Poor wireless signal-upgrade wireless card on HP laptop?

macman

I've set up a wireless laptop for a friend, but having problems getting a decent signal from 02 router (upstairs front of house) to laptop (downstairs rear of house).
Have moved the router around, but still can't get more than a 'weak' or 'poor' signal, sometimes it drops altogether. It's purely a signal strength issue, as everything works fine when using ethernet or when the laptop is taken upstairs. The router can't be moved, as it has a ethernet connection to a PC without wireless.
I have suggested Homeplugs, but slightly awkward due to socket locations.
What are the best alternative solutions?
More powerful router?
Wireless repeater?
Better wireless card? This is my preferred option, as less 'kit' to worry about. The existing card is an Atheros AR5007 802.11b/g. Laptop is an HP Pavilion dv9000 series running Windows 7.
Is this my best option, if so could someone please recommend a replacement card?

SteveJH200

Is the router b/g/n or b/g? If the router was 'n' then that would give you a larger range. This is my preferred option and I also use 'n' cards in the computers for better speeds. The laptop should take a Mini PCIe wireless card but you would need to check. If it's got the PCI card then TP link make them. Failing that a repeater if Homeplugs are not an option. There's always a wireless extender as a last resort!

macman

It's an O2 standard Thomson TG585 (b/g) router.
The laptop takes a Mini-PCI card.Can you recommend any particular part please?

robmar0se

I have installed homeplugs with wireless at the laptop end successfully; in fact installed three wireless homeplugs in a very large house, where the mandate was to get wireless anywhere - worked a treat.

Wireless signals can be tricky, my worst experience a few years ago, was in a house that I subdequently discovered that they had used foil backed plasterboard all over the place - killed any signal. Signal penetration is not just a question of distance but also building materials/connstruction.

I have tried all sorts of solutions, but unless you are in a position to test, you may well end up buying kit that doesn't do it. I would think a repeater/wireless homeplug solution might be best here. To test if a repeater would work, (i) is to move the laptop to a point where it receives a reasonable signal (obviously should be near a power point) (ii) to test the second leg, move the router to that position and the laptop back to where they want to work, and see if you can get a reasonable signal between the router and laptop.

GunJack

mac - try inssider on the lappy, see if you can't get a less congested channel before you look at changing hardware:-

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


also take a lappy of your own round there to compare signal strengths....

SteveJH200

macman wrote: »

It's an O2 standard Thomson TG585 (b/g) router.
The laptop takes a Mini-PCI card.Can you recommend any particular part please?

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=112321&r=GOOG

Just fitted one of these to an Acer 5050. Much better than the old 'g' card.

macman

GunJack wrote: »

mac - try inssider on the lappy, see if you can't get a less congested channel before you look at changing hardware:-

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


also take a lappy of your own round there to compare signal strengths....

Sorry, should have said-already did both of those, tried 3 or 4 different channels based on inSSIDer results, and none are any better (she lives on a crossroads, and there are about 14 routers in range-not a single 'clear' channel available).
My own lappy gives similar results.

GunJack

wifi access point halfway between router and lappy then.....should give better results than just changing wifi card, especially if the antennae in the lappy aren't up to much, and can pick them up new from around £12 or so

Notmyrealname

macman wrote: »

It's an O2 standard Thomson TG585 (b/g) router.
The laptop takes a Mini-PCI card.Can you recommend any particular part please?

HP lock the BIOS so you can only use HP wifi cards, the same as Dell and IBM. Also that doesn't alter the fact that the antenna in the laptop is the problem and there's not a lot you can do about that.

macman

GunJack wrote: »

wifi access point halfway between router and lappy then.....should give better results than just changing wifi card, especially if the antennae in the lappy aren't up to much, and can pick them up new from around £12 or so

Could you possibly post a link to something suitable please?

robmar0se

GunJack wrote: »

wifi access point halfway between router and lappy then.....should give better results than just changing wifi card, especially if the antennae in the lappy aren't up to much, and can pick them up new from around £12 or so

Since we don't know distance or materials, access points may or may not work either - test it first!