Wireless Problem

[goombawaho]

Got a wireless problem.

Equipment: Linksys WRT160N router and Linksys WUSB100 v.2 adapter.

Symptom: Slow browsing speeds at times from wireless PC. Pings show connectivity lost to google - up to 11% loss. Sometimes there is no loss. Wired computer shows NO loss during the same time period, so it's NOT the ISP. Signal strength is 4 out of 5 bars so that's not it. It has to be the router or the USB adapter or both OR interference of some kind.

What I did:
Updated firmware on the router and the driver on the usb adapter to latest available.
Temporarily replaced the router with an old WRT54G and the problem still happened.
Put the WRT160N back in place and tried a different brand wireless G USB adapter - problem still happened. (I don't have any newer equipment to test with like a wireless N usb adapter)
I didn't test both "new" items together.

I don't know what to conclude - replace router, adapter or both. How to rule out interference as the cause. I'm stumped and don't
want to tell the customer "replace everything" without knowing that it will fix the problem.

 

[SeadnaS]

Have you tried changing the WiFi channel number? There must be instructions on how to do that with your hardware online somewhere. If you have an android phone you could download a wifi scanner app to see if there is any other wifi networks nearby that use the same channel that might be interfering with your network. I have an app called WiFi Analyser i downloaded from thh Android Market.

 

[goombawaho]

You have to change it out of AUTO mode to manually select a channel and I didn't do that. I could use something I've got on my laptop to check channels.

 

[DrB0b]

DO you not have any other PC you could throw the USB adapter on and see if the problem follows? One of the client PCs? Also, I like Seadnas thought process in that try the wifi on your phone and see if it is slow or has issues. That eliminates the PC or USB as a issue.

"You don't know what you got, till its gone..
80's hair band Cinderella or ode to data backups???

 

[BadBigBen]

I tend to agree with the congested channel theory...

I know that some routers have a section in their web GUI, that can tell you how many other devices are operating on said channel within range, etc... so see if the the Linksys does so as well...

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[SeadnaS]

Yeah type 192.168.1.1 I think that's the IP of the router. On the wireless tab there should be a standard channel option where you can change the radio channel. The radio band should be set to 20mhz.

If you have used an app to scan for local interference from other WiFi networks you should be able to pick a clear channel, other-wise its a hit-and-miss affair.

 

[goombawaho]

try the wifi on your phone

I don't be havin' no smart phone. It be as dumb as me. Does everybody have a smart phone?? I'm not bowing to peer pressure.

The wireless HAD been reported to be okay on other devices in the house (TV, tablet) but now I hear about some issues.

I was going to use NetStumbler to see what channels are flying around the area. This is an older neighborhood with houses relative close together.

I've never had to deal with wireless congestion before. My neighborhood and most places I service have houses that are further apart, thus reducing the problem of interference.

Any good links on all these settings (20MHz vs. 40MHz). I've never really dealt with any of that. It was always an issue of range but not interference.

 

[DrB0b]

Try inSSIDer as well. Big fan of it for my multichannel wifi here at work.

inSSIDer:

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

"You don't know what you got, till its gone..
80's hair band Cinderella or ode to data backups???

 

[FredWagner]

Is the WPA2 passphrase set to something difficult-to crack ? If not, one of the neighbors could be using your connection, tying up the bandwidth from outside the house. Can you check the router while the problem is occurring, see what computer names are showing ?

Fred Wagner

 

[DTracy]

Goomba,

I used to have a smart phone but it kept embarasing me with it's wit so I went back to a dumb phone with big buttons.

David.

 

[goombawaho]

Is the WPA2 passphrase set to something difficult-to crack ? If not, one of the neighbors could be using your connection, tying up the bandwidth from outside the house. Can you check the router while the problem is occurring, see what computer names are showing ?

It's not that. I checked connected computers AND I changed their security from the (before me) WEP to WPA2. The password is in Lithuanian, so I suppose that's better than anything in English.

I'm taking a new router and a new adapter over there but we'll play with the channel first.

No links for understanding all the dual band settings??

 

[BadBigBen]

Goom,

see the manual pages 11 and 12, for the channel settings on that Linksys...

those pages will also talk about the 20 & 40 MHz settings... ;-)

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[FredWagner]

the WiFi signals are mainly in the 2.4 Ghz ISM band - which is also were microwave ovens live. They're supposed to be completely shielded. could there be a microwave oven with a bent/damaged door (not sealing, which would let RF out) in the house or the neighborhood ?

Fred Wagner

 

[warrenedsel]

Check on the wifi clients list,maybe your being hacked..

 

[goombawaho]

Check on the wifi clients list,maybe your being hacked.

You didn't read the whole thread. Somebody already proposed that.

If I move to wireless N on both ends (router and new adapter) wouldn't I be working in the 5GHz range and thus out of the phone/microwave interference worries?

 

[goombawaho]

This looks like a good summary of these high tech wireless settings.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4199

So, I think I'll choose B/G/N for the 2.4GHz range and a 20MHz channel width.

For the 5GHz range, I'll set it to A/N and 20/40MHz

I guess that keeps the G devices off the 5GHz band AND uses a narrower range for them to cut down on interference.

 

[goombawaho]

Also, I guess I'll setup the new router with 2 SSIDs - one for B/G and one for N.

 

[Tektip122]

DrB0b

Thanks for the suggestion you made. It helped with a similar problem that I had. I don't know why I didn't think of that.

 

[hairlessupportmonkey]

wireless N is often accompanied by three or more antenna (MIMO) The theory is the further away you get the better the performance.

I get around 270 / 300 MBit / sec off my Draytek 2820N

N still works in both 2.4 and 5Ghz.

If you have 5Ghz hardware, that is def the way forward. 2.4 is so congested, and its not just the visible SSID's you need to contend with too and since the channels in 2.4 overlap, you still cant be certain that you are getting a clean channel.

One point that many domestic APs dont often support both 2.4 and 5Ghz bands operating together.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11n-2009

ACSS - SME
General Geek

 

[goombawaho]

I did, in fact, set up the router with separate SSIDs for 2.4 & 5 GHz. I found that the 5 GHz signal was very weak upstairs and so connected them to the 2.4GHz. 4 out of 5 bars with that.

I'm not really seeing the value of the 5GHz if signal strength is a problem and/or it drops the connection. If you're mostly in the same room or adjoining room with it, def. go with the 5GHz. But from what I've seen, 2.4GHz gives much better coverage in the absence of lots of other neighbors in close proximity (interference).

Not sold on this dual band stuff at all. Still happily percolating at home with my vintage 2003 Linksys WRT54G.