Wireless USB Network Adapters - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

MahlerIsGod · 08-26-2003, 10:34 PM

Greetings,
I just moved into a new house where I have to access the highspeed internet (cable) through wireless means. The kid before me used a kind of usb network adapter and he said it worked fine for him. The problem is is that it kind've sucks. The highspeed internet isn't all that highspeed. My link quality is always right around 100% but my signal quality is always in the 70s or 80s. The antenna's (its a Belkin unit) are placed on the highest point in my room which is on my tv. The transmitter is in the basement and I am on the 2nd floor (basement - main floor - 2nd floor) and I am certainly within their maximum limit of 590ft. My question is how do I increase my signal strength? I am assuming that is why it is soooooo slow. Thoughts, suggestions, etc. It all would be very, very much appreciated. Thanks

peacy · 08-27-2003, 12:05 AM

I think the signal strength doesn't really have to do anything with the speed. In my current house I'm using Nokia C110/C111 cards and upstairs my signal level is ~5%, but I still can utilise the whole 11MBit.
Though it might be brand dependent...

MahlerIsGod · 08-27-2003, 12:26 AM

Would matching the brand make that much a difference? The transmitter is a Linksys and as I said before I have a Belkin. I was under the impression that a wireless network kind've worked like a radio station: it transmitted the waves and you simply needed a radio/receiver to hear it. Is my assumption wrong? Because you know what happens when you make an assumption.......

sambocom · 08-27-2003, 12:33 AM

There should be two ratings in the control panel for your wireless nic. Something like Link Strength and Link Quality. Quality is what determines the speed you will transmit at. My strength is at 44%, but the quality is 96%, so I have no speed issues.

I haven't seen any problems with different brands communicating with eachother (between WAP and NIC), however I've heard that some off-brand pcmcia card adapters have really crappy built-in antennas.

MahlerIsGod · 08-27-2003, 12:47 AM

I have almost the same stats as you Mr. Sambocom. My quality is always pretty high but the strength is somewhere in the 70's and 80s. Though they aren't the best company, Belkin products don't strike me as "off-brand."

P.S. How do you have your antennas? Mine are basically just straight up and down. Have you found that a different setup would work best? Just wondering. Thanks.

zenmaster10665 · 08-27-2003, 02:34 AM

do you know if you are using 802.11b or 802.11g technology?

MahlerIsGod · 08-27-2003, 03:28 AM

802.11b

Banginblaz · 08-27-2003, 03:29 AM

I usually get link quality ~85% and strenght ~65% and never have a problem running full speed. Check the settings on your router to see if it is locked at a lower speed.

zenmaster10665 · 08-27-2003, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MahlerIsGod
802.11b

What kind of speeds are you getting on an average download? What is the DSL/Cable/Etc rated line speed?

sambocom · 08-27-2003, 05:09 PM

the antenna i have on my pcmcia card isn't movable--just a piece of plastic that sticks out of the slot, begging to be broken off.

if you have a big problem with link quality and don't care about latency, get a repeater. dlink has one--called a wireless extender: http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=18 ...a little less than $100 at compusa. i used this in a situation where a client had a 3 story house. the wap was on the top floor and the bottom floor had 3% link quality. I installed the repeater in a closet between the first and second floor and it boosted the first floor's quality to 100%. the repeater works by telling it the MAC address of the wap you want it to repeat. once set up, you just plug it in to a power source and forget about it.

a cheaper option is to get an antenna. the benefit of this is you don't lose any latency (no issue of packets going from your computer to the repeater and then to the wap) the problem with an antenna is if you were to point it up, to boost the reception you say is lacking on the second floor, you would lose reception in the basement because the antennas are directional.

MahlerIsGod · 08-27-2003, 08:43 PM

Mr. Sambocom,
Thank you for all of your help and suggestions. I think the repeater may cure all of my ills. I didn't even know the product existed. Again, thanks.

ack32 · 08-28-2003, 11:23 AM

I've had all types of WLAN 802.11b cards, and I can say that even better than getting a repeater would be to get higher quality equipment. It's not necessarily more expensive, you can pick up Orinoco or Cisco PC Cards on Ebay for pretty cheap, and I've had much better luck with those than the Belkin, SMC, Netgear, Etc... that use the Intersil Prism chipsets. For the base station, it might be a little expensive to shell out for a Cisco or Orinoco base station (totally worth it though), but a suitable replacement is a Linksys WAP11, which you can swap the antenna on if you ever want to make a long-distance link you can get a directional antenna.

08-26-2003, 10:34 PM	#1 (permalink)
MahlerIsGod At The Globe Showing Will How Its Done Location: London/Elysium	Wireless USB Network Adapters Greetings, I just moved into a new house where I have to access the highspeed internet (cable) through wireless means. The kid before me used a kind of usb network adapter and he said it worked fine for him. The problem is is that it kind've sucks. The highspeed internet isn't all that highspeed. My link quality is always right around 100% but my signal quality is always in the 70s or 80s. The antenna's (its a Belkin unit) are placed on the highest point in my room which is on my tv. The transmitter is in the basement and I am on the 2nd floor (basement - main floor - 2nd floor) and I am certainly within their maximum limit of 590ft. My question is how do I increase my signal strength? I am assuming that is why it is soooooo slow. Thoughts, suggestions, etc. It all would be very, very much appreciated. Thanks __________________ "But a work of art is a conscious human effort that has to do with communication. It is that or its nothing. When an accident is applauded as a work of art, when a cult grows up around the deliciousness of inadvertent beauty, we are in the presence of the greatest decadence the West has known in its history."

