Any wireless network gurus out there? Need help!

[WrongWay 0]

Okay, so I have my hub in my living room, maybe just over 50 feet from the door to my basement, and my box is just off the side of the stairs in the basment. It's worked just fine for quite some time, and then a couple weeks ago, the signal just started getting really weak. As of a week ago, all connection to the outside world is lost. It's finding the connection (with a "Very low" signal strength, but it's finding it), but I can't do a damn thing with it.

Any advice on why this may have happened, and what I can do to fix it? I've tried everything I can think of.

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[labrys 0]

Maybe someone installed another wireless network nearby that's interferring. Can you channel surf to see if another channel gives you a better signal?

Owned by Remi #?

[Spizzzarko 0]

Move your router to the highest point in the house Remember it's a radio, and it works with line of sight). Also move it away from large metal objects, and appliences. Appliences tend to make a lot of electrical noise. If you move your computer closer to the router do you get better reception?

[wildblue 7]

Stupid question, but have you unplugged it and plugged it back in? Unless it has a power button on it. Boot the PC too (if you haven't) I have 802.11b, and someone around here has a 2.4ghz phone - when it gets used enough, my wireless network just flat out dies. The devices show signal, but won't actually participate on the network.

Other than that, 50 feet should be easy unless someone else just setup a network that's interfering (make sure you're actually on yours) or the government is trying to keep you off the net. Plug the router in next to your PC and see if you can ping it.

it's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality

[Acensky 0]

I was having almost the same problem, I just reset mine and moved some stuff that was next to it ( empty beer bottles) and it woks just fine now.



Heather

Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

[Amazon 7]

Make sure the wireless hub is not right next to the Cable modem/router.. Mine was kind of wonky when I had them nice and organized right next to each other. I spread them out about 5 ft and no more problem.

[hookitt 1]

Quit piling your laundry on top of the router.

Uninstall the wireless NIC from device manager then scan for harware changes.

Check the driver properties and download the latest driver for the NIC.

Unplug the router and plug it back in.

Update the router firmware

Change the channel.

Do you have another computer or another NIC you can try?

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[lummy 4]

get some reynolds aluminum foil (a 200 sq ft box should be enough) now create a half dome with a circumferunce (sp) of 22 inches, making sure to put 4 to 5 layers. Take one wire hangers hanger and untwist it. Now shape into a combination U and V shape ( extended out on the base and final but flat on the cross wind). the crosswind section should be 6" across and the base and final should be equal lengths from the remainder. Carefully punch on end of the hanger through the half dome 3 inches from the center. thread the hanger thru and punch another hole 180 degrees from the first and also 3 inches from center.
Take the dome/hanger to a point no futher than 2 ft from the wireless router. Place the dome on top of your head firmly. With one hand grab one of the antenna's of the router. Have a friend monitor the radio strength using the builtin tools on a laptop computer running Windows XP SP2. Adjust position of legs and arms to obtain maximum radio strength.

Works every time

I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. eat sushi, get smoochieTTK#1

[daniel_owen_uk 0]

Hardly a need to build an antenna if it was working before.

What has changed in your house since it was working?

You got any new cordless telephones ran extra wiring etc?

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[WrongWay 0]

I've done everything everyone has mentioned here with the exception of switching channels. Maybe there's a 2.5 ghz phone laying around somewhere that I don't know about. I'll have to check that.

Any other bright ideas?

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[kelpdiver 2]

Quote

I've done everything everyone has mentioned here with the exception of switching channels. Maybe there's a 2.5 ghz phone laying around somewhere that I don't know about. I'll have to check that.

Any other bright ideas?

Switching channels has been a routine event for me in high density apartments where I can usually see 6 or 7 other access points at a time.

What brand is the router? With many of the linksys models you can install third party firmware that among other things lets you boost the signal strength, giving you a bit more range.

[WrongWay 0]

Another stupid question....I switch channels through the router's setup, right? I mean, there's nothing to change on the actual box?

The problem I'm having of unusable signals is pretty much just on my box, though the other box (which is on the same floor as the router, but one room closer) is having a much slower connection.

