wireless internets

[Beatdown]

i have a buffalo g54 usb wifi 'dongle' i can barely get a signal!

but it struggles in comparison to my girlfriends inbuilt wifi card on her inspiron 1501, which gets full signal all the time!
:confused:
both using the same router.

does an 'inside the case' card work better than a usb dongle?

or is there something more sinister about this connection ? dun dun duuuuun...:eek:

[latency]

The Inspiron 1501 probably has an Intel wireless card in it, in addition to twin screen-mounted antennas- in other words it'll destroy your buffalo USB adaptor for reception strength.

PCI wireless cards usually have stronger transponders in them, but they're limited by being buried at the back of a big metal box- your case.

So I'd say get a PCI card and an after-market antenna- you can get directional or omni-directional antennas on fly-leads that you can mount on the desk, some PCI cards even come with them.
Or get an USB extension lead so you can bring your USB adaptor up from the computer case and sit it on the desk or in some other elevated position.

Also make sure the router's antennas are appropriately set up, keep in mind that the typical omni-directional antenna creates a doughnut-shaped field, so twin antennas in a V-shape usually give the greatest coverage. If it's a single antenna router, position the antenna so it's broad-side toward your room.

[LSG501]

I've been through all the suggestions of latency and to be honest, none are really that good an option in my view.
I would actually suggest getting a ethernet based wifi adapter, it's better in 3 ways:
1) you can place it anywhere you like
2) works from ethernet so no drivers, just assign it an ip, setup connections etc and away it goes.
3) If you have more than one pc on a network, they can all work from it (this is my setup)

My issues with the other types are below.


PCI wireless cards usually have stronger transponders in them, but they're limited by being buried at the back of a big metal box- your case.

So I'd say get a PCI card and an after-market antenna- you can get directional or omni-directional antennas on fly-leads that you can mount on the desk, some PCI cards even come with them.

Great to a point but by the time you buy a new antenna you're getting to the ethernet adapter price point. Belkin sent me a free antenna and it still made no difference in my case (tried different wifi cards too).


Or get an USB extension lead so you can bring your USB adaptor up from the computer case and sit it on the desk or in some other elevated position.


Usually the worst reception of the lot, handy for a quick fix but I wouldn't rely on them. Even with the extension lead they still have a worse connection than anything else in my view.

[jacobzcoool]

When I was stuck on wireless I had a USB wireless adapter with an omnidirectional antenna on a long cable, I put it on top of a shelf, worked well enough. You could try a USB extension cable for a similar effect, although those dongle type adapters aren't that powerful.
You would probably be better off getting a wireless adapter with a more powerful antenna, a directional one gets the best signal but is generally large and needs aiming at the source fairly accurately, an omnidirectional one is easier but gets slightly weaker signal, but this shouldn't matter unless you are trying to connect across a huge distance.
The other option is a repeater halfway between you and the router.

[Beatdown]

thanks guys for the help and knowledge :)

i am literally 10 meters from the router/hub so my signal shouldent be that bad really.

can you suggest any specific products? i am on a budget being a student an all...

i was thinking of getting a cable and hooking it right in but
1) im not sure if it has the right ports (its super old skool, 8 years old)
2)not too practical in a student halls

[latency]

ten meters away... you shouldn't need any new kit. Just some appropriate tweaking of what you have should do it.

Bad signal at that small a range says to me that something's interfering, cables around the USB adaptor, something like that.
The fact that a laptop gets a good signal shows that you don't need any extenders, just some tuning on your kit.
I'd be going with a USB extension lead on your existing adaptor- for the sake for £5 for a cable, it's worth a shot.

[jacobzcoool]

You could also try changing the wireless channel, some get more interference than others depending on what is nearby, try 1, 6 or 11.

[Beatdown]

I've been through all the suggestions of latency and to be honest, none are really that good an option in my view.
I would actually suggest getting a ethernet based wifi adapter, it's better in 3 ways:
1) you can place it anywhere you like
2) works from ethernet so no drivers, just assign it an ip, setup connections etc and away it goes.
3) If you have more than one pc on a network, they can all work from it (this is my setup)



where can i find such a device? what should i be looking for?

[LSG501]

um well we can't link to anyone :rolleyes:

I've got a zyxel g570s (not cheap around 60 quid when I bought it) which does what you want, other names for the type of device you want are wireless gaming adapter or wireless bridge.

My zyxel has a mode called wireless client which allows it to connect to my router like a usb dongle etc.

[Westy5]

The BUFFALO WLI-TX4-G54HP is a nice piece of kit

[eXistenZ]

Ditch wireless and get ethernet over mains :p