February 20th 2010, Our House, Derby
Like most homes we have an internet connection, and just like those homes we use the magic of wifi to connect our 2 laptops, PS3, PSP, printer, 2 DS's, WII and iPhone to our old but trusty Belkin Router.
But, although wireless is handy and makes connecting things very easy, it isn't perfect. The wireless signal can be easily blocked by things like walls. It can be affected by your neighbours own wireless network as well as cordless phones and microwaves. Speeds can be poor and coverage none existent.
Wireless Coverage
A Router has to be plugged into the telephone Socket to give an internet connection. For us that Socket is in the living room at the very front of the house.
Its position, though neatly hidden behind a chair, isn't brilliant from the point of view of wireless coverage. Routers broadcast their signal out in a circle which means half of our signal is going outside the house and across the street.
As our coverage is more biased to the front of the house (and the cars parked outside) than the back, it starts to tail off when it gets to the conservatory. Being right at the back of the house, as far away as possible from the Router, it has especially poor coverage and sometimes none at all. Its large internal metal frame probably doesn't help either.
To improve the coverage here we have a Belkin Range Extender. But, in a mirror of the living room, its right at the back of the house so half its signal goes out into the garden.
Halved the Speed
The Range extender is connected to the Router wirelessly. Though this has improved the coverage its halved our maximum wireless speed because of something called "Backhaul". When the Router transmits information it also sends it to the Extender. Whilst waiting for a reply the Router also has to wait for the Range Extender to send it and see if it gets a reply.
In short everything is transmitted twice, it takes twice as long therefore our maximum wireless speed is halved. Adding another Range Extender would mean everything is sent three times so the speed is reduced to a one third and so on.
One at a time
Turns out that wireless networks can only transmit one thing at a time. Each device has to take it in turns to talk, just like when you use a walkie talkie. The more there are the more queuing you will get. Admittedly this isn't something that's likely to be noticeable but it does make sense to reduce the number of wireless devices in use if possible.