip companies make cheap silicon to support, people are conned into the new "better" frequencies. But all the sexy features don't matter if you get stepped on by another transmitter, deliberate or not.

[zippyt]

Running attic wires is easy - especially if the house has a chimeny. That chimeny means a hole exists all the way to the basement.

BUT fire codes have a stand off distance from chimneys,fire walls( fire proof walls to contain a fire) as do heating and cooling ducts.

what I was talking about was running wires thru closets that lign up from floor to floor ,
or if'n your feeling Gungy you can run said wires in side interior walls ,generally no insulation , but some time there are cross braces ( )
Or if all else fails you could run some pipe on the out side wall , this is a LAST resort as it costs more ( pipe , fittings , paint , sealer , etc,,, )

[classicman]

So the microwave is operating at the 2.54 GHz - no doubt there? The problem is obviously on when the microwave is on. Therefore, if they buy a 5.8 GHz phone there will be no issue?

[Clodfobble]

Fry's has one online. It's advertised as for old people though.

with large easy to read buttons, a large red flashing call indicator, Caller ID, and an extra loud ringer, this phone is great for those loved ones that are hard of hearing.

[glatt]

Old people, eh?

It is analog, which is what our current one is. The thing just works.

[aimeecc]

We had to move the wireless router and cordless phone base from the bedroom office to the 1st floor exercise room (which is directly below the bedroom office). We can now get both signals from anywhere in the house. Not sure why, but it worked. I think the cordless is 900 MHz, and I bought it maybe 3 years ago.