On Fri, 01 Dec 2006 05:17:29 GMT, Jeff Liebermann
<jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us> wrote in
<0devm21cj6rjn9nnenlvqffdph6jept9jp@4ax.com>:

>Wireless doesn't work like that. It will fade away, not die suddenly.

Perhaps we should add an item to "Top Ten Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems":

11. It's not what you think -- something else is going on.

>The only way I can think of creating such a fast drop off is to have
>substantial interference in the area on the same or adjacent channels.

Or moving from an open doorway down which the signal has been traveling
into a room with metal in the walls.

>As you get closer to the interference source, the desired signal goes
>away.

Multipath interference?

>... Try turning OFF all but one access point and see how the client
>signal strength behaves. I think you'll get a really good clue as to
>how much interference you're dealing with by testing just one access
>point at a time, with the others turn off (that's powered off, not the
>ethernet cable unplugged).

Never fails to amaze my how many people take the scattergun approach to
troubleshooting, instead of the far more productive step-by-step
approach.

>I'll pass. You're not supplying any hardware or topology details and
>concentrating on the channel layout. While this is important, I
>suspect you have bigger problems. I can't suggest much beyond basic
>troubleshooting (by elimination) unless I know the hardware, topology,
>layout, and setup.

What?! Not willing to waste time in wild guesswork?! :)

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>