Please help! Picking up wi fi

jobbingmusician

A friend on this forum has bought a refurbished laptop from Bigpockets.

She had problems getting the wi fi to work, but it won't work in her bedroom. Quite serious as due to health problems, that's where she spends most of her time. Is there any way of boosting the reception? She has a Netgear Rangemax router (so do I, and mine works fine! - we know the router is working fine as she had another wi fi computer for a while)

This is the computer she bought
IBM Thinkpad X31 Laptop Centrino 1.7Ghz - 512Mb RAM - 40Gb - Wi-Fi - Win XP Pro

All ideas gratefully received!

GunJack

several things...

1. make sure the drivers for the wifi card are up-to -date.

2. run inSSider to see if it's a wifi interference issue with another local router on the same wifi channel

http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider

run this on the lappy whilst it is in her bedroom. you may find another router on same/adjacent channel. If so, change the channel on her router to one that is going to suffer as little interference as possible.

I had an X31 for a while, decent little machine and the wifi should be solid on it

ukjoel

If the router is working and you know the laptop is working ie it picks up a wireless signal elsewhere then there are 2 options.

However first this to do is (link it to the WIFI).

Reading your post you say the router worked with another computer BUT NOT WITH NEW ONE.

This suggests they have not been paired. The laptop will need a code (usually written on the router) in order to securely connect up. I would try this first.

If this isnt the issue and it works in her lounge then not in her bedroom either buy a more powerful wireless USB to stick in the laptop (they have different standards ie N and G which basically cover longer distances.

If this doesnt work you can get some special plugs which send the signal through your electricity system. Useful if thick walls are blocking the signal.

Its-A-New-Age-Thing

jobbingmusician wrote: »

A friend on this forum has bought a refurbished laptop from Bigpockets.

She had problems getting the wi fi to work, but it won't work in her bedroom. Quite serious as due to health problems, that's where she spends most of her time. Is there any way of boosting the reception? She has a Netgear Rangemax router (so do I, and mine works fine! - we know the router is working fine as she had another wi fi computer for a while)

This is the computer she bought
IBM Thinkpad X31 Laptop Centrino 1.7Ghz - 512Mb RAM - 40Gb - Wi-Fi - Win XP Pro

All ideas gratefully received!

the built in wi-fi probably has a crap range, not all wi-fi adaptors have the same range reception,

i mean if its the end of the world kinda thing, buy a usb adaptor wi-fi adaptor and plug it in

play dot com

are sellin some decent ones between 10-15 quid etc,

also try to REPAIR your wi-fi connection

the taskbar right hand side where your clock is find your wireless connection symbol right click on it and select REPAIR

:money:

CoolHotCold

OR if it's JUST in the bedroom use
This

GunJack

Also, a bit granny and eggs, but ensure the wifi is switched ON on the lappy

Its-A-New-Age-Thing

GunJack wrote: »

Also, a bit granny and eggs, but ensure the wifi is switched ON on the lappy

very true but methinks clickin REPAIR may have cracked that one,

GunJack

Its-A-New-Age-Thing wrote: »

very true but methinks clickin REPAIR may have cracked that one,

However, you can't click repair unless the wifi is switched on already

Its-A-New-Age-Thing

ok ill let you off,

jobbingmusician

Thanks folks, some good ideas there.

I didn't express myself very well. Router working fine, and she can get wi fi on the new computer ON THE STAIRS but not in her bedroom - and she's not well enough to sit on the stairs for long (not something I would choose to do anyway )

So the wi fi is definitely switched on. But I'll point her at this thread and I'll keep you updated. Thanks a million, everyone!

GunJack

another thought, a lot of thinkpads were shipped with only a 802.11b wifi card. Make sure the router is set to transmit on mixed b/g standards. This will be accessed via the router's web-based interface..

...if you run inssider, you'll be able to tell if the lappy's on b standard if you're router is being picked up at a speed of 11Mb/s, rather than 54mb/s (assuming the router is set on a mixed b/g setting)