Wireless Network Issues

[Razorbacx]

Need some help! I relocated my wireless router, a Netgear N600, upstairs to provide my kids a better connection for gaming purposes (PC &. PS3). Since moving it to a more centralized location my home PC is now severally suffering. Internet is timing out and I'm only getting max speeds of 130 Mbs. Internet throughout the house as improved for all other devices, except for the home PC, which sits about thirty unobstructed feet away. I'm thinking that my wireless card may be the culprit and was wondering if adding a usb wireless adapter to replace the internal wireless adapter would do the trick or should I look to replace my existing wireless router with something more up to date?

I really need some help here as my frustration with this is ever growing. All suggestions welcomed.

Thank you in advance.

Razorbacx

[egloeckle]

If the antenna sticks out the back of the PC and doesnt have a cord to move it, get a different antenna / wifi card. If the rest of the PC is between the AP and the antenna the PC blocks the signal just like one would expect a largeish chunk of metal to do. Easy test, turn the computer and see if the signal is improved, if it is, there is your answer.

[Razorbacx]

The family PC is an HP All In One, so think BIG laptop with the wireless adapter built into the motherboard (no antenna). My PC sits on top of my desk in my office and is situated approximately 30 feet from the router. Furthermore, there is no door to my office, so it's not like my router was having to push a signal through a wall to my office.

I believe the problem is with my router. Had to hard boot it four times this evening and I think that it's just overworked with all the devices and possible Internet connections throughout my house. I'm looking at the Netgear N900, which boasts extended range and speeds up to 450 + 450. Hopeful that I can use my N600 as an extender/repeater down in the office should my problems be tied to my wireless adapter.

[Razorbacx]

Got a question for you wireless network experts out there. Can I use my Netgear N600 wireless router as a repeater? I picked up the Netgear N900, but am still having issues at my PC with the Internet cutting out on me. I believe that my wireless adapter is on it's death bed, so before I spend $40-50 on a USB wireless adapter I thought that I might be able to salvage my N600 and use it as a repeater right at my desktop using an Ethernet cable to connect to it. Thoughts and direction would be appreciated. Thanks!

[skier]

most likely, check the N600 for a configuration setting for Enable WDS Bridging, when you select that function it should then give you options for selecting the ssid to connect to, the Mac address for the N900 and credentials for the ssid of the n900. As far as I know the SSID's need to be different to distinguish them for consumer routers. it would be in the wireless settings section and the ip address of the routers also need to be different.

(I have one router velcro'd to the back of my living room tv connected to nothing but power, but neither router does DHCP, that is forwarded to my all in one server)

Hope this helps!

[Razorbacx]

Skier, thanks for the reply and yes the information that you have provided is very helpful. I hate to sound stupid, but do I need to shut down my N900 wireless router before connecting my N600 to my PC? Thanks!

[skier]

Skier, thanks for the reply and yes the information that you have provided is very helpful. I hate to sound stupid, but do I need to shut down my N900 wireless router before connecting my N600 to my PC? Thanks!

No problem, and you can keep both routers on all the time you are working on them, of course they will need various reboots and a hardline to the router is best way to set it up because you dont have to worry about dropping connection while working on it.

If your plan is to have the N600 hardwired to that PC all the time, it should work just like a wireless repeater in that its signal will overlap the other router which is where it now is getting its WAN or external Internet connection(as opposed to being hardwired directly to the ISP modem) and its LAN ports will work just the same, like a standard switch which happens to get its internet connection wirelessly

again just make sure they have different IP addresses & SSIDs and the N600 shouldn't do DHCP. you should also set an ip reservation for the N600 in the N900's config if they are on the same subnet (ie: 192.168.1.1 & 192.168.1.2) which I assume they are being the same family(so make the N900 192.168.1.1 and a DHCP reservation for the N600 to be 192.168.1.2, and set that ip within the N600 as its own LAN IP)

if one is x.x.1.1 and the other is x.x.0.1 then they should both be able to do DHCP and no reservations should be needed I don't think, the N600 will work off the SSID, credentials, and MAC address of the N900 when set as a WDS bridge