mav88

Wireless Router Issues
Hey, i have just brought a Belkin ADSL2+ modem + Wireless Router 802.11g 54Mbps, along with two Belkin PCI cards for my two computers.

I have it all set up however the signal strength seems really bad, when its next to the PC's its excellent, however even 4 / 5 meters away the signal goes down to half and currently only one of my PC's (one is in the upstairs room and the front of the house, the other is in the back room downstairs) depending where the rooter is can access it! So at the mo its fairly useless.

Iv tried moving things around and placing the router in diff parts of the house with no luck and i carnt think of any huge structure that would cause a problem. I only live in a small house well within the 100/200 feet range. I have tried changing the channel it’s on but again no luck. So at the mo I have one PC connected and the other with out a connection.

Is the router not functioning correctly or are my expectations of Wireless to high??

Any feed back would be great.

Thanks

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muzikool

Something isn't functioning correctly. If you've just bought the hardware then I would suggest calling Belkin -- in a sense you paid for the technical support they provide. Also, don't let anyone here tell you it's because you are using a Belkin product. The Belkin router I've had for the past two years is the best router I've ever had.

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kcnychief

It's because you are using Belkin, they are poor quality...









OK kidding, that was for muzikool

I know you just bought it, but you should check to see if they have any firmware upgrades for it. A lot of times the device can sit on the shelf or on a truck for 6+ months before it's purcahsed. Even if it's only 1-2 months old, sometimes consumers will report issues in mass quantity, perhaps similar to what you are describing, and they will issue a firmware update to address it.

What Security encryption protocol are you using? WEP, WPA, WPA2, etc? Have you tried turning encryption off completely, at least for troubleshooting. Sometimes you just have to mess with them a little to find which protocol works best. Obviously you want to use at least WPA if you can, but that may not always be the best situation for you.

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mav88

Cheers guys, I have set it up to run WPA-PSK. Its just strange, it all works but its like the signal is really weak. Ill have a look for some firmware upgrades, however I did have a quick look when I got the product and couldnt find much, only drivers that were older than installed already!

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LeeJend

Your expectations for wireless are too high. 100-200 feet indoors? LMAO.

These things kill signal strength:
1.Interference - appliances, cellphones, portable phones, other wireless
2.Distance - signal falls off as cube of distance.
3.Antenna polarization - whip antennas are directional 90 degrees to the whip. An antenna stick out the back of a tower case is blocked over a 180 deg spread.
4.Material between antennas - denser the material the more loss, 100-200 feet is line of sight range only.
5.Cheap/defective hardware - not ever part is created equal

Solutions:
1. turn them off, relocate pc's away from them, use a directional antenna with gain.
2. use an antenna with gain, build a "windsurfer for free". if it helps go buy some of the off the shelf units $5-15. These have two advantages a) they have cords that let you move the antenna out from behind the PC which is a rotten location. the case blocks the signal. b) they are directional and provide a signal boost.
3. Two story houses are a pain for wireless. The end loaded whip antennas create a polarized signal that can only point in one direction. i.e. one floor of the house gets coverage, not both. The best bet is to mount the router on the ceiling with antenna pointing straight down. Twin antenna routers also help because you can adjust the antenna polarization (direction) to try and cover top and bottom floors of house.
4. mirrors, appliances, metal bath tubs, heater/airconditioners hot air ducts and pipes, wiring in walls all block signal (that entire list is between my dsl modem and the other PCs. I had to put the router on the other side of the room and add a windsurfer antenna to it to get a good signal 40 feet to the master bedroom.)
5. exchange for another of same model when in doubt

PS older houses are more problematic. Denser hardwoods and thicker plaster used in construction attenuate signals more.

PPS -- is the antenna orientation:

--[PC1] [PC2]--

--[PC3]
PC 2 will not get signal.

|_[PC1] [PC2]_|

--[PC3]
PC3 will not get signal.

[PC1]_/ \_ [PC2]

[PC3]_\
Best polarization options, put 2 and 3 on floor, 3 on ceiling.

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dz2k

hehe, i had to change the channel on my linksys modem/router like 3 times before my 2 wireless pcs would pick up the signal every time. all has been great for wks!! my brother has a belkin router, in which he only uses for ps2, but it works great. hope you get yours working bud!