Living Room PC Getting Low To No Wireless Signal

For some reason my new custom built PC get low to no wireless internet signal in the living room. My sister says that she gets a lot of disconnects (last time I asked, about 10 disconnects throughout the day). It loses the wireless and after a while (no time table) it will connect back. The router is in the bedroom less than 30 feet away but there's like a wall or two in between. It shouldn't have caused this much problem though because I tried it on my OLD Windows 98 PC and it doesn't seem to have this problem. It always has an average wireless connection (2 or 3 bar signal). The new PC is using Windows XP Pro and I set up Windows to connect to it automatically. Thanks.

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I'm having a similar problem too. My wireless router is in the hallway outside of the room containing the computer. The space between them is like the shape of the letter "L", and they're at the 2 ends of the "L". The surroundings are walls. The distance from one end of the L to the other end is less than 10 meters apart (I don't know how many feet that is). It worked perfectly (only a few disconnects a day) when it was first set up, but now, it always gets a LOW signal, and sometimes disconnects every few minutes. The Mac in the same room doesn't have any problem at all.

The computer is a Windows XP too. Both computers (the Mac and the PC) are desktop computers.

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Are you using Windows XP Professional or the other one?

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Nexmon, don't you think he means Professional when he says Pro? Anyway, this have to be because of the network card in the living room pc. It can't be because the Windows version, can it? Well or it have to be that Windows XP Pro and your modem aren't 100% compatible, but my modem also connects to both a Windows 98 as a XP Pro computer and none of them have any problems connecting. Try contacting the manufacter of your modem, maybe they can tell you more.

-=jeroen=-

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yea you should check the network card of your pc. also try moving the router outside the room see what happens. another one move the new pc out and place the old one see what kind of connection it gets.

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Will also try relocating the router to see if it's the problem, but I doubt it since my vintage Windows 98 computer works.

@warbird: What could be wrong if it's not the network card? The machine in my living room uses a USB Wireless Adapter to connect. I use this same usb adapter on my Windows 98 PC without any problems (don't get very low signals and disconnects). At first I thought it's the USB adapter being too big to fit (mouse and keyboard wires in the way), so I used a USB exension cable...same problem.

My setup is like a L shape (similar to szupie's)...with two walls in between.

I don't think XP Professional is the one causing the problem since another laptop we have here uses XP Pro and no complaints from my brother yet

Thanks.

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OK, I've fixed my problem. I found out that, for the past few months, I have been connecting to others' wireless routers in the nearby apartments... That was weird...

WeaponX, how many connections do you see when you scan for them? You might be connecting to the wrong one if you can find multiple networks in your scan. But maybe you're not stupid like me to connect to the wrong networks.

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Hi szupie, I did see one or two others in the past...and even tried connecting to them hehe... But don't see them lately. I'm sure it's connecting to the proper one (my own wireless router). I added the wireless settings on the desktop (which is basically exactly how it's setup on my laptop which doesn't have this problem). I tried unchecking the box that says 'Automatically connect to non-preferred networks' and it made no difference

I looked back and forth between the desktop and my laptop and can't find anything different...unless I'm blind and missed it

Thanks.

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...you guys have to watch out for what wireless cards and routers you buy (prolly know this) but with a b adapter you will only get 11mbs connection and will disconnect quite a few times if you are not within bout 15 feet of the router (the new g cards are great and dont have this problem and get 108mbs - still wonderin what the n cards are gonna get)...

...another thing is that if you have satalites tv radio signals or anything thats commin from a satalite...that can cause problems to if its operating on the same frequencty (which i beleive is 2.4mhz for most cards - but can very)...

also yes...as you guys said you will want to make sure you are connecting to your router and not someone elses router ...you can actually have fun with this on a laptop (me and my buddy drove around town all day trying to find access points - found bout 20 of them in the small town of clintonville [1400 people]...) but that is illegal ... not positive on exactly how to do this (as i am not at a computer with wireless right now) but you can block access to all access points but yours...so that way you are only connected to your router and no one elses...

if you are still having problems...ive heard of some people having their signal get low because of the way the house was built (as in the stuff in the walls - metal or w/e) im not sure if this is true...just stuff ive read before (ive never personally had a problem with this)...i had a b card and router (so i was only gettin 11mbs) and the laptop was upstairs in this three story building and the router was in the basement...i had it set to connect to mine and only mine...didnt have any problems...didnt always get 11mbs or the strongest signal...but it never went to low or disconnected me (was a linksys router & card)

 

 

 

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All the routers I have come across here in England have been at frequencies in the low Gigahertz (yes, I did say Gigahertz).

An example of the wireless problem I came across was the signal not being picked up by the other end. This was on my auntie's other computer, which they had just bought from my uncle so that they had two. Anyway, I went and upgraded the computer to XP Pro, and very easily set up the connection. The mains router is upstairs, and the reciever downstairs. Both sides work perfectly.

The problem my other uncle faced was that (him being an intermediate IT technician) he over-complicated matters (doing all sorts of random stuff). As both computers are XP (and Pro) it was easy to install (due to the drivers already available). Simply plug it in and wait for Windows to load the driver database for it.

At school, as it uses multiple wireless connections, there is an overlap of signals, so sometimes we can not connect to log on. Other times we can.

I remember a few years ago when it was all leads to do multiple comuters on the Internet.

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