Member Panel

Thekingscrown

Originally Posted by Scott O.

With regard to the repeater, try to get it closer to the main AP ...between the main AP and your laptop and if you have an antenna for the repeater that can be remotely located, moving THAT to a spot between your laptop and the main AP will accomplish the same thing.

I am repeating that part because from the sound of your reply, I did not make that clear.

Glad you are working fine now...enjoy your time in Spain...it sounds like a wonderful opportunity to live and learn...very very cool

Scott, the repeater and the antenna are in the middle of the main AP and my laptop. My problem is still that the connection fizzles for a few seconds, which is enough to make the network thhink that I incorrectly logged out. It then takes 20 minutes for me to be able to log back in again. This fizzling occurs often enough that it really decreases my standard of internet. Its really very frustrating. The problem with moving my repeater or antenna any closer to the main AP is that it is a hallway of a dorm, and I can't move it into the hallway because people will take it. Perhaps this is the best I'll be able to make it....

Scott O.

in the case of it truly bring a "reach-out" condition there are ways to improve WLAN antenna propagation...and its pretty cheap too...just follow the directions precisely and allow the laws of physics to work for YOU too.

http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html

or the "other" way

http://www.cantenna.com/

(for fun, search on E Bay, keyword = "cantenna"

(Yo Gromit! You rock

)

Gromit · 12:16 PM

Scott - Ingenious - although I preferred the foil and pipe cleaners you recommended to Rory

http://www.pchelpforum.com/network-h...blems-wep.html

Hi TKC

Have you tried using NetStumbler?
http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads/

It's a packet sniffer for wireless networks and will track the signal so you can move the laptop/repeater about and see where it's strongest and where it may fall down. It could be a matter of inches to resolve the issue for you.

This may help you see if you actually loose the signal and connection and then pick it back up with a different signal strength. This could be the problem, but as it happens so quickly it only reports a different speed rather than a disconnect.

Like using a mobile (cellular) phone with a weak signal you may have to work on your laptop sideways against the wall with your head tipped to the right.

Let me know if it helps as it's something I'd like to recommend to those with these types of issues and I'm keen to know how different people get on with it.

Thanks and good luck with your soup can!!

Gromit

Scott O.

It occured to me as I was posting to another wireless user that what we have here is might just be a capacity issue. Despite what many users believe, access points DO have a capacity threshold! If everyone and their "madre" is trying to open or maintain a session on that device, it might be having a hard time keeping up.

As an example, I have found that the Cisco 1200 (established internally where I work as our "standard" AP model) can handle around 25 "typical" sessions before dropouts start to occur (and the 1200 is a workhorse.)

In fact, I have an unusual conflict occuring between the new laptops being deployed and my wireless environment. Users are moving their laptops from "wired" to "wireless" and back to "wired", but the laptops are hanging onto their "wireless" connection even though they are plugged back into the wired network. (The connection has to be manually ended by the user) Its causing capacity problems and it gets better...if enough people do that in a building, they tap out out all of the available 256 IP addresses on the VLAN (where I have isolated the wireless traffic). The "lease" period on an address was 3 days and I have just shortened it to 12 hours to see if that will help allow addresses to re-enter the range faster...ok enough about my anguish...

take a peek around the building with the netstumbler and see what you see...I'd be interested to know how many "usuario de la computadora" you share that device with

Thekingscrown

Originally Posted by Gromit

Scott - Ingenious - although I preferred the foil and pipe cleaners you recommended to Rory
http://www.pchelpforum.com/network-h...blems-wep.html

Hi TKC

Have you tried using NetStumbler?
http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads/

It's a packet sniffer for wireless networks and will track the signal so you can move the laptop/repeater about and see where it's strongest and where it may fall down. It could be a matter of inches to resolve the issue for you.

This may help you see if you actually loose the signal and connection and then pick it back up with a different signal strength. This could be the problem, but as it happens so quickly it only reports a different speed rather than a disconnect.

Like using a mobile (cellular) phone with a weak signal you may have to work on your laptop sideways against the wall with your head tipped to the right.

Let me know if it helps as it's something I'd like to recommend to those with these types of issues and I'm keen to know how different people get on with it.

Thanks and good luck with your soup can!!

Gromit

Thanks for the net stumbler link and thanks to Scott for the excellent tin can solution haha. I went with Net Stumbler for now, and I must say I am perplexed at the results. My repeated network has a very good noise to signal ratio. I see a lot o fpurple bars, but the only time I seem to see purple bars is when I try to access a web page. Can anyone interpret these results in any way? I also found a pretty good place for the antenna that maximizes the ratio (although I hope I'm not receiving any radiation. My connection is stable now except when it ****s out for a minute or two. But for the whole night last night I was able to remain online until I woke up this morning (utilizing AIM). I'm not sure how much better I can get it but any interpretations would be helpful. Latest computer settings:

Wireless Zero Utility: Disabled as a result of Network Stumbler
Transmit Rate on Wireless Card: Auto Select Standard
MPBS readings: Mostly 2 mbps, fluctuates between 1 sometimes
Signal Strength: Mostly excellent, fluctuates to very good.
SNR (signal to noise ratio): 40-50 on average; average is 40 about
Purple Lines(signifying signal failure for a moment): only when access web......

Gromit

Hi TKS

Not sure about any interpretation of NetStumbler that could help you, to be honest I don't think you're in the best position to do much as you don't have any control on the wireless network config (channels used etc...). Have you discussed it with the tech staff, if there are any, can they assist? You could also try to see if NetStumbler reports any disconnects when you're next to the AP itself if that's possible for you to do.

That said it's good to know it's working better for you, let us know if you've been able to improve it anymore.

Member Panel

Sponsors and Ads

Join the Team

Live Tag Cloud