Hi,

I have just moved, and the walls are brick - not plasterboard. I now have an extremely weak Wi-Fi signal within the house.
My previous location was all ethernet, and no issues like weak wifi affected it.

Is there any way to increase the Wi-Fi signal strength on my 2850Vn?
If possible without buying aerials..

INFO
- We are using ADSL 2 from BT not Infinity.
- At this moment I cannot rewire ethernet for maybe 6 months.
- I've tried relocating the router, moving its aerials - but guesswork really - I'm not sure how to tweak for best output.
- I am aware that the router is not exactly in the best position - but even so - the previous owners left a BT Home hub 3 which is consistently giving -55 to -60 on INSSIDER.
- The issue is that if I replace it with the Draytek, it consistently gives -60 to -70 .. and occasionally seems to fip below -75...
- I am not sure if and how any of the Wifi (or even any settings on the 2850Vn) might be tweaked to help.
- My settings are using channel 6, mixed 11b-11g-11n, WPA2/PSK.
- Nearest devices are next doors router using Channel 1 and just about registers at -85 sometimes. The Wifi print server (that we hardly ever use) in the house uses Channel 11 and is -82.
- We are in a remote setting, and the only other house for half a mile is next door.
- I reset to factory settings and added configuration from scratch using Firmware 3.6.4_2471201 Build Date/Time : May 8 2013 09:20:21

I would really appreciate any good suggestions - thanks in advance (hopefully )

the only you can do is at Wireless LAN >> Advanced Setting change the Channel Bandwidth to 20 and try enable long preamble, msdu, tx burst IF will help, but that will only may make more stable the wifi really & not extend the range

You need other aerials really (but even with bigger aerial may not huge improvement) or a much better option an ap800 (ap900 it may be more expensive) to use it as wifi extender
You can use it with out the need of running cable if you set it at universal repeater mode
getting an AP i think is the best option because you can place it with out using cable at the other side of the house which has the weaker signal

babis3g wrote: the only you can do is at Wireless LAN >> Advanced Setting change the Channel Bandwidth to 20 and try enable long preamble, msdu, tx burst IF will help, but that will only may make more stable the wifi really & not extend the range

You need other aerials really (but even with bigger aerial may not huge improvement) or a much better option an ap800 (ap900 it may be more expensive) to use it as wifi extender
You can use it with out the need of running cable if you set it at universal repeater mode
getting an AP i think is the best option because you can place it with out using cable at the other side of the house which has the weaker signal

Thank you Babis3g. I really appreciate your experiences. Thanks.

I can do that. We have an AP800 but my experience is very limited.
Could you just answer a few questions to get me on the right road?

Proposals...
First, reset AP800 to factory settings and do a firmware update.
Set to Universal Repeater mode as you advise.

By connecting via Wi-Fi would be an excellent solution, as putting in Ethernet would be very problematic for 6 months !

Question: Won't it overload the 2850Vn Router's Wi-Fi/aerial? ..... There are 18 device connections here (..not all in use at the same time !!...) consisting of 6 computers and the rest Mobile Phones or iPads.

Question: As all the devices are 'strictly bound', once the AP800 is set to Universal Repeater mode, will the AP800 get its authorised devices automatically from the strict binding settings in the 2850Vn and authorise only those - without me doing anything on the AP800??

Question: We have an existing N65 which we can also put in the AP800 once I know everything is hunky dory. The instructions are lost.
Can you comment on how to configure the N65, so that (once again) the 2850Vn Router keeps a 'Strict Bind' on network devices?
...or....
... is attatching the N65 to the AP800 a bit pointless, because I would have imagined that using Universal Repeater mode in a wi-fi configuration would not get up to speed - compared to if the AP800 was connected to the 2850Vn by ethernet cable?? My thoughts were that everything might 'saturate' the 2850Vn's antennae ... (I did tell you my experience was limited ! ) :lol: :lol:

