Improving wireless signal

Turkey Machine · 31-03-2009, 20:40

So I have a Belkin G+ MIMO router at home, but my laptop in my bedroom 2 floors directly above it is not picking up the signal very well. Is there anything I can do to improve it? I can't really move the laptop, as I need it close by for the online racing with the steering wheel, I can't move the router because the power cable isn't long enough, and I keep getting booted from the server due to excessive packet loss.

Are there any settings I can try? The laptop's a Dell Inspiron 1501, I don't really know what settings do what. There's Afterburner, Antenna diversity, 80211h+d, AP Compatibility mode (choices are Higher Performance [selected] or Broader Compatibility), Fragmentation Threshold (currently at 2346), Roam Tendency (choices are Aggressive, Conservative [selected], Moderate), Roaming Decision (choices are Optimise Distance, Optimise Bandwidth [selected]), RTS Threshold (currently at 2347), Xpress(TM) Technology (currently Enabled). There's also a few more that I'm clued up on and have set at the defaults.

Help would be appreciated.

Hom3r · 31-03-2009, 20:45

You could look into the network that plugs into the mains, but this is dependant on the houses wiring.

Turkey Machine · 31-03-2009, 21:18

I'm on a spur in the top bedroom anyway, so I don't think that'll be much use, unless an electrician can tell me otherwise.

Hom3r · 31-03-2009, 21:27

The only other things I can think of are:

1. Run a cable from the top floor to the ground.

2. Put some Wireless exender points (I think thats what there called) it to boost the signal.

**Hugh** · 31-03-2009, 21:29

I found that just moving the wireless router helped - we kept losing the signal downstairs, and when I moved the w/r away from the window into the middle of the room, we have stopped losing the signal.

danielf · 31-03-2009, 21:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turkey Machine

I'm on a spur in the top bedroom anyway, so I don't think that'll be much use, unless an electrician can tell me otherwise.

I'm not an electrician, but homeplugs work very well in my experience. The actual throughput you get from them appears to depend on the quality of the installation, but you generally get a very solid connection.

Gary L · 31-03-2009, 22:50

Might sound silly but you could try one of them aerial template things that you make out of paper and foil. that works quite well with mine and improved the signal quite a bit.

Turkey Machine · 01-04-2009, 10:24

Found out the problem is due to the router that keeps changing the WAN IP address every 4 or 5 minutes, which disconnects me from any server I'm connected to, and makes online gaming impossible. Belkin F5D9230-4, any settings I can try on both XP machine it's connected to and the router? Router goes WAN > LAN port on the internet machine due to lack of ADSL router and only having a USB modem at the moment.

moaningmags · 01-04-2009, 11:48

I remember something similar happening on other Belkin routers, a firmware upgrade from Belkin solved it.

A search of the forum should find the thread.
VM were actively blocking some customers whose Belkin routers were making ip requests every few seconds.

Hom3r · 01-04-2009, 21:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary L

Might sound silly but you could try one of them aerial template things that you make out of paper and foil. that works quite well with mine and improved the signal quite a bit.

Any links for these?

What I don't understand is my router can handle 108Mb, but the wireless laptop (108Mb) can't reach 20Mb? Baffled.

---------- Post added at 21:59 ---------- Previous post was at 21:58 ----------

found this (suggests locations)

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/more...elesstips.mspx

Gary L · 01-04-2009, 22:48

You need paper, foil, and some scissors

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...meta=&aq=f&oq=

01-04-2009, 23:05

Go nuts!!

How-To: Build a WiFi biquad dish antenna