Wireless Repeater - and will this idea work?

[thailand492]

OK, here's the situation...

I've moved into a condo last month. Nice place, but there's no wifi internet already built in. The last place I was in I just paid 550 baht a month to use the wifi, and got a username and password along with all other residents.

In this place it's 800 baht a month, which personally I feel is a bit steep for internet. When adding on 300 baht a month for my 3G phone plan, I'd be paying 1100 a month just to connect online. As the average Thai earns like 15000 a month, they sure can't all be paying that for their internet, right?

So I did some research, and turns out I can use the TRUEWIFI signal from the 7/11 across the street (as my phone is also with TRUE, I already have a username/password for the TRUEWIFI). Tried this a few hours ago, and it does work. So potentially I'm only going to pay 300 baht a month for my 3G phone internet and unlimited wifi at home, which would be a pretty sweet deal.

However the problem is I'm only getting 1 bar of signal from the TRUEWIFI, and this is because I'm not standing outside the 7/11, I'm quite far away from it (when I stand outside with my phone I ge max signal). It does work, but well...kinda slowly. Did some research onlnie and came across 'wireless repeaters', that would help to boost signal to something more acceptable. So my questions are...

1) Do wireless repeaters actually boost signal or have I screwed up in my research somewhere?

2) If they do boost signal, and so are acceptable for what I want, how easy are they to set up? Do you just plug it in and it'll boost all WIFI signals it can find? Do you need access to the router? (if so this idea is dead in the water since I don't have any access to the router).

3) Where could I buy a wireless repeater? Will any decent sized computer store sell them or is this a specialist piece of kit that's going to require a trip to BKK (I'm in Samut Prakarn now).

Thanks in advance.

[RichCor]

In a similar situation I just used a USB WiFi dongle that had an external antenna and hung the dongle outside and connected it to a laptop with two long USB extension cables. Worked great for connecting to 3BB hotspot 10mb/s unlimited at ฿99 /mo. I used the laptop's internal WiFi with a version of Internet Connection Sharing and Access Point software to share it with other local devices.

Unfortunately a WiFi Repeater alone wouldn't work. The Hotspot only talks to the original MAC [*] address. The Repeater would just pass the other traffic along without modifying the originating MAC address the packets would be ignored/destroyed by the HotSpot gateway as the service only allows one MAC address per login.

a DD-WRT box might be configured to work... but I haven't seen it.

1. A WiFi repeater does not boost or amplify a signal, rather it receives a series of data packet then re-transmits them.

[*] Media Access Control address (MAC address) is a unique identifier assigned to network interfaces for communications on the physical network segment. Normally all active devices in a network have one or more unique/different MAC addresses depending on its function.

Edited May 31, 2014 by RichCor

[RichCor]

Here's a link to a potential DD-WRT [*] solution

dd-wrt.com :: Hotspot/Bridge/Client

[ * ] dd-wrt is open-source router firmware that can be used to replace the original firmware of certain routers to give them added features.

[FangFerang]

A repeater is a broadcast unit that carries signal. You mentioned only one bar. If you suspect signal strength is bottle necking your throughput, test it. Take your laptop to the wifi spot and see if having more bars increases connection speed (signal strength has a wonderful array of problems attached to it). If it does increase your speed, a repeater mounted in line of sight will work.

If it doesn't change your connection's upload/download rate...sorry to say, you're screwed.

[cryo]

If your phone is with True look at their tourist packages there is one for 69bt a week 370kb which I find OK for internet browsing and email and general downloading. It only costs 69bt to test which is what I did and it was more reliable than the condos own WiFi at 800bt a month.

Ken.

[CharlesHH]

Another option is somehow get that shop to allow you to attach a better antenna to their wifi. There are gain omni antennas that will boost the range, but many interference factors, like solid walls, can limit how much it helps. I would look for those antennas at MBK or Pantip Plaza, BKK.

Maybe a shop clerk can say ok if you promise the service will be better for the shop and just let you screw in the better antenna, which is most likely longer but not bigger in diameter than the original one. Added bonus to them is you are paying and installing the antenna free. I suspect if you go up the shop admin ladder, someone up there will say no or why. oops.

Very high gain yagi antennas will really push out a great signal, but in a narrow beamwidth, i.e., behind or beside the yagi will have less signal.

Also, maybe you can share a wifi with a different neighbor and halve the cost or more with 4 neighbors.... maybe even keep that in YOUR home.

[ikbenhet]

You could also use your phone in tethering mode.

Might be that the speed you get is enough.

