Wifi repeater

[antony]

Late to this thread, but here's my two cents.

If you want a good WiFi coverage, the best way is to get more Base Stations. I personally do not recommend getting WiFi repeaters, in fact, I recommend you upgrade your current AirPort Extreme (saucer) to one of those new AirPort Extreme Base Station (802.11n) or Time Capsules (802.11n), or at very least AirPort Express Base Station (802.11n).

Next, you might need multiple Base Stations. All of those needs to have the same wireless network ID, so when you travel from one base station to next, you can remain connected. To achieve this, there are two ways. The first one is connected via ethernet cable known as Roaming Network. The second one is connecting each base stations wirelessly, known as WDS.

Also, I strongly against using ethernet over power outlet (or ethernet over power line), the main reason being is doing so, you are intentionally ruining the sinusoid wave form of your electricity.

Well, that was my two cents, not a cheap option I know.

(As for me personally, I have 3 AirPort Extreme Base Stations, and 1 Time Capsule Bast Station, all 802.11n, and Roaming across the house.)

[hingyfan]

I like that last suggestion. But I'm still pretty sure i will need some sort of repeater in the basement near where the house sort of splits in two. Can the old saucer be used as a standalone wireless repeater?

[antony]

Exactly which AirPort Base Station do you have? Besides the "saucer" nickname, there are five models in that shape, they are:

AirPort Base Station (Graphite) 1999, 802.11b

AirPort Base Station (Dual Ethernet) 2001, 802.11b

AirPort Extreme Base Station (no modem) 2003, 802.11b/g

AirPort Extreme Base Station (Modem) 2004, 802.11b/g

AirPort Extreme Base Station (Power over Ethernet (UL 2043)) 2004, 802.11b/g

To best of my knowledge, the later three (Extreme 802.11g) can support roaming or WDS networking. (I personally don't like the term repeater in this situation as it is a bit confusing.)

Between roaming (ethernet cable between each base station) and WDS (wireless between each base station), you get much faster performance for roaming set up of course. The WiFi performance is unfortunately degraded under WDS setting.

If your "saucers" are of the 802.11b models, forget about it, it is too slow.

For the performance's sack and long term consideration, I would suggest you getting a few new AirPort Extreme Base Stations (with 802.11n) and hook them up with long Cat.6 ethernet cables, i.e. roaming network.