Ot - It Help Wanted!!

[GQ22]

I just got a wireless internet router for my lap top and the thing is driving me crazy!!! almost all the time my signal is "excellent" as per the message i get when i check the connection but the speed almost always hovers around 2mbps-5mbps. it will occasionally got to 36-55 mbps and let me surf quickly, but this is by far not the norm. Can anyone offer advice?

If your in brooklyn and tech savy and want to help for a zoo frag or cash let me know. I am about to call geek squad but they charge an arm and leg!!!

 

[GQ22]

on top of this mess, i somehow lost the signal to my phone line...what a headache.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Unplug everything and see if your phone returns.

Then try hooking everything up and check your internet settings and see if your router is set up as the first router it will access when it is turned on.

 

[zaza]

I had the same problem with my lap top, I solved it with this:
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Sate...123093&pagename=Linksys/Common/VisitorWrapper

 

[TimberTDI]

The kind of house phone you are using maybe interfering with your signal. That's what my problem was.

Steven

 

[Harif87]

Is your wireless an open network? Maybe your neighbors are cheapos and connect to your network slowing yours down.

 

[zaza]

My wireless network is secure (no one can steal bandwidth from me ), but if I don't use the speed boster my network connection shows as strong but then the actual connection is not strong enough to open up a web browser.
The speed boster is just an antenna that helps the lap top picking up the signal better, many lap tops have this problem because their built in antenna is not strong enough to pick up the signal, even if the lap top is right next to the router.
GQ22, what laptop do you have?

 

[tosiek]

ok, first thing is to make sure its your wireless thats giving you the problem and not anything else. Is the signal perfect when you wire the modem to the laptop and not run wireless?

If its not perfect its something with the phone line or the modem they gave you.

are you running DSL? it could be really old phone lines. The NYC phone lines are a POS. every tech that came over to check the lines said the phone lines were installed in the 1920-1940's so everything is old. I switched to cable because of all the problems DSL was giving me.

Also try not to use the wireless programs that find the wireless signals from other companies. i always had problems with them and just use the microsoft wireless tool that comes with microsoft. Also make sure your version of windows is 100% up to date. If not thats also why its not picking up a good signal.

 

[Josh]

Those are the wireless data rates, not the internet speed. If your wireless speed is greater than 1MB/s then any slowness on your internet connection is being caused by the internet connection itself or your machine may be running slow.

Verify your internet connection speed at dslreports.com (under tools, there is a speed test). Your internet connection on a DSL line or cable modem should be 768k to 2MB/s download and 384-768k upstream. This is the best you will get unless you pay for a business level service or buy more bandwidth from your dsl provider.

If your wireless connection speed changes from 2-55mb, then there is a problem with the signal. If you have thick walls, concrete or brick that will definately be the issue. Most likely it is just due to other people sharing the frequency that your router is using. The default for most WiFi access points these days is channel 6. I did a scan in my area and since no one is using channel 1 that is what mine is set to. See what your neighbors are using and pick something else, this eliminates issues with the shared spectrum. Also, check to see what sort of cordless phone you are using, you want to get something with 900mhz or 5ghz, not 2.4 as you will be sharing it with your access point.

 

[reefman]

what josh said. he's right on the $

 

[digitalreefer]

Let me know where in Brooklyn you are, I might be able to swing by at some point.