[NeverSure]

A range extender will boost the strength of the signal as it repeats it. I have a Netgear WN2500RP Dual Band Wi-Fi Range Extender.

The reason for dual band is that I don't have to worry about whether the router is 2.4 or 5, and then there's the best of both worlds - stronger signal and longer range.

These extenders are often used to boost the signal in some corner of a house or business where the signal is weak, or even to go to another building in a campus setting which is a term that could be a business with more than one building.

This unit comes with no software disk meaning it's plug and play, and doesn't require you to log into it with our browser to set it up. It merely sees the signal, boosts and re-transmits it.

I paid US$70 for mine from Amazon US.

Good luck.

[ravip]

Why do advanced beings want to live like the average Thai who earns 15000 a month?

Disgusting, isn't it?

Edit: And the suggestions mentioned.... aaaagh

800.00 THB = 24.5279 USD

Edited June 3, 2014 by ravip

[ravip]

Repeaters needs to be located at the correct positions to do their job.

[NeverSure]

There is a difference between repeaters and range extenders although many don't know it. Google repeater or buy repeater and you'll most likely come up with range extenders. There are some "expert" writings that don't differentiate, too.

Repeaters are more complex and tend to be more expensive. They are best if you're going to be moving around, especially increasing your distance from them. That's because they acquire the same SSID as your existing network and keep it. They become part of your network with your network name. The extender never becomes part of your network and has its own name.

Range extenders have their own SSIDs and if you move far enough away from them they'll drop you and you'll have to reconnect and get a new SSID.

For use inside an apartment where you're always fairly close, a range extender is the best value.

Edited June 3, 2014 by NeverSure

[JDGRUEN]

Back in the states I used a wireless wifi signal repeater for a short period of time in a RV park... It logged into the primary router the same as a tablet, laptop or smartphone - using the router SID name and the password. It did a pretty good job - the signal was much stronger. It did lose the connection a bit too frequently but all in all it made using the WiFi there a lot better.

[NeverSure]

Back in the states I used a wireless wifi signal repeater for a short period of time in a RV park... It logged into the primary router the same as a tablet, laptop or smartphone - using the router SID name and the password. It did a pretty good job - the signal was much stronger. It did lose the connection a bit too frequently but all in all it made using the WiFi there a lot better.

Definitely it was a repeater if it logged in and therefore joined the network.

I don't know what to think of an RV park with all of the metal, microwaves and other interference. It would be interesting to see if it was more stable in a different environment.

My Netgear extender does none of that. Plug it in and it will grab any WiFi signal it sees, amplify it and re-broadcast it. What I see when I look for available networks is my router (network) to choose from. Then I log in, except most of my equipment is set to automatically log in so I really don't see it. I'm sure you had the repeater configured to auto login.

Good stuff.

[sandyf]

I bought a repeater so that my sister in law could access the internet from our house. Her house is about 40 yards away and it works very well. I bought a TP-Link WA801ND which if I remember right was about 1300 baht. It was quite easy to set up, you have to connect it to a computer to do the set up. We then put in on her verandah and all wifi devices in the house can pick it up.

You do not need to know the MAC address of the source access point as it appears on a list of available sources. Your main problem will be getting it in a place that will prove to be effective. It will certainly make an improvement as you can buy larger antenna to replace the standard 5db.

If your computer has a Wireless g adapter, it may be worth while getting a Wireless n dongle.

[sandyf]

Here's a link to a potential DD-WRT [*] solution

dd-wrt.com :: Hotspot/Bridge/Client

[ * ] dd-wrt is open-source router firmware that can be used to replace the original firmware of certain routers to give them added features.

I did that a while back on an old router to use instead of a wireless adapter. It is not an easy set up and the the slightest mistake will cost you the router. In my case the router would have been thrown away anyway.

[NeverSure]

I bought a repeater so that my sister in law could access the internet from our house. Her house is about 40 yards away and it works very well. I bought a TP-Link WA801ND which if I remember right was about 1300 baht. It was quite easy to set up, you have to connect it to a computer to do the set up. We then put in on her verandah and all wifi devices in the house can pick it up.

You do not need to know the MAC address of the source access point as it appears on a list of available sources. Your main problem will be getting it in a place that will prove to be effective. It will certainly make an improvement as you can buy larger antenna to replace the standard 5db.

If your computer has a Wireless g adapter, it may be worth while getting a Wireless n dongle.

"Appears on a list of available sources" 555

Well, rename your network "FBI Surveillance" or "Virus.exe" and you'll get rid of her. 555