My wireless sucks. Why?

[munckee]

Ok, my apt. has a wireless cable connection running on two PC's and my Mac. We continually get dropped service and connection problems. I usually have to reset the router after waking up my Mac. We're not running any security on the router, and otherwise it appears to be set up correctly.

Connecting via hardwire works perfectly; its just the wireless that we're having issues with. When its connected and running, it usually runs fine (although occassionally it will drop out momentarily or completely).

Any ideas?

 

[G5Unit]

Welcome to wireless, we have 2 macs, and 3 PC's hooked up and the signal always drops on the PC's, and it's slow as hell.

 

[Lazyhound]

What model of router? Are you using the latest firmware? Are there any other wireless networks nearby operating on the same channel?

 

[osprey76]

Probably interference with other wireless devices. I can see up to 5 other wireless routers from my apartment. I noticed one was using the same channel that I was, so I switched to another, empty channel. Keep in mind 2.4 GHz phones, microwaves, et al. also cause interference for WiFi networks.

 

[mkrishnan]

Have you tried changing the channel?

 

[munckee]

Yeah, there are other networks around (i live in NYC), but I've made certain I'm on a different channel than the others. It's a netgear router, model # WGR614. I think it has the latest firmware, but I'm not certain.

 

[wnameth]

the PCs are most likely the problem, i have 3 macs in my house 2 are wireless and one is wired to a d-link 514, it always works and i always get 4 bars...

 

[Lazyhound]

I think it has the latest firmware, but I'm not certain.

You can check for updates here (it should tell you the current version somewhere on the router configuration page, or on one of the stickers on the bottom of the router).

 

[freeny]

Yup Munckee, I live in NYC too and have the same issue. I have to reboot my airport constantly. Never thought about changing the channel so I will certainly try this too when I get home. I get about 12 wireless connections in my building as well. Sometimes if I'm too lazy ill just connect to somone elses wireless untill I feel like getting up to reboot

 

[technicolor]

Thank the lord for this thread. I can see about 8 networks in my bldg and my airport was giving me all kinds of problems. Change of channel worked great.

 

[simon-says]

In the lab I work at we have a DLink 624, or something like that. Anyways whenever we connect my Powerbook on the network everyone's wireless drops too. Have not been able to figure it out. In fact the wireless signal will drop every 15 minutes or so while my Powerbook is on the network. Is this some type of Apple problem?

 

[Jay42]

Sometimes if I'm too lazy ill just connect to somone elses wireless untill I feel like getting up to reboot

Ha, I do the same thing.

My router is really not that far from my PowerBook. Probably 20-30ft as the crow flies. But I think I have a lot of trouble because of interference or something. There is a large steel safe and a couple walls between the PB and the router, so I think that's part of the problem. I put a Linsys wireless repeater between the two, which seems to reroute the signal enough to get a stable connection. My cordless phones are 5.8ghz (not the culprit), but I do see several other networks at any given time. Sometimes there's not a lot you can do.

 

[munckee]

I think it was just an issue of too many networks. I've since moved and we got a new linksys router set on a different channel than most of the other networks we see around us. Seems to work fine; has only dropped a couple of times.