08-27-2003, 12:26 AM	#3 (permalink)
MahlerIsGod At The Globe Showing Will How Its Done Location: London/Elysium	Would matching the brand make that much a difference? The transmitter is a Linksys and as I said before I have a Belkin. I was under the impression that a wireless network kind've worked like a radio station: it transmitted the waves and you simply needed a radio/receiver to hear it. Is my assumption wrong? Because you know what happens when you make an assumption....... __________________ "But a work of art is a conscious human effort that has to do with communication. It is that or its nothing. When an accident is applauded as a work of art, when a cult grows up around the deliciousness of inadvertent beauty, we are in the presence of the greatest decadence the West has known in its history."

08-27-2003, 12:47 AM	#5 (permalink)
MahlerIsGod At The Globe Showing Will How Its Done Location: London/Elysium	I have almost the same stats as you Mr. Sambocom. My quality is always pretty high but the strength is somewhere in the 70's and 80s. Though they aren't the best company, Belkin products don't strike me as "off-brand." P.S. How do you have your antennas? Mine are basically just straight up and down. Have you found that a different setup would work best? Just wondering. Thanks. __________________ "But a work of art is a conscious human effort that has to do with communication. It is that or its nothing. When an accident is applauded as a work of art, when a cult grows up around the deliciousness of inadvertent beauty, we are in the presence of the greatest decadence the West has known in its history."

08-27-2003, 02:34 AM	#6 (permalink)
zenmaster10665 Bokonist Location: Location, Location, Location...	do you know if you are using 802.11b or 802.11g technology? __________________ "Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before. He is full of murderous resentment of people who are ignorant without having come by their ignorance the hard way." -Kurt Vonnegut

08-27-2003, 03:28 AM	#7 (permalink)
MahlerIsGod At The Globe Showing Will How Its Done Location: London/Elysium	802.11b __________________ "But a work of art is a conscious human effort that has to do with communication. It is that or its nothing. When an accident is applauded as a work of art, when a cult grows up around the deliciousness of inadvertent beauty, we are in the presence of the greatest decadence the West has known in its history."

08-27-2003, 12:05 AM	#2 (permalink)
peacy Crazy Location: Reading, UK	I think the signal strength doesn't really have to do anything with the speed. In my current house I'm using Nokia C110/C111 cards and upstairs my signal level is ~5%, but I still can utilise the whole 11MBit. Though it might be brand dependent...

08-27-2003, 12:33 AM	#4 (permalink)
sambocom Tilted Location: Sunny California	There should be two ratings in the control panel for your wireless nic. Something like Link Strength and Link Quality. Quality is what determines the speed you will transmit at. My strength is at 44%, but the quality is 96%, so I have no speed issues. I haven't seen any problems with different brands communicating with eachother (between WAP and NIC), however I've heard that some off-brand pcmcia card adapters have really crappy built-in antennas.

08-27-2003, 03:29 AM	#8 (permalink)
Banginblaz Dont stop here; This is bat country! Location: North East	I usually get link quality ~85% and strenght ~65% and never have a problem running full speed. Check the settings on your router to see if it is locked at a lower speed.

08-27-2003, 05:09 PM	#10 (permalink)
sambocom Tilted Location: Sunny California	the antenna i have on my pcmcia card isn't movable--just a piece of plastic that sticks out of the slot, begging to be broken off. if you have a big problem with link quality and don't care about latency, get a repeater. dlink has one--called a wireless extender: http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=18 ...a little less than $100 at compusa. i used this in a situation where a client had a 3 story house. the wap was on the top floor and the bottom floor had 3% link quality. I installed the repeater in a closet between the first and second floor and it boosted the first floor's quality to 100%. the repeater works by telling it the MAC address of the wap you want it to repeat. once set up, you just plug it in to a power source and forget about it. a cheaper option is to get an antenna. the benefit of this is you don't lose any latency (no issue of packets going from your computer to the repeater and then to the wap) the problem with an antenna is if you were to point it up, to boost the reception you say is lacking on the second floor, you would lose reception in the basement because the antennas are directional.

08-27-2003, 08:43 PM	#11 (permalink)
MahlerIsGod At The Globe Showing Will How Its Done Location: London/Elysium	Mr. Sambocom, Thank you for all of your help and suggestions. I think the repeater may cure all of my ills. I didn't even know the product existed. Again, thanks. __________________ "But a work of art is a conscious human effort that has to do with communication. It is that or its nothing. When an accident is applauded as a work of art, when a cult grows up around the deliciousness of inadvertent beauty, we are in the presence of the greatest decadence the West has known in its history."

08-28-2003, 11:23 AM	#12 (permalink)
ack32 Tilted	I've had all types of WLAN 802.11b cards, and I can say that even better than getting a repeater would be to get higher quality equipment. It's not necessarily more expensive, you can pick up Orinoco or Cisco PC Cards on Ebay for pretty cheap, and I've had much better luck with those than the Belkin, SMC, Netgear, Etc... that use the Intersil Prism chipsets. For the base station, it might be a little expensive to shell out for a Cisco or Orinoco base station (totally worth it though), but a suitable replacement is a Linksys WAP11, which you can swap the antenna on if you ever want to make a long-distance link you can get a directional antenna.