08-26-2012 08:29 AM
Hi, I recently bought a Cisco RE1000 wireless repeater to boost the wireless signal to my garage office. Since then the signal has been intermittent, fluctuating between strong and weak signals, sometimes dropping off completely. Today I finally uplugged it, and the signal strength seems the same, even steadier, though that could be just the way the wind is blowing today.
How do I know if I'm picking up the wireless or repeater signal? As far as I can tell it's not helping at all, or even making it worse. Could it be interfering with my basic signal? How do I know which signal I'm getting?
08-26-2012 08:49 AM
Hi Scottt, the RE1000 is a Cisco Home product. Here is a link to their forums;
http://homecommunity.cisco.com/linksys/?category.id=linksys
Here are a couple of thoughts that should apply in general to all products.
Uusually how a repeater works, as you know it will extend the range of your wireless LAN. When you repeat a signal, you will lose 50% strength per repeat. When you are wireless associated to your primary wireless connection (connection A) and you move a distance from this while the repeater (connection B) is active, at some point the connection A should drop the connection and the connection B should be your connection.
This transition happens based off signal strength. It is possible that your garage connection may be in kind of a void zone, meaning your signal isn't quite weak enough to fall off the connection A and transition to the connection B as desired.
You may test that theory by walking outside the garage and see if you "suddenly" get better connection after a few moments or if you disconnect off the wireless network and reconnection.
Another physical test you may do to see if the repeater works at all.... turn off the repeater. Walk around outside until you can no longer see the connection A. At this point, turn on the repeater and does that connection come back? But keep in mind, if the repeater is in the garage, test in front of the garage. It wouldn't make sense to go in to the backyards woods where the repeater wouldn't work!
-Tom
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