So once again, any bright ideas?

Oh, and yes, it's all Linksys. Any idea where to get this third party firmware?

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[ypelchat 0]

Quote

Okay, so I have my hub in my living room, maybe just over 50 feet from the door to my basement, and my box is just off the side of the stairs in the basment. It's worked just fine for quite some time, and then a couple weeks ago, the signal just started getting really weak. As of a week ago, all connection to the outside world is lost. It's finding the connection (with a "Very low" signal strength, but it's finding it), but I can't do a damn thing with it.

Any advice on why this may have happened, and what I can do to fix it? I've tried everything I can think of.

I had problems with my wireless network until i parted with my Panasonic 2.4ghz wireless phone. I bought a 5.8ghz phone instead, and it was OK. If you still have weak signal, do a search on ebay, and buy yourself a higher gain antenna. I have a Linksys wireless system, and there's a lot of aftermarket antennas for Linksys wireless systems to be found on ebay.

Yves.

[Travman 6]

Have you recently added any plants or anything else containing large amounts of water to the area around the access point? Water is the biggest killer for wireless signals. Microwaves will also kill the signals.
In Australia the best channels to minimize interferance are 1, 6 and 11. Not sure about other countries.
It may be that your access point is faulty...

[mdrejhon 8]

Borrow another router to test. I know some of them have a history of defects where it suddenly became "weak" for no reason (no interference, just a plain defect).

Quote

I've done everything everyone has mentioned here with the exception of switching channels. Maybe there's a 2.5 ghz phone laying around somewhere that I don't know about. I'll have to check that.

Any other bright ideas?

[kelpdiver 2]

linksysinfo.org has pointers to a dozen or more different firmware projects, mostly aimed at the WRT54G line. I'm using Satori, but many have the power boost option. By default it transmits at 28mw, you can increase that to 84 or even higher on some, but likely with little gain over 60-80. I believe this represents a 3-4db gain. Not quite as good as the 6db high gain antennas being sold for ridiculous prices.

A defect certainly is possible. The other is that you have someone using your line and stealing a lot of bandwidth. Check the client list under status for unknown computers.

Yes, you change channels within Wireless Setup. Try 1 or 11 instead of 6 and see if it helps.

[WrongWay 0]

AHA!!!

I figured out what the problem was!! I had setup a small two box network so I could have one box for whatever and one box strictly for video/photo editing and share files between the two. When I disable that connection, the internet connection works like a charm!!

Only problem now is, how to have both connections coexisting and working properly.

Any new ideas?

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[daniel_owen_uk 0]

Yeah, you are talking about creating two "ad-hoc" connections in your network, thats wrong. If more than two devices exist you need to set the devices to use "infrastructure" mode.

So basically your network was set to connect between the two pc's but not connect to the wireless router.

If you make sure both pc's are set in the same ip range ie 10.0.0.X or 192.168.0.X (where x is 1-256). Then is should be ok. Either that or set them to automatically get an IP from the DHCP server (usually provided as part of the router box).

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[bobsled92 0]

YOU GOT ME HOWLING!

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[WrongWay 0]

Quote

If you make sure both pc's are set in the same ip range ie 10.0.0.X or 192.168.0.X (where x is 1-256). Then is should be ok. Either that or set them to automatically get an IP from the DHCP server (usually provided as part of the router box).

All that makes sense. I made sure they were in the same range when setting up the little connection, but using DHCP through the router is a good idea, I haven't tried that. Thanks!

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[daniel_owen_uk 0]

DHCP is mainly for when you have other pc's joining the network frequently, but it does assure you have all the pc's on your network in the same IP group.

Just be careful if you are gonna forward any ports (eg for p2p software), as the IP you forward to might not always be the ip of your pc.

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[aftermid 0]

Are you using WEP encryption or any other means of security? Are both machines WINXP machines, make sure the other one isn't setup to share it's internet connection, for routing services, or that its running any abitrary network services. Here's a great free wireless tool http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads/ great for surveying wireless networks.