Quick scenario ..
My main PC is in the bedroom upstairs with a wireless router connected to a 'booster' aerial.
My laptop I use downstairs in the back room.
Ok, problem is, the signal from the router is fairly weak (1 to 2 bars) and I'm plagued with popups telling me the connection is lost/found/weak and what not.
Since the Laptops WIFI is integral and I have no way to connect any external aerial does anyone know of a trick which can amplify the surrounding WIFI signal to keep the laptop happy?
Best way may be to put a repeater downstairs, somewhere part way between the base station and where you use your laptop.
eg.
http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=255033You may also want to just try some simple things, sometimes a small repositioning of the router can make all the difference, reducing the angle to walls that the signal has to pass through etc...
Since the Laptops WIFI is integral and I have no way to connect any external aerial
Your laptop doesn't have USB?
There are loads of USB wireless adapters around. I've used Netgear, Edimax and D-Link in the past. Don't use Edimax, but the other two are fine. Its best to get the same brand as your router if you can.
I have a 25cm 7db antenna on my router - bought it because my dev PC is two floors higher up than the router is. Signal strength rarely strays from 5 bars.
Your wireless device will have access to 12 channels, I am not sure if you know this or have tried changing them.
Each channel uses a different frequency range and as a result each of them produce differnet signal strengths, each powerline, or tv, or microwave or any other device that emits low end radiations or noise will produce interference that will drop your wifi signal strength, so try each of the 12 channels to find the one that is best suited for your house.
I myself use channel 12 , 2.4 GHz . as I get the best signal from that, it also has the best range outdoors as well in my area.
Failing that, depending on what device your laptop is using you may be able to attack and old pringles tin to it, and no thats not a joke, took me 25 minutes to do mine a few years ago but it was an Orinoco PCICMA card. not a usb, but the basic idea will be the same.
Oh just read your card is internal, you should still be able to hardline in an areal but its gona come with a lot higher risk so i wouldn't advise it.
you may be able to attack and old pringles tin to it, and no thats not a joke
I'd guess it is since pringles come in cardboard containers.
Umm, internally they aren't cardboard....
Touché!!!
No its not a joke, and internally they are foil.
Thats not mine, mine is long since binned for soemthing better. but you get the idea.
try lowering the bandwidth of the WAP. Lowering the BW will enlarge the coverage area.
2MB ought to be enough for general web browsing (depending on the BW of you inet Connection).
Here's a "Do It Yourself" (D.I.Y.) article on building your own Wi-Fi parabolic antenna.
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/how20/c50a9aa138b84010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html > There are loads of USB wireless adapters around
Thats the route I'm likely to take.
I've fiddled with various parameters, channels but the computer says "no"
The walls are rather dense unfortunately.
The "Pringles" trick sounds great. I'll smuggle a stash of them away. All in the cause of scientific experiment of course!
Great tips guys. Thanks!
I had the exact same problem, sort of - my main PC is downstairs and laptop is up in the kitchen / dining room. First / ground floor is made of concrete, so no chance for my laptop to get the signal from the wireless router/firewall that's attached to the cable modem... so...
I bought pair of magnificent home-plug dLan thingys (devolo) and left all comm gear upstairs and took the internet downstairs via wall power sockets (mains)! Sounds spooky but it does work. And no, the lights don't get dimmer when I'm downloading pOr-- game demos. :)
http://www.devolo.com/co_EN/spezial/flashstart.htmlhttp://www.pcworld.com/article/id,85003-page,1/article.html The new generation of powerline networking kit is very impressive. If you tend to work at one place downstairs it works out quite well.