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[wstarron]

Good Day All:

I've got a bit of a unique setup and was wondering if anyone had some ideas to improve connectivity.  I love my DIR-655 unit, and it works great for all my other networking needs.  However, I have an older series 2 TiVo unit that I want connected to my network.  I bought the wireless-g antenna from TiVo (the unit was plugged in directly for a long time).  The antenna and router are about 40 feet apart; the router is downstairs and the Tivo antenna is upstairs, so the signal is going through one floor and one wall in a ~40 year old house.  According to the TiVo unit, I get anywhere between 25 and 41% signal; as a result when I'm transferring programs from the TiVo to my PC it often drops the signal and I lose the transfer.

Is there any way to boost the signal from the router, or buy a USB extension cable and locate the TiVo antenna closer to the router?  I appreciate the help!

Wayne

[Mackerel]

There are some do-it-yourself directional antenna sets on the web. And the Pringles can directional antenna. Those should help without shelling out the big bucks. In older houses there could be a lot of things in the wall, and if the angle is big enough you will lose quite some signal going through walls/ceilings...

There is also a "windsurfer" directional antenna (here), which can help you out on Wireless G...

If you move the antenna closer by extending the cable, you are still going to lose signal over the cable itself...

[wstarron]

Hey Mckerel:

Thanks for the tips!  Question: will the signal loss in the longer cable be offset by moving the adapter closer to the source?  I'm thinking of at most, 10-12 feet of extra cable.  I'd say that, currently, the angle from the router to the adapter is about 40 degrees.  Extending the cable might change the angle to 45 degrees, but the adapter will be closer.

[smack]

Wayne,

I have the same setup as you do. The router is in the basement and the TiVo adapter is in my bedroom on the second floor. We have a 55 year old house. My connection problems were solved by the addition of the D-Link antenna here: http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-ANT24-0230-Xtreme-2-4GHZ-Antenna/dp/B000MAXYHY

This antenna has gotten mixed reviews, so make sure you can return it. It allowed me to raise the antenna a bit higher than I could with the router itself (I actually installed it in the drop ceiling in the basement) which did the trick for me. The signal gain was not dramatic, but enough to keep the signal from dropping.

Hope this helps.

[wstarron]

Thanks for the lead, smack!  I've read the reviews and it seems like it is worth a shot.  Right now my router sits on my wife's computer desk, about 2' from the monitor.  I'm hoping if I put the antenna at the top of the cabinet it can broadcast a stronger signal for my TiVo G-adapter to receive.  The antenna will still be about 60' away and there will still be a wall or two to contend with, but I'll let you know what happens.  At this point if I can get the TiVo to say I've got better than 41% signal strength I should be OK.

Wayne