RoShamBo

iTrader: (1)

I have just bought a Netgear Wireless router (108Mbps RangeMax ADSL)
It came with a USB Network Adaptor.

Set up the router fine on our main home PC - Internet works fine.

Set up my laptop with the USB Adaptor and it works, but loses signal very easily (even if the laptop is in the same room as the router. Says "signal strength low" when I hover the mouse over the wireless icon in the tray. And thats with the laptop right next to the router.
If I move the laptop into another room the signal is lost altogether.

Plan was to use my laptop in my study (only about 10m as crow flies, through 3 walls) and no way will it do this.

I got the "Range Max) as it says it has better coverage and adapts to interference like microwaves, mobile phones etc.

Any ideas whats wrong ?

I also planned to get X-Box 360 Live going but thats in another room and no way will it do the job.

Northern Nick

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like there is something wrong with either the usb reciever or the hub?

Mine will work 20m's through walls just and an excellent signal locally (upto 5m's)

I use a Linksys hub and standard IBM reciever.

Send it back in my opinion.

Alan C

Bit of a long shot, but try moving the channel.. say 4-5 channels away from where you are now. You may just have a noisy channel.

Also, make sure your neighbours aren't running anything silly like garage door openers or other RF kit that could interfere... they could have Wireless too.. right on your channel....

RoadrunnerV2

Based on experience, the original RangeMax (108Mbps) appears to be very sensitive to interference. I have seen RangeMax deliver excellent results, be it outdoors. But unfortunately most of the time within indoor environments; I have seen it deliver poor/average results.

The above does not refer to RangeMax 240 or RangeMax NEXT.

RoShamBo

iTrader: (1)

Thinking about it, I have a wireless CCTV system set up with 4 cameras and next door has an electric door opener. All this could be blocking the signal? I might be resigned to going wired.

Sorry for the daft question - but how do I change channels ? Do you mean unplug the cable that goes from the router to the main PC (thats in slot 4) and move it to another slot (1,2 or 3?)

mike1210

it would be in the wireless settings tab in the router......err i think

the cables are to do with wired, on the netgear they are identical in operation....unless one is broken

RoShamBo

iTrader: (1)

Getting confused now !

My set-up has a cable going from the router to the PC (plugged into port 4 on the router) This means that the router has to stay close to the home PC

Looking at other set-ups, there is no physical connection to the PC from the router - is that how it should be ?

Not that it actually matters - the home PC stays where it is so that can be wired to the router, its my laptop that moves round the house and needs to connect wirelessly. My issue is that the laptop (with the USB receiver) really struggles picking up the signal (10% usually)

Alan C

Mmmm.. 4 wireless cameras and garage door openers will make for a noisy environment......

As you rightly say, your PC is safe as it's wired into the router (leave that connection in place). Other PC's, may use wireless too, even though they are right beside each other... This, to my mind, is pointless unless you are going to move the PC)

Use your PC to log in to the router, probably typing in 192.168.1.1 in your IE or Firefox browser, and then enter your login details.

I'm not familiar with the Netgear device, but you should now see the Netgear menus and hopefully a Wireless tab. This wireless tab will tell you the Wireless mode, SSID etc.. it should also have a drop down list of channels (probably 1 thru 13)

Just select a channel at the other end of the scale (or start halfway down) and restart the router... Your laptop will pick it up normally as it's looking for the SSID., not the channel..

If you have a middle order channel.. say 6.. then move it up or down and retry..

There are some products out there that will tell you how noisy your RF area is... but this should hopefully give you a little less noise and lower the noise floor to where it interferes less and therefore raises your speed because there are less 'collisions' in your area. More collisions mean your machines have to keep re-sending their data or even re-associating if they get dosconnected because somethin stronger comes along (garage door opener) and drowns them out....

RoShamBo

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Alan

There are 13 channels. I have changed it several times (was on 11) and channel 5 seems to be the best one. My laptop can now pick up a (fairly) strong signal accross the other side of the house.
I might check all channels to see if one is stronger but this one seems to work a treat.

Cheers !

R.