Advice on weak signal from wifi router

RVK · #1 (**permalink**) 10-06-2006, 10:46 PM

I have a D-Link DI-624 RevC wireless router.

I recently moved into a new building and I'm getting terrible signal issues. I spoke with other tenants of the building and they told me that the building is not made for wireless, there's a lot of interference.

If I put the router just in the doorway of the room my computer is in, I get 4 out of 5 bars, but you can see it jumping back and forth from 4 to 5 as if something was messing with the signal. I've tried changing the channels and it doesn't help at all.

I hate wires, and the layout of my appartment makes it difficult for me to run a cable. I don't want to have to put my wireless router in the doorway where it can be stepped on. I would like to be able to have it in the room next door without it dropping down to 1-2 bars

Is there anything I can do? get a better router? or am I SOL?

Thanks in advance,
RVK

NZLamb · #2 (**permalink**) 10-07-2006, 10:33 PM

Don't worry about the signal jumping a bar or so, this is normal even in the same room.

It sounds like there is a lot of concrete or brick in the building, which does have a strong tendancy to eat up wireless signals. You could try fitting a higher gain antenna to the router; these are available from most electronics and wireless network stores.

RVK · #3 (**permalink**) 10-07-2006, 11:42 PM

Thanks for the advice! Would you mind telling me how I could tell what the gain is on my current antenna? I'm not actually sure what "gain" means.

Thanks again,
RVK

NZLamb · #4 (**permalink**) 10-10-2006, 05:05 AM

Most standard access points and routers come with a 2.5dBi gain 'dipole' antenna, which provides pretty consistent coverage over a wide area.

A higher gain antenna on your access point can assist with reception as it will 'boost' the signal transmitted and received from your access point over a given area, with the drawback that it will reduce performance in other areas.

Many people find that using a higher gain dipole antenna of about 7dBi (commonly available from electronics and computer stores) assists with reception of an access point that is located on the same floor as their laptop or computer, so this may be worth giving a try to see if it helps with performance of your network. Just make sure your existing antenna is removable (most are; try unscrewing it) before going out and buying another one.

For a good definition on antenna gain, visit Antenna gain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia