Using Laptop Outdoors

[bishenbertie]

Hi everyone,

In this nice weather I have been inclined to use my laptop in my garden however it is so very slow (I can make a cuppa in the time it takes to send an email)  does anyone have any ideas on how I can strengthen my wifi signal to speed things up.

[ShaunJ]

The best solution I have found is a powerline range extender kit which takes an ethernet connection from the router at front of house and feeds it into the electricity system, with wireless output from the electricity socket in the garden shed down the back garden. I wasn't sure it would work because the garden power is on a separate circuit, but it works brilliantly. If you don't have power in the garden then you need to look at  a wireless relay to extend the range of your network

[Calverley Lad]

How is your laptop connected to the outside world?
Via a telephone line (modem/router) a wireless dongle or a cable service provider?
Could you also do a speedcheck both inside as well as in the garden.
(Most likely cause is - The further away from your modem the wireless signal is getting weaker)
 Brian
Oh speedcheck - http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest.html

[bishenbertie]

I am connected via landline with a modem in the study which is at the front of the house.  If I have the study window open and put my laptop nearby it does speed things up but I prefer to sit in the rear garden.

We do have outside electricity so I will investigate an extender.

Thank you both for your help.

[km1971]

You could also move the wireless router to a back bedroom and put it on the windows cill. It will use the internal telephone wiring so the strength at the router will drop a bit. But overall it will be better than connecting via a wifi signal that has passed through numerous walls.

If the signal in the study is acceptable you could leave it there while the nice weather lasts.

Ken

[Calverley Lad]

If you want to see if any of your improvements have any effect on your wireless signal there is a program available that allows you to see how the wireless signal varies with distance.
Enter inssider into your websearch, most 'geeks' have used this program to determine if problems with wireless signals are fixable. (user instructions available)
 Brian

[bishenbertie]

Thank you for the advice I will look into it.