Wireless Signal

[Unoriginal Name]

I'm hoping someone can help me with a wireless signal issue. I have a wireless gateway from AT&T connected phsyically to my desktop. I also have a laptop that I connect wirelessly to the gateway and then also a Wii that connects wirelessly.

I live in a two bedroom condo. When I use the laptop in the same room as the gateway I have a great signal and can suf the web no problem. If I move out to the livingroom I have a very weak signal and can't even get on the internet. My Wii is in the livingroom as well but I never have any problem with connecting to online. I have changed wireless cards in my laptop to see if the card was at fault but the new card delivers the same old result. At one time I was able to surf wirelessly in my livingroom no problem.

Is there anything I can do to make the signal more reliable for the laptop? I have tried it with the Wii unplugged and also the cordless phone for good measure and it has not improved anything.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[mudtiger]

Re: Wireless Signal

Does your AT&T wireless gateway have antenna? You could try moving them around. Generally the wireless signal leaves perpendicular to the way the antenna is pointing, so you'd want them pointing straight up or down if you want signal in a room on the same level. It's a simple thing that sometimes helps just enough.

If you want to spend money, you could look into a wireless range extender. I'd buy it somewhere you know you can return it though because in my experience sometimes they work quite well, sometimes they do more harm than good.

[Unoriginal Name]

Re: Wireless Signal

Does your AT&T wireless gateway have antenna? You could try moving them around. Generally the wireless signal leaves perpendicular to the way the antenna is pointing, so you'd want them pointing straight up or down if you want signal in a room on the same level. It's a simple thing that sometimes helps just enough.

If you want to spend money, you could look into a wireless range extender. I'd buy it somewhere you know you can return it though because in my experience sometimes they work quite well, sometimes they do more harm than good.

No antenna on the AT&T wireless gateway.

[fishepa]

Re: Wireless Signal

Usually wireless routers have a signal power in the configuration that you could check. Just make sure it's turned all the way up.

[dagger55]

Re: Wireless Signal

Make sure there are no mirrors in the path back to the gateway.

Mirrors arent your friend.

[snepp]

Re: Wireless Signal

Usually wireless routers have a signal power in the configuration that you could check. Just make sure it's turned all the way up.

Also, the wireless card may have its own adjustable power settings. Many wireless adapters will not run at full power while the laptop is operating on battery power, unless manually overridden.

[Unoriginal Name]

Re: Wireless Signal

Make sure there are no mirrors in the path back to the gateway.

Mirrors arent your friend.

Well this looks to be the culprit. I have mirrored closet doors in the livingroom so I did some walking around with the laptop and once I leave the hallway in to the livingroom I loose signal power from very good down to very low.

Outside of getting new closet doors is there anything I can do or am I SOL unless I replace the doors?

Thanks again,

[p_rushing]

Re: Wireless Signal

get a wireless desktop card and move the gateway to another room

[snepp]

Re: Wireless Signal

A wireless range extender in a strategic location could do the trick as well if you prefer to keep the desktop hardwired, not the cheapest solution though.

[The GIGGAS]

Re: Wireless Signal

Put a blanket over the mirror?

[Unoriginal Name]

Re: Wireless Signal

get a wireless desktop card and move the gateway to another room

I could do that since my desktop does have WiFi built in to it. However, the only other place I could put the wireless gateway would be in the livingroom with the mirrored closet doors. Would this have a similar signal affect on the wireless gateway signal back to the desktop computer?

Put a blanket over the mirror?

I'm not sure this is too practical since the closet with mirrored doors is a long closet but it might work as a temporary solution if I keep taking the blanket down when done.

[dagger55]

Re: Wireless Signal

http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/w...e_aprouter.htm'


Blanket isnt going to work. The mirror is still there....