[NTLUG:Discuss] Wireless Home Network

[Steve Baker]

Lance Simmons wrote:

> I'm confused on one point:  the Linux HOWTO's say that you have to be
> able to SEE the antenna, while the manufacturers' websites show a single
> router casting a nice rosy wireless glow over a whole house.  Does
> wireless go through walls?  Because if it doesn't, there's not much
> point in going ahead with this.

Well, neither is literally true.

I have an unusual house - it has steel reinforced concrete exterior
walls clad with brick.  I put the LinkSys box near my DSL modem in
one corner of the house (upstairs) and I get good connection rates
throughout the house.  However, outside, the reception is terrible
(all that rebar in the walls makes a dandy Faraday cage).  If I move
the wireless router over to a window, you can get reception in my
back yard - so long as I have a reasonable line of sight to that window.

So reception isn't *literally* line of sight because the radio waves
don't really 'see' wood and sheet-rock.  They must be attenuated
a *bit* though - so you might find reduced bandwidth in some locations.

However, brick and concrete (especially steel reinforced concrete)
most definitely does dramatically reduce signal strength.

What I think those Linux HOWTO's are saying is that you won't get good
reception if there is a hill in the way - or a large concrete structure.

You may get the odd flooky blindspot in your house - but generally, a
little rearrangement of the position of the wireless router should
solve that.

It's a lot like cellphone reception actually.

---------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------
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