Restoring a network connection

[Daniel Prince]

I have a 10/100 Mb home network with two desktop computers, a cable
modem and a Linksys wired router. I bought a Belkin wireless router
(part # F5D7230-4) and a Belkin notebook card (F5D7010) so that I
can network my new laptop computer. (Both 802.11g)

I installed the Belkin router as an Access Point and connected it to
the LinkSys router. I installed the notebook card the way the
manual said to.

When I have the laptop in my bedroom (about 35 feet away from the
Belkin router which I am using as an access point) I keep losing my
network connection. When I look at the Signal strength meter in the
Belkin software, it always says between 30 and 50 percent.
Sometimes I can reconnect by rebooting my laptop but often I can not
and I have to carry the laptop into the room with the access point
to regain my connection.

I have discovered that turning off the blank screen saver on the
desktop computer seems to decrease the number of disconnects. I am
using the Belkin Wireless Utility to configure the Wireless Card. I
have tried both channel 11 and channel 1. (I sometimes see another
wireless network on channel 6 with very low signal strength.)

What is the minimum signal strength necessary to maintain a network
connection? Is there some sort of trick to getting the network
connection back once it has been lost?

Thank you in advance for all replies.

 

[Fred Marshall]

You didn't say what happens when the laptop is in the same room with the
access point.

35 feet in many houses would mean around 3 walls to go through. It's not
the distance as much as the number of walls. 3 starts to get to be too
many.

You also didn't say what kinds of antennas. Better antenna, better
connection.

Keep in mind that signals at 2.4GHz bounce off metallic things and are
shielded (i.e. thwarted) by the same. Expect the signals to bounce around
quite a bit then and look for "live" and "dead" spots in the room (i.e. both
rooms) Also, having a tiny antenna hidden *behind* a computer isn't likely
to be as good as if the antenna were on the opposite side of the computer
facing its intended target. An antenna on a cable is better than one
without because it gives some placement flexibility. Some USB wireless
interfaces are sold with a USB cable and a little stand for the
antenna/interface so you can place the antenna in a likely spot.

It is very hard to relate the rather arbitrary Signal Strength readings to
performance. That's because they're rather arbitrary when it comes to what
the numbers mean and how they relate to where the performance drops. But,
you have real performance results. So working with antennas is a good idea.
There is even one build out of a Pringles can that's pretty simple and
highly directional. You can Google for that one.

Look out for intervening portable telephones and microwave ovens in the path
from the laptop to the AP. They aren't helpful in many situations. So, if
you have good results one moment and dropouts another - look for such a
source of interference.

Fred

 

[Ian S]

I have a 10/100 Mb home network with two desktop computers, a cable
modem and a Linksys wired router. I bought a Belkin wireless router
(part # F5D7230-4) and a Belkin notebook card (F5D7010) so that I
can network my new laptop computer. (Both 802.11g)

I installed the Belkin router as an Access Point and connected it to
the LinkSys router. I installed the notebook card the way the
manual said to.

When I have the laptop in my bedroom (about 35 feet away from the
Belkin router which I am using as an access point) I keep losing my
network connection. When I look at the Signal strength meter in the
Belkin software, it always says between 30 and 50 percent.
Sometimes I can reconnect by rebooting my laptop but often I can not
and I have to carry the laptop into the room with the access point
to regain my connection.

I have discovered that turning off the blank screen saver on the
desktop computer seems to decrease the number of disconnects. I am
using the Belkin Wireless Utility to configure the Wireless Card. I
have tried both channel 11 and channel 1. (I sometimes see another
wireless network on channel 6 with very low signal strength.)

What is the minimum signal strength necessary to maintain a network
connection? Is there some sort of trick to getting the network
connection back once it has been lost?

Thank you in advance for all replies.

It's tedious but you may want to try all the available channels to see if
you can find one that works. As another poster has said, 35' with walls in a
house is possibly marginal. I wouldn't put too much stock in the signal
levels. Also experiment with the router in slightly different locations,
heights etc., to get something that will work consistently. The key is to
try to minimize the number and density of solid objects such as walls
between you and the wireless router.

 

[Daniel Prince]

You didn't say what happens when the laptop is in the same room with the
access point.

It works fine in the same room.

35 feet in many houses would mean around 3 walls to go through. It's not
the distance as much as the number of walls. 3 starts to get to be too
many.

You also didn't say what kinds of antennas. Better antenna, better
connection.

I am using the antennas that came with the equipment. Neither the
router nor the laptop card have external antenna connections. The
router has two antennas that can be rotated and folded. The laptop
card has an internal antenna.

I am NOT willing to open them up to install antennas. Would it be
possible for me to slip something over the router's external
antennas to make them more directional or to put a reflector behind
the antennas that would do the same thing?

Look out for intervening portable telephones and microwave ovens in the path
from the laptop to the AP. They aren't helpful in many situations. So, if
you have good results one moment and dropouts another - look for such a
source of interference.

There are no such devices between the router and the laptop. There
is a furnace with air conditioning between them but it is turned off
right now. I will try positioning the router where the furnace will
not be between it and the laptop.