[Thunderer]

Hi,

So, I have an Alcatel Speed Touch Home and a Linksys WRT54GC ver2.0 and a 6MB freedom (i.e. no download or upload limit) connection. Now I am not seeing the full potential of the internet + when I would be on my laptop, the connection (wireless through Linksys) is weak and sometimes it just looses connection.

Now I would like to know why this is happening, maybe I have some odd configurations!!! Also, would like to know whether I would be better if I buy the Belkin F5D8232UK4 N1 Vision 300Mbps Wireless Cable Router??

Hope someone could help me sort this thing out.

10q

EDIT: I am on ADSL not CABLE
EDIT2: So I think this would be [Belkin F5D8631UK4A 300Mbps Wireless ADSL2+ Modem/Router] not the one mentioned earlier.

[Carbon]

Most likely you're just not getting a strong signal.

You have a few options:

1. relocate the router
2. wire your laptop (lol)
3. buy some of those neato extenders, or
4. knock some walls down

[Thunderer]

OK.

So, I will try and wire the laptop so as to see from where the problem is comming.
The other 2 options are out of the question
'Neato extenders' do not know what exactly are!!!

But the main problem is not about the laptop connectivity (eventhough it buggs me) but the fact that I have the mentioned above modems and I am able to buy another router and found out about Belkin. Now the question is that the modems are have may be decreasing the internet speed cos when I do a speed test I bearly see a 150Kb/s download!!!!!

[Mike0001]

Could be an ISP problem. I had no end of problems the 2 months I was with plusnet, even though they and I were in the same town.

If it is a WiFi problem, weak signal, get a MIMO router. If you have thick walls, you will get a good connection from Homeplug.

[Thunderer]

Due to the fact that I live in Malta :( Our ISP are not all that good, but the one I am with now never ever gave me any kind of trouble. The thing is that now I have upgraded to 6MB and am not feeling the change (if you know what I mean). Searching the web is a bit faster than usual but when it comes to making a connection with the laptop, is not that good.

Now I just tried the laptop with the wire and the connection was good. Then I saw that the signal was 1/2 full and the thing that really got me was that the Linksys (wireless router) was exactly 2cm away. Thus I am thinking that the router does not have enough power, let alone being able to connect 2 PC's wireless through it!!!!

So, would you recemmend me buying an all in one router as the once mentioned above??

With regards to the walls, since our house is build with stones, they are 8" thick, and the wireless has about 11metres diagonal distance from the router to the laptop where there is a wall and stairs.

Hope this is better so you could help me more :)

[Carbon]

If you're wired and it's telling you you have half bars, much less bars at all, that's a big problem - because you're not using the wired connection!

Are you absolutely sure that you are connecting to your router and not someone else's, perhaps a neighbor's? The fact that you're connecting to a wireless signal when plugged in is kind of odd.

The router won't slow it down, what will slow it down is the signal strength, really. So really thick walls will degrade the signal strength. It's really unlikely that the router is slowing it down, it may not have a very strong antenna, so what I was referring to were extenders that essentially pick up your signal and broadcast it farther through the house to increase your signal strength. I read about them a while ago and I'm sure they've made it to market by now.

Check your router settings, change your SSID to something other than "linksys" and try connecting to it to rule out connecting to someone else.

[Thunderer]

I am sure I am not connecting to some one else cos when I search a network, they only show mine :)

The final verdict is that since I was going to buy a wireless USB adaptor to connect my old PC to the WiFi, now I am going to buy the Belkin N1 Vision now :) (it is suppose to be one of the best that I could) and use the Linksys as a receiver (if possilbe)!!! Anyone could tell me pls??

[Mike0001]

Originally Posted by Thunderer I am sure I am not connecting to some one else cos when I search a network, they only show mine :)

Try Network Stumbler. It gives a better picture of what is going on.

[Thunderer]

Did try to change the channel but to no avail. So ... the router is bad!!! :)

[Thunderer]

Ok, so I will try the Network Stumbler tomorrow and will tell you what resulted.

Now, I tried again the laptop exactly 2 cm away from the router and I have found out the from 5 bars, the connection only shows 3 bars BUT when I enter the connection properties states that there are 4 bars. Eventhough IMO 5bars should be minimum :) Also the speed of the internet is veryyyy slow. The laptop is a Dell Inspirion 9400 and the wireless card is an Intel Pro and I checked all its settings and everything is set to high.

So what is going on??? :(