Re: Signal strength is always non-existent - would this work?

Alexandicity wrote:
> Hi there!
>
> Having a problem getting my laptop to connect to a home network. The
> network itself is fine - my flatmates tell me they have no problems
> connecting. But my laptop, which admittedly is showing its age, rarely
> sees the network and never successfully connects. It's as if the
> signal was very faint - even though the AP is only a couple metres
> away. The problem doesn't improve when I bring my laptop next to the
> router. If it does see the network, it'll never get as far as geting
> a DHCP address. I've tried updating my drivers, using a different
> router, all no effect.
>
> What I was wondering is if I can bypass my laptop hardware altogether
> as this is where the problem lies. I have a perfectly good Linksys WAG
> ADSL router and wireless AP. What I was wondering is if these devices
> can be converted into wireless antennae. I'd have my broadband feed
> into my wireless router, whose signal is picked up by anther router
> which presents the connection via an ethernet connection to my
> laptop. Making a wireless router into a wireless card. Is that
> possible?
>
> Further, my laptop hasn't always been like this. Only a month ago,
> while playing around with some network settings, did it start acting
> up. Any idea if there's a setting I may have touched which might
> cause a device to report receiving an abnormally low signal strength?
> I was pretty sure I set everything back like it was - and the
> flatmates say it's unchanged, but it seems strange that the
> connection to my machine would die just then.
>
> The Wireless AP is an Orange Livebox. The laptop is a 4yo Compaq
> (remember them?) Presario 2570, running XP w/SP2 and seemingly the
> latest Compaq-Broadcom 802.11b drivers.
>
> Cheers!
>
> Alexandicity
>
>
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If your laptop supports USB, try to borrow an external USB wireless
device... That's always my first check, to avoid everything internal
(hardware/software), then you know if it's your puter or the wireless.. Or
just try and delete and reinstall the software/drivers....