Thinking of replacing my broadband LAN router which feeds 4 PC's all over the house. Cables all have to come up for decorating anyway so a good opportunity to go wireless. Any idea of the range of wireless LAN routers? I have 2 machines which are roughly a good 20-25 metres apart at a guess (in a straight line that is, the cable is a long longer) at opposite ends of the house and on different floors. WOuld wireless networking support a machine that distance from the base station?

As well as the distance will also depend upon the characteristics of the house walls - if they have a lot of metal in them (The Towers has metal central heating ducts in the walls) that will reduce the range.

Seems a fair way but I'd expect it to work, but possibly at a lower speed.

Any wireless experts out there?

Joe

What will you be doing over the network? If it's just web browsing or simple audio streaming you should be ok.

Like Joe says, it all depends on the structure of your house. My router is in the loft and gives a good signal all around the house and garden, but mine is only for occasional web browsing use.

I was thinking of setting up a PC downstairs to show some streamed video content but would put some CAT5e into the walls when I decorate.

most products state 100m, but as Joe said it's heavily dependant on the environment.

Older houses with proper internal walls cause the range to fall quite quickly.

I think mine manages about 20 m to the living room, which is through a floor and 2 walls.

The newer (pre standard) n kit is supposed to have far greater range, and so should work further even in sub optimal conditions.

If you're decorating, it's also a good opportunity to permanently put those CAT5's in. It doesn't take long to chase out a channel to put a couple in to each room. That way you can be reasonably confident of having enough bandwidth available in each room for present and future needs.
Of course, wireless may well be more appealing for it's ease of installation

:P

We have wireless in our house and the range is ok. The router is on the ground floor with my PC in the attic room and it works fine.

As for the range though you'd better watch out as they can be too good, i can see 2 other wireless networks when i do a scan from within my own home ( and one's not even encrypted ).

Originally posted by AaronD
As for the range though you'd better watch out as they can be too good, i can see 2 other wireless networks when i do a scan from within my own home ( and one's not even encrypted ).

You should drive round the John Hibbert estate in Woodhouse - there are about a dozen unencrypted! Some even put their surname and house number as the SSID so you can get the best signal by parking right outside!

I set up my wireless laptop yesterday and had a quick scan round for any networks i can use. One girl several floors above me (her address was on her CV) has everything on there all uncrypted, all her music, photo's, my documents etc are all easilly viewable. When I get a few moments i'll pop up and tell her to protect it.

Take a bottle of wine too :D

Don't think I will, I've seen her pics ;) plus my g/f wouldn't be too pleased.

you have answered a lot of my questions but if i wantedvto go online with a x-box three storeys up could i do it

maybe, depends on your house.

I got a pre n router since my previous comment 3.5 years ago and the range is better.
It's goes from the cellar head to the attic with no problem, and that's with a normal g receiver, having an n receiver would increase the range again.