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I have an XBox in my living room and my wireless router is in another room. I can't lay a line so I use the XBox with WiFi. Problem is I drop my connection semi-frequently (very annoying when watching NetFlix or playing an online game.)

I'm not sure what causes the issue but I'm wondering if a WiFi amplifier would help, so my questions:

  1. Is a WiFi amplifier a fair bet solution? Do they work?
  2. What's a good, affordable one?
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1  
It could be something as simple as the channel you're using. Try changing that, first. – Michael Todd Jul 25 '10 at 2:55
@Michael: Thanks, but I did try that already. Still no success. – Nick Gotch Jul 25 '10 at 15:31
there are 3 channels that are far enough from each other to work together: 1, 6 and 11. find one that the least people use (including numbers that are close to that channel). It might not extend the range, but it will lessen the number of error packages in the net. – naugtur Aug 16 '10 at 7:43

5 Answers

up vote 6 down vote accepted

Have you looked into PowerLine networking? Assuming your router and XBox are on the same mains circuit in your house, then that should be able to get a wired connection between your rooms without having to mess about laying new wiring. It's also generally better bandwidth and latency than a wireless solution (though not quite up with proper wired ethernet kit).

lots of companies do it these days, a quick Amazon listing for Powerline networking kit has a whole list of them.

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Used this solution recently myself they work really well and setup is very simple. – Cookey Jul 27 '10 at 15:05
up vote 6 down vote

Most of the WiFi AP manufacturers also sell repeaters. Plug one into an outlet halfway between your AP and your XBox, and, voila!

See this. Yes, to answer a comment, config is required to tell it which SSID to repeat.

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Do these repeaters require configuration? Or can I just take one, plug it in, and have it work? I really could use a stronger wireless connection in my room. – Thomas Owens Jul 25 '10 at 22:45
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Note that, while this works and should give you sufficient performance for most tasks, you are introducing some extra latency into your network. This could be an issue particularly for gaming. – GalacticCowboy Jul 26 '10 at 13:51
up vote 1 down vote

I have the ASUS WL-330GE. It can do several things, one of it is repeating/amplifying a wireless signal. It works very good for me, although I do not use it as a simple repeater. I am sharing WLAN with my neighbour and I use the router to make my own WLAN cell, using the WLAN coming from my neighbour. All without cabling, all wireless. Works great.

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up vote 1 down vote

I recommend reading some about DIY methods and antennas.

If You already have the connection, but it's too weak I bet this will help:

http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/template2/index.html

Just print it out on a thicker paper, cut&fold and stick some tin-foil to it. Costs nothing and works!

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In fact my wifi router has quite a range, so I didn't test windsurfer yet, but I'm planning to use it to reach the park from a 4floor apartment. Now I can connect from the ground level, but not from 100meters away from the building. – naugtur Aug 16 '10 at 14:05
up vote 1 down vote

Or, if you don't want to spend a lot of money, you can try using an aluminium foil or building your own cantenna.

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