Wireless problem with Desktop PC

[A Party Shop]

In the shop our wireless router is positioned under the freestanding till as it's needed to connect the two EPOS systems. It has to stay where it is.

The same wireless router also provides our Internet Connection.

The problem we have is the Desktop PC in the office. It must be 80ft away from the wireless router with a huge brick (used to be external) wall in between.

I appreciate that a wired connection may be better and safer but chasing the wire around the walls or ceiling would be a huge job.

The Desktop PC has a wireless card installed with a little screw-in aerial in the back of the base unit. It's always had a low connection but now there is no connection on the Desktop PC for large chunks of the day.

Next to the Desktop PC there is a BT Socket that is an extension for the line already with Broadband on it. So I can't simply set-up another broadband account with another provider.

Any thoughts on what I can do to impove the wireless connection, perhaps a better performing wireless card or usb device?

Or maybe someway to use the existing phone line?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[leemason]

You could get a wireless repeater and install it somewhere near the PC on the other wise of the wall (the same side as the wireless router and till). This will allow you to boost the signal and give a decent connection to the PC. You could try an external antenna on the PC but I've never had very much success with those.

 

[A Party Shop]

a little screw-in aerial in the back of the base unit

I guess this is the antenna you mention leemason ?

 

[MikeJ]

You could try one of those adaptors that routes network signals through your power lines.

Something like this...

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/tp-li...werline-adapter-starter-kit-16842033-pdt.html

but get a better price than PC World's.

 

[Silk Media]

Powerlines are excellent. My Netgear ones have been on pretty much constantly since 2008 and have never dropped my connection. Fantastic little things!

 

[Posilan]

I agree - if wifi is problematic, try powerline adaptors. They are an economical alternate.

Steve

 

[A Party Shop]

Thanks all!

Just ordered the Powerline Adaptors suggested by MikeJ

 

[Lucky7CompSolutions]

Another vote for power line plugs there great

 

[RemoteTechs]

Yeah I'd agree, for ease of use and installation you can't fault a decent power-line adaptor, we've installed a few where wifi would have given us a headache.
Repeaters etc can server their purpose, but there is a lot more work involved in getting one positioned and set up

 

[Paul_Rosser]

Another vote for power adaptors, you also get much better speeds than on wireless so are handy if you transfer data between machines on the same network.

 

[leemason]

I guess this is the antenna you mention leemason ?

That's the one! Not very effective generally.