# Will using USB extension cables effect wireless speed?



## legends84 (Dec 2, 2011)

hello guys.. need opinion

I have a question, I just bought a wireless usb which is TP-LINK TL-WN821N 300mbps for my dad pc. 

the main problem is I only got fair connection strength for his PC as his pc was in the bedroom downstairs and the wireless modem (TP LINK TD-W8960N 300mbps MODEM ROUTER ADSL2+ WIRELESS N) mounted upstairs (a lil far from his bedroom) of my house, and this make the line become slow for his PC. 

Is it possible for me to get full connection strength if I connect the wireless to the USB extension cables (5-10meters from his PC) so that the wireless USB is a little nearer to the Modem?  

Thanks.


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## Iceni (Dec 7, 2011)

LOL then what's the point in having a Wireless card if your going to tether it?

You may as well just run a cat5e all the way to the router and have done.



If you actually want the wireless to work properly there are a few things you could try.

Firstly try find out why your signal is so bad. Could be you have thick floors, or you have weak ariels. 

Secondly get some software to let you see what other traffic is going on in your area. There is a lot of software out there that will let you see all the routers in your local area, And more importantly they will tell you what channel and how much power those routers are throwing out.

If you change your channel to one that has less traffic you may get better results.

Also if you have the signal power up to 100% try reduce it to about 50% and see if that improves the connection. You get less noise, and more distance at lower power output. 

Finally your question about USB extenders. It's a digital cable and as such you should not see a significant drop in performance for using one. But those cables are only supposed to be 4-5 meters at maximum length, and more than that and they simply fail in a lot of tasks, Probably due to increased resistance more than anything.

the only way around this is to use a powered USB hub at every cable junction.

http://www.usb.org/about/faq/ans5



> Q1: How long of a cable can I use to connect my device?
> A1: In practice, the USB specification limits the length of a cable between full speed devices to 5 meters (a little under 16 feet 5 inches). For a low speed device the limit is 3 meters (9 feet 10 inches).
> 
> Q2: Why can't I use a cable longer than 3 or 5m?
> ...


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## Athlon2K15 (Dec 7, 2011)

Iceni said:


> Secondly get some software to let you see what other traffic is going on in your area. There is a lot of software out there that will let you see all the routers in your local area, And more importantly they will tell you what channel and how much power those routers are throwing out.



can you throw out some names of this software id like to try this as well


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## BazookaJoe (Dec 7, 2011)

OK down to REAL ANSWERS : 

1.) There is no problem using a USB extension cable on your Wireless USB dongle - it can often help a lot just to tweak the dongle's position, AND get some distance between it and the actual PC Case which is usually responsible for the most of the signal loss anyway. As long ans its a NORMAL, every day USB extension , and not some crazy long custom thing, or a mess of multiple extensions chained together it will be FINE - Perfectly Fine.

2.) The only real way to analyze WiFi properly is to move around a lot taking readings - Best bet is if you have an Android phone, or a friend with an Android phone get a tool like "*Wifi Analyzer*" https://market.android.com/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer - Its *free* on the market and you can actually walk around with the phone sweeping about for Good or Bad spots for signal - and it will graph channel separation nicely too.

There is also software for the PC that does this - one I can think of is "*InSSIDer*" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inssider - Does a similar thing - scans for all networks, signal strength, and channel separation. You can use it on a laptop / netbook  to walk around doing a signal strength survey - or just run it on your PC and watch the graph as you wave your USB wireless dongle around on the end of the USB extension cord looking for a "Sweet Spot" but really - scanning with a phone is a lot easier 



I'm SURE there also iApps for this - But I don't use iProducts, so I cant name  any - I'm sure Google can solve this problem for you.


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## digibucc (Dec 7, 2011)

AthlonX2 said:


> can you throw out some names of this software id like to try this as well



wireless netview, solar winds(expensive), passmark wirelessmon


> WirelessNetView is a small utility that runs in the background, and monitor the activity of wireless networks around you. For each detected network, it displays the following information: SSID, Last* Signal Quality*, Average Signal Quality, Detection Counter, Authentication Algorithm, Cipher Algorithm, MAC Address, RSSI, Channel Frequency, *Channel Number*, and more.



i didn't read his post, but i know there are apps to view this. i use my android, but ahve come across some good ones before.


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## 95Viper (Dec 8, 2011)

Iceni said:


> LOL then what's the point in having a Wireless card if your going to tether it?



I do this, myself, so that I can move it to a desirable location (to get a better signal).
I can move it around and place at different heights and locations.  
Something like this:


Spoiler














Iceni said:


> You may as well just run a cat5e all the way to the router and have done.



Maybe, it is a pain in the butt to go through the walls (you know... pipes, electrical, framing, etc.)
Possibly, they may have the newer fire proof wall partitions, which, are an absolute horror to work on.



Iceni said:


> If you change your channel to one that has less traffic you may get better results.



Yes, this is a good idea... I have moved to ch.11 in my place to reduce interference from other sources.
You need to try different frequencies and test.



Iceni said:


> Also if you have the signal power up to 100% try reduce it to about 50% and see if that improves the connection. You get less noise, and more distance at lower power output.



The is not the best advice, IMO, you need the power output from both ends to overcome the inherent background noise or improve the S/N ratio (signal strength relative to background noise).  The quality of the receiver amp(s) S/N ratios in the equipment are a big factor; but, are dependent on the engineered design and not really tweak-able by a layperson.


@OP>
USB cable extender is fine, as long as, it is in specs.  It won't hurt to try.

You might wanna try antenna mods/designs for better/selective signal reception.
Directional or hi-gain antennas for wi-fi.
wi-fi antenna mods

You can try a high output wireless extender.  Radio labs carries some really high powered devices (extenders. amps, etc.).  Ex.: High power Wireless Access Point RL 3022 Deluxe Extreme Range - 600mW Output!

There are a lot of options out there... Let your fingers do the walking.

Just my opinions and not meaning to diss anyone.


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## Beertintedgoggles (Dec 8, 2011)

All this so far is good information, also you could look into buying some higher gain antennas as 95Viper mentioned.  Going by the manufacturer's website http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TD-W8960N#spec it looks like you can replace the original antennas (look for ones that are reverse SMA).  Just remember to get one for both antennas, a stronger "send" signal is of no use if the router still can't see the "receive" signal from the computer.


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## legends84 (Dec 8, 2011)

nice info...


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