wireless router positioning?

steveo3002

just got my self wireless broadband with a o2 router

now on my computer if i hover over the 2 blue screens its showing 3 out of 5 bars signal strength

its still showing 3 bars if i stand next to the router

any tips for solving this...i can pretty much position the router anywhere from floor to ceiling level..where would be ideal? (bungalow btw so no worrys about upstairs)

fwor

If the orientation of the aerial(s) on the base unit can be altered, it would be worth changing their alignment and see if that has any effect.

I found on mine that reception was best with the aerials not vertical or horizontal, but at a 45 degree angle out from the back of the unit. I've no idea why, though...

And - in theory at least - the higher up in the room the unit is, the better it's range should be.

Sput2001

Keep it out of the way of other wireless devices, e.g. telephones. Really thick walls won't help either.

Keeping it away from your microwave, baby monitors, electrical motors and your TV will almost certainly help, too. Be prepared to experiment with positioning, and as mentioned above, having it nearer the ceiling than the floor usually helps as there won't be so many obstacles.

kevsan

Experimentation is the key... moving around the base station and the reciever will yield different results.

Despite the talk of interference, my base station is on the floor, next too the digital wireless phone, and baby monitor, and the receiver is another floor up, and through 2 walls and i get four bars....:cool:

vyseyboy

Use netstumbler to get real-time information about signal strength that updates every second (you can set it to play a musical note which gets higher pitched with better signal strength which is fun for dorks like me.)

Then you just need to experiment to see what works for you.

Leopard

steveo3002 wrote: »

just got my self wireless broadband with a o2 router

now on my computer if i hover over the 2 blue screens its showing 3 out of 5 bars signal strength

its still showing 3 bars if i stand next to the router

any tips for solving this...i can pretty much position the router anywhere from floor to ceiling level..where would be ideal? (bungalow btw so no worrys about upstairs)

If your computer is a desktop, or is normally used at specific locations, you will get the fastest, most reliable and most secure connection by using Ethernet leads rather than wireless.

The weakness of the signal may be due to deficiencies in your computer's wireless equipment, not in the wireless router. The best way to check that, if it's a laptop, would be to take it to, for example, Starbucks (or anywhere else that supplies free, unsecured wi-fi) and observe the signal strength it indicates there. If it's a desktop, get somebody else to bring a laptop to your house and see what signal strength they get from your wireless router.

There are advantages and disadvantages to networking a bungalow as opposed to networking a house.

Depending upon the number of different locations within (and outside?) your premises at which you will wish to use your wireless signal, the best location (for a bungalow) is often in the corridor off which the rooms lead.

You (usually) also enjoy the advantage that there is loft above all the rooms.

Given that the best networking is obtained by using Cat5e (or Cat6) cabling, you ought to be able to run leads to all the rooms conveniently by means of the loft.

Some people also find that the best wireless distribution in a bungalow is obtained by putting a wireless router in the loft (suitably protected from moisture, condensation and extremes of heat) but that is unlikely to be the optimum place to put a modem (or modem wireless router) and it depends on how much clutter and other unhelpful things (e.g. the water tank(s) and any other large objects) you have up there!

vyseyboy wrote: »

Use netstumbler to get real-time information about signal strength that updates every second (you can set it to play a musical note which gets higher pitched with better signal strength which is fun for dorks like me.)

Then you just need to experiment to see what works for you.

Well, NetStumbler won't work for him unless his computer is a Windows device (and he has given you no reason to presume that it is).

steveo3002

thanks for the tips so far

its a laptop..i want wireless tbh , just doing my best to get the max signal for the router

re : the windows device ??? not sure what you mean ? im using vista

steveo3002

right ive loaded the netstumbler...it keeps saying access denied at the bottom of the test page?

any ideas

vyseyboy

Leopard wrote: »

Well, NetStumbler won't work for him unless his computer is a Windows device (and he has given you no reason to presume that it is).

Hehe, I usually find Mac and Linux users have no problems whatsoever with letting you know their favoured platform....

PROLIANT

steveo3002 wrote: »

just got my self wireless broadband with a o2 router

now on my computer if i hover over the 2 blue screens its showing 3 out of 5 bars signal strength

its still showing 3 bars if i stand next to the router

any tips for solving this...i can pretty much position the router anywhere from floor to ceiling level..where would be ideal? (bungalow btw so no worrys about upstairs)

Buy an external Antenna and make sure it is vertically polarised by design i.e omni-directional not the Yagi type directional type and make sure it has a good ground plane underneath it.