Extending the length of a USB cable??

[england1965]

Hi,

The wireless connection to my wife's PC is a bit weak (poor thing). Her study is through a narrow doorway through two very thick brick walls.

I'd like to get the USB wireless aerial closer to the wireless router and I reckon I could almost get a line-of-sight set-up if the cable was 4ft longer.

Asssuming you can buy a USB extention cable - is it OK to do it?
Will it introduce problems? (latency/interference?)

Anyone else run a USB wireless thing on a USB extension cable without issues?

Cheers

Mark

[Mark D]

i did the same thing with my laptop from my camera, all the advice i ever got was that 4FT is the maximum you can go to without it losing signal / power.
After that you need to use a USB repeater, sometimes called a USB data extender or something.

Mark

[england1965]

Thanks Mark - just been checking prices online - they are so cheap I think I'll give it a go anyway.

Cheers

Mark

[BarryM]

would you not be better to just use a network cable mate and tuck along the skirting boards

[mogawowo]

I had a similar problem in my attic, However i was reffered to a internet article on making your own out of a empty tin can, I now have full strength conection what was once 1 bar is now 4 .... and i also pick up about 4 other wifi conections i never had, and it cost me like £2 lol,

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1643394,00.asp


It was also great fun to make, and the difference it made was incredible

[Ade]

I had a similar problem and yes it will work with an extn cable... However, I've been using the Netgear POWERLINE HD KIT to connect to my NAS which is out of range of my wifi signal and they work a treat :)

http://www.netgear.com/Products/PowerlineNetworking/PowerlineEthernetAdapters/HDXB101.aspx

They also do wifi repeaters as well which extends the wireless signal..

http://www.netgear.com/Products/PowerlineNetworking/PowerlineWirelessAccessPoints.aspx

Ade

[england1965]

Thanks Ade, that was going to be my fall-back position - but luckily I had a cable in the box of one of my many useless USB key devices ...it just got the widget thing round the corner and in line of sight of the router ...all working much better now

Thanks

Mark

[england1965]

would you not be better to just use a network cable mate and tuck along the skirting boards


Yes indeed ...but my wife ... oh enough said :laugh1::laugh1::laugh1:

[Wadey]

The USB standard allows for a maximum cable run of 3 metres for slow devices and 5 metres for full-speed devices.
That's quite a distance before you even have to think about boosting the signal.

Just get an extender from Maplins and away you go.