Maximum distance of wireless?

[szlamany]

What is the max distance that a wireless connection can cover?

I've got an office with DSL several hundred feet from my house - just trying to save some money.

[dglienna]

depends on the interference. I had my laptop picking up a signal from about a block away, when I started walking up and down the block. The router was in the front of the apt, and I got signal in the alley behind the building.
May be easier just to drop a cable.

[NoteMe]

There was an article on it in a Norwegian new paper a year ago or two. Where they where driving on the high way with a lap top, and managed to log onto 15 diffrent companies servers, using WLAN...

Just as a note. The signal will be slower the furuther away you are from the other signal. That doesn't happen in a cable...


ØØ

[Ideas Man]

A lot of factors control the distance. As dglienna said, interference is a big one (walls, current carrying wires etc.) all help to reduce the distance, the power of the transmitter affects the distance i.e. is it at full power, has it been intentionally reduced, is it not very powerful? etc. Whether a booster is in use etc.

If you want to increase the range, you could always purchase a booster and connect it to the network and ensure the transmitter is operating at full capacity.

[NoteMe]

Can't you use access points as relays (SP?) too?

[Ideas Man]

Can't you use access points as relays (SP?) too?

Yes, I think you can. Haven't tested though.

[szlamany]

My office is a second story building - with a large peeked roof - with windows in the peek.

My house is several hundred feet away - not sure of the exact distance.

I think if I sat on the roof of my house I could probably see that peeked roof of the office. There is a shopping district between us.

So, I was curious if a wireless connection was possible over a distance of several hundred feet - maybe even about 1000 feet?

[dglienna]

the shopping district could be a problem, otoh, you could offer them wireless service, and put a booster there...

[Ideas Man]

Ooo yeah, that could be a problem. Especially because shopping centers = large amounts of electricity which don't go too well with wireless range.

[szlamany]

Ok, ok - I give up.

I'm going to have to pay for DSL at home just like at the office.

I really don't want to expose the office server to the potential of home use and all the garbage that comes with that.

[Ideas Man]

The other problem introduced with increasing the range is the increased potential for hackers to get in.