Thanks again

latest fimrware is here
http://www.draytek.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=2495&Itemid=482&lang=en#downloads
master reset, load firmware, master reset again

Question: Won't it overload the 2850Vn Router's Wi-Fi/aerial?

if you can not use ethernet cable then using wifi it should not overload the 2850 because (under normal conditions) the devices should lock to the nearer signal, example if the ap800 is by the garden and you are near there, it should change automatic from the wifi of the 2850 & lock to the ap800
But sometimes some devices will not do that and will lock only if the signal lost complete from the other wifi transmission
Some devices has a setting at their network card call it roaming so if the wifi signal get low will lock to the strongest more easy but i would not say to touch it
it just to explain how it works

How ever with wifi (ehternet is not problem) will loose 3/4 of the signal speed ... example if the wifi of the 2850 gives you 10mbps having a second AP it will give you 6-7 mbps ... if you connect an other one then it will give you 3-4 mbps

Question: As all the devices are 'strictly bound', once the AP800 is set to Universal Repeater mode, will the AP800 get its authorised devices automatically from the strict binding settings in the 2850Vn and authorise only those - without me doing anything on the AP800??

from my own experience as i am owner of the ap 800 ... if you disable DHCP at the ap800 ... LAN >> General Setup >> dhcp server configuration
what ever you have set at the 2850 (bind ip to mac) it should do & at the ap800 because it take dhcp from the 2850
i am not sure 100% per send but if its not working then at the ap800 just change the wifi keys so they will not have access (but then will not benefit from extending the signal)

How to set it here
http://www.draytek.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=2097&Itemid=297&lang=en
http://www.draytek.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=2777&Itemid=293&lang=en

you need at step paragraph "Setting Universal Repeater Mode on AP8002 TO USE THE SAME WPA 2 ETC AND SAME KEYS & channel as the wifi of the 2850

Question: We have an existing N65...

i don't know the n65 what is, but if is an other brand access point (AP) if is not wired connected it will have about half speed from the 2850 > ap800 > then about half from the ap800 to the n65
If you use it the process is similar but having an other one it may need enable DHCP on this if you connect it to the wifi of the 2850, instead of the ap800
if you connect it at the ap 800 the speed will lower much more
it also may overload the wifi of the 2850 in this case if is giving at 2 access points taking from the wifi of the 2850 at the same time but i am not that expert with 3 access points

babis3g wrote: latest fimrware is here
http://www.draytek.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=2495&Itemid=482&lang=en#downloads
master reset, load firmware, master reset again

Question: Won't it overload the 2850Vn Router's Wi-Fi/aerial?

Question: As all the devices are 'strictly bound', once the AP800 is set to Universal Repeater mode, will the AP800 get its authorised devices automatically from the strict binding settings in the 2850Vn and authorise only those - without me doing anything on the AP800??

Question: We have an existing N65...


Thank you so much.
The information on the AP800's DHCP and the reduction of speeds with an Access Point using wifi was particularly interesting and helpful.
I can see clearly why my aim should be to put in ethernet if I am to keep speeds up at a more distant part of the house.

So, before I go and actually get stuck in, could you finally just confirm a couple of points - ...

- Will you confirm that using the Universal Repeater Mode is the most appropriate way for me to extend the Wifi - without the use of Ethernet cable?
- Previously my little knowledge thought that I should select 'AP Mode'. Is it because AP Mode only works if you use ethernet between router and AP800?

Regards

babis3g: The N65 is a USB WiFi adapter from DrayTek that you can plug into an AP800 to give it dual-band wireless. In my experience, however, my 2860Vn-plus 2.4GHz signal goes further than the 5GHz signal.

allat39: One thing worth considering is the positioning of the antennae. My wireless signal was poor, until I angled the antennae in the correct position for my house. Now it's acceptable (though still not great). Also, consider using HomePlugs, which transmit Ethernet data across the power cables in your house. They're not as good as real Ethernet, but they're slightly better than WiFi.