Wifi Signal Through Wall?

[gospelmidi]

BeKure, if your house is over 50 years old, and the walls are plaster instead of sheet rock, you have metal mesh as a lattice for the plaster. The metal mesh creates a Faraday cage, which blocks or significantly impairs wireless signals. The metal mesh is probably not in the ceiling, which uses a different kind of backing for the plaster. Your best bet is to buy a signal extender or booster. Another way is to run a wire from the computer, either one, across or inside the ceiling to a wireless router in the room above/below the other computer. That keeps the Faraday cage from blocking the signal, allowing an unimpaired signal directly between floors, without crossing any walls.

In the unlikely event that the ceiling also has metal mesh under the plaster, you have your choice of running an ethernet wired connection between the main router and the upstairs computer, or buying the high-powered signal "ac" type equipment that is the next thing up from an "n" router.

I sympathize with your plight. Unfortunately, sneakernet just won''t cut it for the Internet. I ended up running a waterproof 75-foot ethernet cable under the house and then outside and around to a place where the signal from the secondary computer's wireless adapter was strong. That may sound as bad as running a line through the ceiling, but it wasn't. I pried off the baseboard molding and drilled a 3/8" hole, then ran the cable through the hole, sealed the hole with some kind of goop, and nailed the molding back in place. Everything else was either hidden below the house or around the house outside. The only hassle is occasionally having to physically unplug and plug back in the router outside the house - just cycling the power remotely doesn't reset it.

 

[BeK]

BeKure, if your house is over 50 years old, and the walls are plaster instead of sheet rock, you have metal mesh as a lattice for the plaster. The metal mesh creates a Faraday cage, which blocks or significantly impairs wireless signals. The metal mesh is probably not in the ceiling, which uses a different kind of backing for the plaster. Your best bet is to buy a signal extender or booster. Another way is to run a wire from the computer, either one, across or inside the ceiling to a wireless router in the room above/below the other computer. That keeps the Faraday cage from blocking the signal, allowing an unimpaired signal directly between floors, without crossing any walls.

In the unlikely event that the ceiling also has metal mesh under the plaster, you have your choice of running an ethernet wired connection between the main router and the upstairs computer, or buying the high-powered signal "ac" type equipment that is the next thing up from an "n" router.

I sympathize with your plight. Unfortunately, sneakernet just won''t cut it for the Internet. I ended up running a waterproof 75-foot ethernet cable under the house and then outside and around to a place where the signal from the secondary computer's wireless adapter was strong. That may sound as bad as running a line through the ceiling, but it wasn't. I pried off the baseboard molding and drilled a 3/8" hole, then ran the cable through the hole, sealed the hole with some kind of goop, and nailed the molding back in place. Everything else was either hidden below the house or around the house outside. The only hassle is occasionally having to physically unplug and plug back in the router outside the house - just cycling the power remotely doesn't reset it.

Thank you for your detailed response. My condo is actually only 15 years old.
I have sense purchased a wireless signal repeater and that has helped.
Thanks for you input though as it was greatly appreciated.