Powertrip
02-28-2007, 08:00 AM
I have a linksys WRT54GR Wireless Router with Range Booster on a high speed 5 Mb cable modem. There are 3 clients. 1 10/100 PC on port 1, and 2 wireless clients, A HP Presario with a clean install of windows XP Home and a new Toshiba notebook running vista.
There are no problems with the 10/100 PC. The wireless clients are in a separate building about 15 feet – 20 feet away. I have had good luck with this routers range previously, but this time is the exception.
I have tried two different wireless cards and 2 types of wireless antennas. The first card was a belkin 54M PCI 5700 that would show good signal strength but only connect at 1.1,5 or 11 Mbits. At 1.1 you couldn’t browse, at 5 and 11 it was hit and miss. An omni antenna showed 3 other wireless networks in range with low siginal, perhaps causing interference.
The 2nd wireless card I tried in the HP was a surecom 108Mbit PCI 3026 card. It would only show low signal strength, but would connect at the full 56 Mbit speed every time, and seemed to work a lot better.
However on Sundays the client reports not being able to browse the internet or network shares, and is very frustrated with the progress (or lack of) thus far.
I tried the router on channel 1 instead of 6, and that seemed to help with download/upload speed tests but did not completely solve the problem.
What would be a good alternative router? Should I get a Range Boosted PCI card (dual antennas) instead? Is there anyway to see if interference is the problem?
Any experience with wireless networks with similar problems is appreciated!
There are no problems with the 10/100 PC. The wireless clients are in a separate building about 15 feet – 20 feet away. I have had good luck with this routers range previously, but this time is the exception.
I have tried two different wireless cards and 2 types of wireless antennas. The first card was a belkin 54M PCI 5700 that would show good signal strength but only connect at 1.1,5 or 11 Mbits. At 1.1 you couldn’t browse, at 5 and 11 it was hit and miss. An omni antenna showed 3 other wireless networks in range with low siginal, perhaps causing interference.
The 2nd wireless card I tried in the HP was a surecom 108Mbit PCI 3026 card. It would only show low signal strength, but would connect at the full 56 Mbit speed every time, and seemed to work a lot better.
However on Sundays the client reports not being able to browse the internet or network shares, and is very frustrated with the progress (or lack of) thus far.
I tried the router on channel 1 instead of 6, and that seemed to help with download/upload speed tests but did not completely solve the problem.
What would be a good alternative router? Should I get a Range Boosted PCI card (dual antennas) instead? Is there anyway to see if interference is the problem?
Any experience with wireless networks with similar problems is appreciated!