wireless internet connection

29 Jul 2006 7:28 PM

Jenny

ok my husband is having connection issues on his laptop. he has free wireless
internet where he is and is trying to set it up and configure it on his
laptop.

he can get a signal only when he is near a window in his living room, his
connection is limited to that single spot and the connection he gets is very
crappy and unstable but his friend can go to the middle of the living room
and get a great connection!
so y cant my husband use this connection in the middle of the living room?
both him and his friend has sony viao laptops, his model is like the next
step up from his friends. as far as i know they both are using windows to
configure their connections, i believe they r just letting windows do it all
for them.
i am not sure if they both have the same wireless adapters but they migh
because their models r so close ya know? i am wondering of maybe my husbands
friend has a better wireless card or maybe that my husband needs to update
his driver. its just very strange that his friend can walk to the middle of
the room and get an awesome signal and my husband cannot. so can someone
please tell me what gives and what can be done or shoudl be done step by step
cuz i know nothing baout setting up wireless connections but im a pro at the
wired ones. well thanx in advance! Jen

30 Jul 2006 4:06 PM

Rich

On Sat, 29 Jul 2006 12:28:01 -0700, Jenny
<Je***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

Show quoteHide quote

>ok my husband is having connection issues on his laptop. he has free wireless
>internet where he is and is trying to set it up and configure it on his
>laptop.
>
>he can get a signal only when he is near a window in his living room, his
>connection is limited to that single spot and the connection he gets is very
>crappy and unstable but his friend can go to the middle of the living room
>and get a great connection!
>so y cant my husband use this connection in the middle of the living room?
>both him and his friend has sony viao laptops, his model is like the next
>step up from his friends. as far as i know they both are using windows to
>configure their connections, i believe they r just letting windows do it all
>for them.
>i am not sure if they both have the same wireless adapters but they migh
>because their models r so close ya know? i am wondering of maybe my husbands
>friend has a better wireless card or maybe that my husband needs to update
>his driver. its just very strange that his friend can walk to the middle of
>the room and get an awesome signal and my husband cannot. so can someone
>please tell me what gives and what can be done or shoudl be done step by step
>cuz i know nothing baout setting up wireless connections but im a pro at the
>wired ones. well thanx in advance! Jen

jenny, a wireless signal is a radio signal. and reception of radio
signals is all about line-of-sight and the ability of a receiver to
detect and decode those signals. different receivers will have
different specs in terms of detection, etc.

from your post i'm assuming that if your hubby and his friend both
stand at the window and, one at a time, try to connect to and hit the
net, hubby's buddy will be successful while hubby will experience poor
to no connection.

the relative strength of the signal at the window should be the same
for each machine and theoretically the antennas in the laptop cases
are the same. the wild card (no pun intended) are the wireless cards.
they may be different models with different specs or one may not be
functioning properly. does hubby have trouble connecting to other
networks? is hubby's laptop clean and as free from viruses and
spyware as can reasonably be expected?

73,
rich, n9dko

30 Jul 2006 6:39 PM

Jenny

hi rich
thanx for the reply. umm whats happening with my husband is that he can only
get a signal when next to a window. his friend however can get a signal while
next to the window and while standing in the middle of the room. my husband
cannot get a signal from the middle of the room. i have found out my husbands
friend does have a better or different wireless card. i think his friend
upgraded his while my husband just has what came with his laptop. his
computer im pretty sure is free of viruses and malware because he just
formatted it. well bye. Jen

30 Jul 2006 10:04 PM

Diamontina Cocktail

Show quote Hide quote

"Jenny" <Je***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F390D048-251B-4228-AA7F-EF88507D96A8@microsoft.com...
> hi rich
> thanx for the reply. umm whats happening with my husband is that he can
> only
> get a signal when next to a window. his friend however can get a signal
> while
> next to the window and while standing in the middle of the room. my
> husband
> cannot get a signal from the middle of the room. i have found out my
> husbands
> friend does have a better or different wireless card. i think his friend
> upgraded his while my husband just has what came with his laptop. his
> computer im pretty sure is free of viruses and malware because he just
> formatted it. well bye. Jen
>
>

His friend may well have a USB external wi-fi NIC and be able to hold it
higher for example.

Sometimes, the signal you get is it. I have never met an internal wireless
NIC either on a laptop or one installed on a desktop machine that really
works as well, so far as reception is concerned, as a USB external one.

Your husband may simply have to buy a USB one and try again or simply go
outside where the chances of interference should be less.

30 Jul 2006 9:19 PM

ato_zee

On 30-Jul-2006, Rich <r***@donotsendmeemail.com> wrote:

> >ok my husband is having connection issues on his laptop. he has free wireless
> >internet where he is and is trying to set it up and configure it on his
> >laptop.
> >
> >he can get a signal only when he is near a window in his living room, his
> >connection is limited to that single spot and the connection he gets is very
> >crappy and unstable but his friend can go to the middle of the living room
> >and get a great connection!

You don't say what they are trying to connect to, or if they are
both using the same access point, or where each is located
relative to the access point. If one is on the 6th floor and one on the 8th
and the router/access point near the phone skt. several floors down,
you would get this. Maybe this isn't your situation, but you get
the idea, location with respect to the signal source is important.
If there is no encryption, there may be other local open access
points, and then you don't know which access point they are
trying to connect to.
Each may try to use the strongest signal, but each may
see a different access point as the strongest.

