HELP with signal ? LINKSYS wrt54g [Archive]

vixencreating

26-10-2006, 12:01

can any1 help:erm: the Linksys router is on my desktop in my room, and my daughter has a laptop with wireless card. It reads the linksys but has poor connectivity in her bedroom or other rooms? it works and reads it really well when she is in the room with me. how do i get better signal?

UncleBooBoo

26-10-2006, 12:07

you won't, the newer models of the linksys WRT54G have poor signal coverage!

Let me guess you got a version 7 maybe?

You can purchase these: http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?ProductID=1453 but you will be wasting your money as they don't do anything to help increase signal unless your in an open spaced area!

Take it back and get a different model!

Sorry to be so negative! :D

hc25036

26-10-2006, 12:47

You do have some options. First up (and cheapest) is to try using the Linksys USB antenna instead of the one built into the laptop. This works for our laptop as the long cable enables you to put the antenna where signal might be better (you could even use a USB extension cable too). Second up is better antennae in the router (check the Linksys website and then Google for a UK dealer) and third up is the Linksys extender (WRE54g, but this is a pain to get working). I use all of these in our tricky set up and get rock solid strong signal all over the house whereas two room got no usable signal before.

Of course, starting again with a new wireless router (54n seems to have a better range) may work for you, but if it doesn't, you are back where you are today with less cash!

brundles

26-10-2006, 12:55

you won't, the newer models of the linksys WRT54G have poor signal coverage!

Let me guess you got a version 7 maybe?

You can purchase these: http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?ProductID=1453 but you will be wasting your money as they don't do anything to help increase signal unless your in an open spaced area!

Take it back and get a different model!

Sorry to be so negative! :D
Didn't realise they'd started cutting corners that much.

Depending on the hardware version you might be able to get DD-WRT (http://www.dd-wrt.com) on it. This includes an option in the firmware to boost the signal strength from the default setting. You'd need to make sure you don't boost it too much though otherwise you might fry the router anyway!

Not sure whether they ever got DD-WRT running on the newer hardwares though - I know there are a number of other brands that it runs on not though so if you're interested in that sort of thing it's worth a look.

hc25036

26-10-2006, 14:07

Doh! Always check the basics first - where is the router relative to your daughter's room? If the router is on the same floor as the laptop or the floor below, try moving the router around a bit. Higher up is better and see if you can get a line between the router and the laptop that doesn't go through a solid brick wall. If the router is upstairs and the laptop is downstairs you are going to struggle. If a wired network isn't possible, maybe the homeplug sytem will work for you - just Google for homeplug.

vixencreating

26-10-2006, 16:43

thank you all for your kind help ;) i have the version 2 !!! i managed to change channel and it has helped enormously. thanks again :D

brundles

26-10-2006, 17:56

It might be worth having a scan for other networks in your area then.

Theoretically there are only 3 unique channel spaces - 1, 6 and 11. Try each of those and see how you get on. I've you're really desperate you could try finding Japanese firmware loads for the router and laptop so you get channel 14, but that's probably overkill!

Druchii

26-10-2006, 17:59

It might be worth having a scan for other networks in your area then.

Theoretically there are only 3 unique channel spaces - 1, 6 and 11. Try each of those and see how you get on. I've you're really desperate you could try finding Japanese firmware loads for the router and laptop so you get channel 14, but that's probably overkill!
Tried that last night, forgot my wireless cards can't support it (Doh!)

brundles

26-10-2006, 18:40

As an fyi on the frequencies, US products support channels 1 to 11, European support 1 to 13 and Japanese 1 to 14.

A friend of mine at work got caught out when he had his laptop "refreshed" and the new corporate XP image was US based - his home LAN was european on 13. Easily fixed when you know what you're looking for. All he saw was that his new laptop couldn't connect to the wireless LAN.