[sakuragi]

hi,

i m planning to buy an airport express for my powerbook (with airport extreme inbuild) so that i can surf the net and download stuff while i m in my bedroom.

if i buy the airport, it must be placed in my study room (where the broadband connection is). The study room is right nextdoor to my bedroom, separated by an approximately 40 cm (16 inch) brick wall.

Here is the question: will the signal still be strong enough to be received by my powerbook in my bedroom so that i can still enjoy the 54Mbp speed? or will the signal even reach my bedroom after being blocked by the thick wall?


One more question: is the airport express able to connect to another broadband router?

[Franz Josef]

Airport Express easily passes through normal internal walls but I'm not so sure about a 16" brick wall - I suspect it won't. Airport Extreme will pass through your wall (though it's a more expensive option) if you set it on full power.

If the wall is reinforced (ie steel / iron internal supports) then you may struggle even with Extreme.

FJ

[Mr.Fusion]

My roommate and I use an Airport Express in our apartment, and it definitely doesn't work through the internal brick firewall into our old place. Our neighbors next door can access the network, however, because we both have windows on the front side of the building (that's our theory, anyway). So it may work in your place.

[EmC]

I would have to recomend a third party solution. My aunt was having trouble accessing her wireless connection in some parts of her house because it was just too big. We ended up getting a linksys wireless router and the add on antenna.

I am pretty sure that you can not use another router with the express because the only port on it will not pull double duty as a WAN and LAN at the same time.

In this case you may be better off with a non-apple solution.

[ast3r3x]

Seems to me you need a big drill bit and a drill

16" brick wall will kill the signal...I am almost sure of it. Bricks kill signal, metal garage doors kill signal, and depleted uranium kills the signal.

[ironlung]

In my opinion and experience it wont kill the signal, it might 'reroute' it if the wall has steel rods inside. Signals never get killed. This brings me back to tunneling (quantum mechanics). I live in a fraternity with pretty thick brick walls and I get a good signal even if the router is placed 2 floors up.

[sakuragi]

thanks for the above advices

But wat about a 15cm (6 inch) brick wall (and no steel rods, just pure bricks?

and i want to make it clear on my router question: the situation is that i want to connect the airport express to a broadband router via ethernet cable in one of the 4 ports ( 2 other ports are connected to my PCs). So will the airport express be able to share internet wireless to my powerbook?

[sakuragi]

hi again,

i was the person who wrote the thread "The strength of the signal from airport express". I m writing here to correct that the actual wall thickness in my house is about 15cm (6 inch), and there is no steel bar in the wall, just pure brick!

So will the signal still be strong enough to be received by my powerbook in my bedroom so that i can still enjoy the 54Mbp speed? or will the signal even reach my bedroom after being blocked by the thick wall?"

{if i buy the airport, it must be placed in my study room (where the broadband connection is). The study room is right nextdoor to my bedroom, separated by the 15 cm (6 inch) brick wall.}

[Franz Josef]

http://forums.applenova.com/showthread.php?t=5508

There is no certainty in these things sakuragi but I suspect a 6" wall is much more likely to work with Express - it depends too on how much electrical interference there is - microwaves, fridges etc.

Express should have no difficulty connecting to the router (depends on the router) - http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/specs.html

[Brad]

Threads merged.

sakuragi: if you want to add to an existing thread, scroll down and click the "Post Reply" button or use the Quick Reply box instead of creating another separate thread.