Wireless - Is this normal? [Screenshot]

[scoob8000]

Just beginning to dabble in wireless, I'm noticing that totally randomally I'll get the XP bubble telling me that the connection is unavailable.. Few seconds later it's connected again.. A bit of a log from netstumbler shows the drop offs, the bigger of the black lines is where I actually get disconnected..

Tried different channels, and tweaking various settings on my card and AP with no difference..

This box is about 15 feet, line of sight from the AP..

-scoob8000

 

[nst6563]

Are your antenna pointed straight up or are they at an angle from each other:

(let me try some ascii....yeah right...my skills sucked...so here's some l33t photochoping)

If they are parallel to each other, you'll get signal cancellation...which could be why you're getting knocked off from only 15 feet away.

 

[scoob8000]

edit.. You edited too..

Anyway, I tried it that way too.. I'm getting the small dropoffs still, but not enough to loose the connection totally (yet)..

edit again:

Hrmm, seem to be getting best signal with one antenna straight up, and the other one sideways..

-scoob8000

 

[Keith130]

Just to clarify because im a little confused, its better not to have the antenna parallel to each other right?

 

[nst6563]

Just to clarify because im a little confused, its better not to have the antenna parallel to each other right?

you're correct. On a dual antenna system, the antennae should be angled, not parallel.

If they are parallel as in the illustration on the left, then you'll get signal cancellation and "dead spots". The dead spots may not always be in the same place, which could be why he's getting a dropped connection every so often from only 15 feet away.

I had the same issue only my laptop was about 30 feet away, and through 2 walls. I would get a dropped connection and low signal strength all the time. When I found out that I should angle the antenna (like in the pic on the right), my signal strength improved and I didn't get dropped connections (as often...but having 2 walls, a fish tank w/flourescent lights, and plumbing pipes between doesn't help)

 

[nst6563]

Hrmm, seem to be getting best signal with one antenna straight up, and the other one sideways..

-scoob8000

I guess it's just best to experiment. you don't have anything around like flourescent lights or a cordless 2.4ghz phone do you? I had very bad signal and lots of dropped connections until I moved my 2.4ghz phone. My wireless and phone worked off the same frequency range. Getting rid of the phone completely improved my signal greatly...so now we've got a 5ghz phone and a 900mhz phone


oh, and microwaves mess with the signal too when they're running...

 

[jamezzz122]

I will have to try new antennae methods...

I am using the pareallel | | right now...Will try the \ /...Does anyone use the \ |? Is that good?

 

[scoob8000]

I guess it's just best to experiment. you don't have anything around like flourescent lights or a cordless 2.4ghz phone do you? I had very bad signal and lots of dropped connections until I moved my 2.4ghz phone. My wireless and phone worked off the same frequency range. Getting rid of the phone completely improved my signal greatly...so now we've got a 5ghz phone and a 900mhz phone


oh, and microwaves mess with the signal too when they're running...

I do have a 2.4ghz cordless, but soon as I started having problems I unplugged the bugger and unplugged the battery.. No difference. However with it on certain channels and on I have issues..

Well I got my signal to noise down, and the dropouts are less but I'm still loosing connection randomally..

I'm finding this odd too..

Pinging 192.168.0.2 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=871ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=861ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=817ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.0.2: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64

Ping statistics for 192.168.0.2:
Packets: Sent = 32, Received = 32, Lost = 0 (0%
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 1ms, Maximum = 871ms, Average = 80ms

-scoob8000

 

[nst6563]

that's interesting with the spike to 800+ms every 7-10 pings. I'm no wireless network expert, but it almost looks like a "heartbeat" interval or something.

what type of wireless ap/router is it??

 

[scoob8000]

It's an SMC 2804WBR...

Tried timing things in between spikes, but it seems random..

I'm wondering if there is some sort of buffer setting somewhere that is effecting this..

-scoob8000

 

[nst6563]

does your wireless router have anything like what's in the screenshot I took of mine? There are some interval settings in there...maybe playing around with those will do something for you?

 

[scoob8000]

Nadda.. I have some of those settings on the NIC though, no idea what they are.. I tried turning "packet bursting" off. Seems to of helped a little bit, but the problem is still there..

-scoob8000