crazy wireless signal

This is the place to discuss the latest computer hardware issues and technology. Please keep the discussion ON TOPIC!
Post Reply
User avatar
Pesto
Legit Fanatic
Legit Fanatic
Posts: 176
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2005 5:19 am
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

crazy wireless signal

Post by Pesto »

I was getting my in-laws all setup in their new house now that they moved to TX and they wanted a desktop upstairs and a laptop in the office downstairs (they have two offices..) and the router (because of Cox) has to be downstairs in that office.

now with this setup the laptop works fine on this router, which is a D-Link speedbooster G (i dont remember the exact model but i can figure it out later) and they got a D-Link Speedbooster N wireless card in the PC... the PC isn't that far from the router, i would say one floor up and at MAX 30 feet away..

I get low connectivity with the PC and it only connects at 38mbps and if i take my laptop upstairs it connects at 54. Any suggestions on how to bump the signal strength on that card?

i was thinking of getting an access point for them but if my laptop works fine then its gotta be that card in the PC...
- Pesto
Nein

Re: crazy wireless signal

Post by Nein »

Pesto wrote:I was getting my in-laws all setup in their new house now that they moved to TX and they wanted a desktop upstairs and a laptop in the office downstairs (they have two offices..) and the router (because of Cox) has to be downstairs in that office.

now with this setup the laptop works fine on this router, which is a D-Link speedbooster G (i dont remember the exact model but i can figure it out later) and they got a D-Link Speedbooster N wireless card in the PC... the PC isn't that far from the router, i would say one floor up and at MAX 30 feet away..

I get low connectivity with the PC and it only connects at 38mbps and if i take my laptop upstairs it connects at 54. Any suggestions on how to bump the signal strength on that card?

i was thinking of getting an access point for them but if my laptop works fine then its gotta be that card in the PC...
Re-orient your router antennas, most wireless routers by default use the antennas in vertical-polarization positions, spreading rf-field coverage horizontally (think of a vertical pole with a horizontal donut-shape rf-field).

You want to tilt the router antennas more for horizontal-polarization, spreading rf-field coverage more vertically up and down.
User avatar
Pesto
Legit Fanatic
Legit Fanatic
Posts: 176
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2005 5:19 am
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Post by Pesto »

i'll give that a shot tonight when i get home from work...
- Pesto
User avatar
Pesto
Legit Fanatic
Legit Fanatic
Posts: 176
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2005 5:19 am
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Post by Pesto »

well fudging around the antenna's helped, but it still flickers up and down..

soo... i took a bunch of aluminum foil and made a smooth dish like shape and placed it behind the router antenna. I aimed it towards where i think the other computer is and now 100% connection at all times!!

quick easy cheap fix :)
- Pesto
Nein

Post by Nein »

Pesto wrote:well fudging around the antenna's helped, but it still flickers up and down..

soo... i took a bunch of aluminum foil and made a smooth dish like shape and placed it behind the router antenna. I aimed it towards where i think the other computer is and now 100% connection at all times!!

quick easy cheap fix :)
:) Outstanding..!!! Most people lack the common sense in using an RF reflector as you did.
User avatar
Pesto
Legit Fanatic
Legit Fanatic
Posts: 176
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2005 5:19 am
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Post by Pesto »

i figured it was worth a shot considering an AP is $80.. hehe..
- Pesto
Mad_Goku
Legit Extremist
Legit Extremist
Posts: 307
Joined: Mon May 02, 2005 11:11 am
Location: StL

Post by Mad_Goku »

Pesto wrote:well fudging around the antenna's helped, but it still flickers up and down..

soo... i took a bunch of aluminum foil and made a smooth dish like shape and placed it behind the router antenna. I aimed it towards where i think the other computer is and now 100% connection at all times!!

quick easy cheap fix :)
WOW, I gotta admit, nice quick thinking there. I would just bought an AP but that works too.

I was going to say to make sure the antenna for the wireless card is installed.
Intel i7 2600k @ 4.8ghz
Asus P8P67 PRO
ATI 5870
8 GB G-Skill Ripjaw X 1600 @ 7-8-7-24
120gb G-Skill Sniper SSD


Image
User avatar
DX
Legit Extremist
Legit Extremist
Posts: 469
Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2007 3:40 pm

Post by DX »

Be sure to put a tinfoil hat on too =)
But seriously tinfoil and cardboard can make a great HD antenna too. Tinfoil isn't just for cooking.
User avatar
Pesto
Legit Fanatic
Legit Fanatic
Posts: 176
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2005 5:19 am
Location: Austin, TX
Contact:

Post by Pesto »

Well, my ghetto antenna was working great but it was hard to keep in its place... so i started digging in google, and this is what i found!

http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/te ... index.html

i made one last night and im going slip it on the router tomorrow, but it looks much better and this one attaches to the antenna.

I also found a site where someone made a cantenna that shot an 11mbps connection around 10 miles out!

http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448

this might be fun to play with.. hehe..
- Pesto
Mad_Goku
Legit Extremist
Legit Extremist
Posts: 307
Joined: Mon May 02, 2005 11:11 am
Location: StL

Post by Mad_Goku »

NOW THAT'S EXTREME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Intel i7 2600k @ 4.8ghz
Asus P8P67 PRO
ATI 5870
8 GB G-Skill Ripjaw X 1600 @ 7-8-7-24
120gb G-Skill Sniper SSD


Image
Post Reply