Right, atm a friends only internet connection is via connecting to their neighbours wireless (yes they know about this - it's WEP Encrypted), however they are on the very VERY edge of the signal (ie only certain parts of certain rooms get signal, and even then theres massive packet loss and it's flaky as sh*t. Her brother has just got a PS3, and that barely connects to the internet, and the two laptops have a fair bit of trouble too - the only way i can think of solving this is to install a Wireless repeater, however i have no clue which to pick.

So, my questions:
Find me a good wireless repeater please - under £50 would be nice.

Where do i mount it? The signal is flaky inside the house, so i suppose it would need to be mounted outside - can you get cheap weatherproof ones?

Would i be better to buy the Linkssy WRT router thingy and flash it and then use that as an Extender?

Networks just ain't my strong point

30 sec search http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module ... m1&C=SO&U=strat15

Anything wrong with the wired network ?

They are using laptops and moving around the house, wireless is much easier.

I have no idea if i've got this wrong - but does a repeater just pick up the signal and amplify it, or does it have to plug in via CAT5?

To be perfectly honest with you i'll need to do a google to find out what a repeater is , i'm not up with all this modern stuff, but if you need a CAT5 booster http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module ... m1&C=SO&U=strat15

(And remember anything from Maplins can be found at half the price elsewhere)

I dont need a CAT5 booster - i just wondered if they had to be plugged in via Cat5, or whether they picked up the wireless signal and amplified it.

Quote from Jakg :

I dont need a CAT5 booster - i just wondered if they had to be plugged in via Cat5, or whether they picked up the wireless signal and amplified it.

Sorry Jak, curse of the old "skim reading" there....

Busy googling at mo, will edit post if i find anything....

Aha!

I just read the manual of a Linksys one and it seems all it needs is power. So thats that sorted. Now all i need is recommendations, heres the shortlist so far...

Belkin Wireless G Universal Range Extender/Access Point
Linksys WRE54G Wireless Range Expander 802.11g
DLink DWL-G710 54Mbps Wireless Range Extender

The other choice is to get this...

Linksys WRT54GL 54Mbps Open Source Wireless Cable Router

It can be used as a Repeater, but i feel it's a bit "much"

EDIT - And would something like this be worth installing on a new repeater/router?

Getting way outta my depth here, but i've just been reading this http://www.mavromatic.com/archives/000451 blog from a guy that has used an antenna.

Plus elsewhere another "how to guide" recommends you use a router/repeater combo, as they apparently are vendor specific. Apparently you might run into problems if you mix and match different companies products.

They used to be vendor specific, then they needed a WDS router and now most of them just dont care.

Forget about the antenna, get a bucket instead http://trinityhome.org/Home/bl ... ront_id=15&blog_id=60

Why can't they get their own internet (not trying to be mean)? I can only think of splitting the monthly ISP cost between the two households.

Also, I would recommend trying the jerry rigging options (iron bucket, tinfoil etc.) as they usually work and are practically free.

They live in an area that time forgot, where no broadband company will give them a line and the only option is either satellite or Dial-Up. Their neighbours have said that they can use the wireless connection if they want, and so they do.

Seriously, she's in a huge valley so none of the local ISP's will do her (a company round her does WiFi broadband from church masts...!), the big ISP's have completely forgotten about where she lives...

What about (and I might be completely off the mark here) the wall plug wireless adaptors?

One end plugs in at the host house, the other end plugs in at the neighbours, flooding their house with lovely wifi goodness.

Pair of them for under £60, so about the same as a decent router anyway.
This was my first Google find - http://www.broadbandcarrier.net/wallplug.htm

Seem to have a range of about 200m, but since the signal gets nearly to them anyway, that should be more than far enough. And near-LAN speed connection too.

Ooooh. No idea how they work, though. How can i be sure the houses are on the same "circuit"?

Well that's a mystery to me too. I've only heard of them, never used one

They (or you) could always email the company and ask. I mean no 2 houses should be connected directly, but they all have to share a main supply line, so from a common sense perspective there's no reason it's not technically possible.
Whether or not they'll support it outside of your own property is anyone's guess.

I wonder if they bump it along on the electromagnetic waves around the cabling...

I'm just wondering as surely there would have to be a limit, as otherwise i could plug it in and pick up signals from down the road, next towm etc.

Yup. But then look at the size of the electricity transmitters they use to get stuff along those cables normally - I don't think a plug-sized adaptor could do the same thing

If it DOES use electromagnetic waves to transmit, it will pick up extra interference the further it goes.

I recommend you ask them though, I have no idea what I'm on about

The wall plug thingies...
There's a chance that several houses, or half a street are on the same phase (fed from the local substation from 1 of 3 phases). These devices transmit high frequency signals down them, I've also seen something similar for sending video signals around a house.
The tricky part is finding out if the neighbour is on the same phase. I wonder if they come with encryption/password?

I haven't read this whole post, but I did read the beginning and I can say that we were having troubles at the far reaches of our home with our Linksys router, but these solved the problem.

http://www.amazon.com/Linksys- ... ctors-HGA7T/dp/B0002F3G7M

Dunno how well this works, but this might also be a solution.

http://www.amazon.com/Linksys- ... nder-WRE54G/dp/B00021XIJW

Aha, the truth comes out about how Jack got a girlfriend. She lives in the middle of nowhere, with no guys around, so she fell for the first one she contacted on the intertubes.

It all makes sense now.