Computer Wise Guys

How do I split a Wi Fi external antenna to feed two PC’s?

I would like to feed antenna directly into a router or splitter and use the router to connect to 2 or more PC’s. Wi Fi signal is to low inside house to be recieved without an external antenna but I can only connect the antenna to one PC. I want to feed two PC’s from the same external antenna.

Have you heard of the Pringles Potato Can Wi Fi amplifier?
If you put a Pringles Can with both ends open up against your Wi Fi antenna then it will amplify the signal and increase your range.

Normally a Wi Fi antenna is omni-directional and sends an equal signal to any location within range. However buildings and any metal structure can block a signal. You can get more powerful antenna (which would help your problem), but the cheap way to do it has always been using the narrow, foil lined Pringles can to extend the range. Of course you extend the range at the cost of a field of operation. When you extend your range this way you narrow the field that can reach it. You can buy a simple motor and remote control to move the Pringles can around or you can set up two Pringles cans to do the work for you. Of course it isn’t going to be as easy unless the directions you want to send the signal are more than ninety-degrees apart.

Another way to handle the problem is to use a wire and a remote antenna. Simply get an extra Wi Fi antenna (Radio Shack may be able to help you with this) and run a wire between your external Wi Fi antenna and run it to your new external antenna. The place the extra Wi Fi antenna near to where you need a to receive it; for two satellite locations you would need to do this twice. You could also buy a cheap router and utilize those antennas.

Another way to handle this problem would be to run wires around your house. You can run them on the floor at the baseboards or you can run them at the joint between the ceiling and the wall, then repaint. If you use these wires then you will increase your range. However, you may have a problem with radio reception. If unshielded wire is run for a distance then it creates a antenna capable of intercepting radio waves, that could interfere with your Wi Fi signal. Then again the two signals are at separate wavelengths so you will need to experiment. If you buy speaker wire then you won’t have that problem. You can run the speaker wire near where you want the other computer to be and then run a length of unshielded wire (telephone wire is very useful to do this) so your remote computer can pick up the signal.

Of course I am assuming that you don’t want to run a standard network wire along the floor where you can trip over it.

Then again you could search for a signal splitter online. But you have to get one that is compatible with your router. Ninety percent of what you will find is only useful for splitting a television or stereo signal. Here is an example of one such system for less than $33.00: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?dest=9999999997&product_id=2585675&sourceid=1500000000000002029420
This one is more expensive: http://www.nextag.com/Hawking-HSB2-WIFI-2-71278228/prices-html

Then again your wireless router has several wired access ports. If you connect a second router to one of these ports (make sure to have the incoming wire connect to the WAN (Wide Area Network) then that second router would act just like the first wireless router. They would be both broadcasting the same signals so they shouldn’t interfere with each other.

A final solution would be to run your router to a point away from your PC, a centralized area where all your satellite computers can pick up the wireless signal. That’s what my sister does in here two story house. Her husband has set up her PC in the middle of the house and then uses wireless connections for his own PC and the notebooks that they use down stairs.

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