Need Help With Wireless Internet

[No_Brains]

i have a question that i need some help with but i don't know if i am in the correct place though, excuse me if i am but my ? is

i just bought a laptop computer a week ago.. it came with a built in wireless LAN 802.11b/g. i have a modem that i have with my internet provider .. well the computer detects the modem and lets me get on the internet but the signal is not as good as i would like though .. i noticed that at radio shack they have several wireless usb adapters ... is there any speicific brand that i could by that will help me boost my signal strength

thanks in advance for the help

 

[No_Brains]

i also would like to be able to access the internet if i am out in about.. b/c i will be going on a trip soon and would like to be able to use the internet if there is a wi fi hot spot aviablable

 

[Peter Parker]

The adapter in your laptop should work fine when you are at a hot spot. The laptop should tell you taht it has found a the hot spot and the whole process should be automatic--though you might need to enter a password that the operator of the hotpot provides.

As for your other situation the laptop cannot see a modem per se. It sees a wireless router---and the two may be combined in one box. You might meant to read the laptop manual, It may tell you how to position the laptop to get better signal and/or you might try using a better antenna attached to the router.

The wireless USB adapters probably would not be an improvement although some come with a bit of an antenna. But you really don't want to have a large item attached. It restricts your mobility. which is likely the amin resaon you bought a laptop to bein with.

 

[No_Brains]

Thanks for the response . i will try that. i really appreciate the help!
this is a great site

 

[ahope577]

Another suggestion would be to see if your router/modem has a detachable antenna (does it unscrew?) and attach a higher gain antenna to it. This will increase the signal strength transmitted by the router/modem.

If the modem/router is rented from cable/phone company keep the old antenna just in case you need to send it back at some stage

Edit: I see Geronimo has already suggested this, this would be the route I would take.

 

[Bogy]

No_Brains, you say the signal is not as good as you would like, but it would help to know some more details. How far away from the device sending the signal is your laptop? Is the signal ok when you are in the same room? How many walls does the signal have to travel through? Floors? Most times the device that sends the signal has two antennas. Can you get a better signal by rotating that device? If you are old enough to remember when tv's had "rabbit ears", it's kind of like that. You can change the pattern of the signal. Most times the antennas on that sending device should be straight up and down for the best signal, and if possible the signal is best if that device and your laptop are "level". That is why being on different floors can be a problem. The signal not only has to go through the floor, but depending on how the antenna is oriented, the signal pattern may not be the most effective. To go back to the beginning, if you don't have a strong signal when you are in the same room as the device sending that signal, then you have another problem.

 

[No_Brains]

i tried repositioning the modem in the other room where the modem is connected to the main computer and fixing the antenna is pointing up and down and now it works better then what it did before...

but i have one more ? is there something else that can be affecting the strength of the signal like the cordless phones .. i also have a police scanner that is running in the same room and it has an antenna on it... could that have any effect on the signal as well?

 

[Bogy]

i tried repositioning the modem in the other room where the modem is connected to the main computer and fixing the antenna is pointing up and down and now it works better then what it did before...

but i have one more ? is there something else that can be affecting the strength of the signal like the cordless phones .. i also have a police scanner that is running in the same room and it has an antenna on it... could that have any effect on the signal as well?

It is possible for wireless phones and other electronic equipment to disrupt the signal. It depends on what frequency they are operating at. A microwave oven can also disrupt the signal. However, my own experience is that wireless phones aren't really that big a problem. For several years my wireless router has been placed next to the base station for my wireless phone system, and I have not noticed a significant problem.

 

[ahope577]

I had some serious problems with Vtech 2.4ghz phone and a netgear rouer, I upgraded to 5.8ghz phone and have not had any interference since. I have since upgraded my router too.
Wireless G can get interference in the 2.4ghz range

 

[Peter Parker]

you might try unplugging the base station of the phone log enough to see if it helps you so something like download a large file. If it is faster than you might want to consider 900 Mhz phones---although their range is limited ) or 5.8 Mhz.

 

[jeremydiederich1]

the 2.4 GHz phones do mess with your signal, also a cell phone may.

What router are you using now?

 

[Claude Greiner]

When I was at my Grandmas house for a month in 2005 when I had my house fire, her neighbor had an un-secured wireless network.

Put a wireless bridge in her shed, and mounted a large direction antenna outside and pointed it towards her neighbors house. From there, ran it into another wireless router and then with another high gain antenna pointed it towards her house.

Worked great with my laptop

 

[Ronald_Jeremy]

I always get worried about security when I hear about wireless adapters. I think someone will intercept the line.

And you should be. Most people run them wide open. This is dangerous and can get you sued or even arrested if someone downloads illegal stuff using your internet connection.

You should do the following to lock people out. Not totally fool-proof, but will make it where it is not worth hacking your connection.

1. Change the password in your router. Never leave it as the default.
2. Set up encryption. WPA is preferred.
3. Turn off the SSID broadcast. (Still can easilty be seen though if someone has the correct program)
4. Set up MAC filtering and only allow only the MAC addresses of your devices on the network.

 

[diogen]

On the wireless networks issue: here is an interesting comment by Bruce Schneier

I run an open wireless network at home. There’s no password, and there’s no encryption.
Honestly, I think it’s just polite. Why should I care if someone on the block steals wireless access from me?
When my wireless router broke last month, I used a neighbor’s access until I replaced it.

My philosophy is to keep the network open and secure the hosts.

Very interesting interview
Bruce Schneier Blazes Through Your Questions - Freakonomics - Opinion - New York Times Blog

Diogen.

 

[Ronald_Jeremy]

The guy is an idiot!!

 

[diogen]

The guy is an idiot!!

You should think twice or at least google his name before passing such judgement on one
of the very few security pros that know what they are talking about and have actually something useful to say.
See this for example
Bruce Schneier Speaker Bio Find booking agent contact to book top speakers bureau and celebrities
Bloomberg.com: U.K.
Schneier on Security: House of Lords on Computer Security

Diogen.

 

[Ronald_Jeremy]

You should think twice or at least google his name before passing such judgement on one
of the very few security pros that know what they are talking about and have actually something useful to say.
See this for example
Bruce Schneier Speaker Bio Find booking agent contact to book top speakers bureau and celebrities
Bloomberg.com: U.K.
Schneier on Security: House of Lords on Computer Security

Diogen.

I retract my statement that he is an idiot. I trust you.

The guy is smart, but he lacks common sense.