30 Jul 2006 10:02 PM

Diamontina Cocktail

Show quote Hide quote

"Rich" <r***@donotsendmeemail.com> wrote in message
news:gqlpc2l68cgbq0pcmm1q73etqvkedbpnmm@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 29 Jul 2006 12:28:01 -0700, Jenny
> <Je***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
>>ok my husband is having connection issues on his laptop. he has free
>>wireless
>>internet where he is and is trying to set it up and configure it on his
>>laptop.
>>
>>he can get a signal only when he is near a window in his living room, his
>>connection is limited to that single spot and the connection he gets is
>>very
>>crappy and unstable but his friend can go to the middle of the living room
>>and get a great connection!
>>so y cant my husband use this connection in the middle of the living room?
>>both him and his friend has sony viao laptops, his model is like the next
>>step up from his friends. as far as i know they both are using windows to
>>configure their connections, i believe they r just letting windows do it
>>all
>>for them.
>>i am not sure if they both have the same wireless adapters but they migh
>>because their models r so close ya know? i am wondering of maybe my
>>husbands
>>friend has a better wireless card or maybe that my husband needs to update
>>his driver. its just very strange that his friend can walk to the middle
>>of
>>the room and get an awesome signal and my husband cannot. so can someone
>>please tell me what gives and what can be done or shoudl be done step by
>>step
>>cuz i know nothing baout setting up wireless connections but im a pro at
>>the
>>wired ones. well thanx in advance! Jen
>
> jenny, a wireless signal is a radio signal. and reception of radio
> signals is all about line-of-sight and the ability of a receiver to
> detect and decode those signals. different receivers will have
> different specs in terms of detection, etc.
>

Sorry to be a negative but that isnt quite right. Reception of radio signals
depends upon the band used and can be well and truly NOT line of sight. That
is why, in the old CB days, some CB users on the 10metre band could talk
from Australia to America. The signal bounced off the upper atmosphere.
Carrying on in this way, reception of radio signals is actually all about
ability to receive. What will stop reception depends where you are. Horse
hair insulation will ruin it. Power lines can. Microwave ovens. Cement
walls. That insulation that is aluminium on one side definitely ruins it.

1 Aug 2006 5:47 PM

Aust-Tech

Hi there Jen,

First, can you tell me what type of hardware your husband and his friend is
using.
This is what might be causing the issues.
Laptop Models:
Wireless Card Manufacturer/Model#/Driver Versions:

PS If you dont know how to get these, just post back stating this and a way
will be shown

What type of Security is on your home network? eg. Are your laptops slow?
Maybe someone is trying to get in while your trying to get out to the net...

I would say configuration might need to be checked again to make sure they
are exactly the same.

Also consider this...what distance from the access point can either laptop
start connecting?? Maybe

Re: Line of Sight
IR = Infra-Red is Line of Sight
Laser Levels are line of sight
Lasers are line of sight
Fiber Optic is Line of sight
Wifi is Not!
They use radio signals like the space shuttle uses...See even the space
shuttle use a sort of "Long distance Wireless connection"

I would be thinking about testing with at least an antenna. You can always
use 1 Access Point with Exteranl Antenna, that will provide up to 1KM
distance depending on how it's setup.

post back if more clarification is needed.
Ta.
Aust-Tech

Show quoteHide quote

"Diamontina Cocktail" wrote:

>
> "Rich" <r***@donotsendmeemail.com> wrote in message
> news:gqlpc2l68cgbq0pcmm1q73etqvkedbpnmm@4ax.com...
> > On Sat, 29 Jul 2006 12:28:01 -0700, Jenny
> > <Je***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> >
> >>ok my husband is having connection issues on his laptop. he has free
> >>wireless
> >>internet where he is and is trying to set it up and configure it on his
> >>laptop.
> >>
> >>he can get a signal only when he is near a window in his living room, his
> >>connection is limited to that single spot and the connection he gets is
> >>very
> >>crappy and unstable but his friend can go to the middle of the living room
> >>and get a great connection!
> >>so y cant my husband use this connection in the middle of the living room?
> >>both him and his friend has sony viao laptops, his model is like the next
> >>step up from his friends. as far as i know they both are using windows to
> >>configure their connections, i believe they r just letting windows do it
> >>all
> >>for them.
> >>i am not sure if they both have the same wireless adapters but they migh
> >>because their models r so close ya know? i am wondering of maybe my
> >>husbands
> >>friend has a better wireless card or maybe that my husband needs to update
> >>his driver. its just very strange that his friend can walk to the middle
> >>of
> >>the room and get an awesome signal and my husband cannot. so can someone
> >>please tell me what gives and what can be done or shoudl be done step by
> >>step
> >>cuz i know nothing baout setting up wireless connections but im a pro at
> >>the
> >>wired ones. well thanx in advance! Jen
> >
> > jenny, a wireless signal is a radio signal. and reception of radio
> > signals is all about line-of-sight and the ability of a receiver to
> > detect and decode those signals. different receivers will have
> > different specs in terms of detection, etc.
> >
>
> Sorry to be a negative but that isnt quite right. Reception of radio signals
> depends upon the band used and can be well and truly NOT line of sight. That
> is why, in the old CB days, some CB users on the 10metre band could talk
> from Australia to America. The signal bounced off the upper atmosphere.
> Carrying on in this way, reception of radio signals is actually all about
> ability to receive. What will stop reception depends where you are. Horse
> hair insulation will ruin it. Power lines can. Microwave ovens. Cement
> walls. That insulation that is aluminium on one side definitely ruins it.
>
>
>
>