Internet signal dropping out when in a different room to the router

[Blade73]

Hi, any help on this problem would be appreciated.

 

For the last fortnight the internet signal keeps fluctuating causing freezing of web pages when surfing the net.

 

A bit of background information, the router has always been upstairs out of the way on a secondary socket in the spare bedroom this has been the case for 3+ years now for some reason I have this problem of fluctuating weak signal strength when I use the laptop downstairs, which is where 99% of the time I have always used the computer. If I take the laptop upstairs near the router it runs perfectly.

 

You're probably thinking why not move the router downstairs into the main socket, the problem is that there really isn't much space for the route where the main socket is positioned downstairs. The thing I don't understand is why all of a should its become an issue noting in the house has changed ie moving wirings/sockets or any new electrical equipment since this problem sorted. Orange have sent out a new router 'Brightbox' and done a line test and they say the line's fine.

 

So any advice would be appreciated.

 

Cheers

[kinetic]

One of your neighbours will have gone wireless and will be on the same channel as you. There's 4 channels (1,5,9 and 13). And if a neighbour uses the same channel it causes all sorts of problems. Try changing the channel on your router to something else.

 

You can get software which will tell you the optimum channel to use btw (available for pcs, macs, smartphones, etc). I can't think of the name of the one I use from the top of my head but have a look around and you'll find one. But for now just try another channel.

[Blade73]

One of your neighbours will have gone wireless and will be on the same channel as you. There's 4 channels (1,5,9 and 13). And if a neighbour uses the same channel it causes all sorts of problems. Try changing the channel on your router to something else.

 

You can get software which will tell you the optimum channel to use btw (available for pcs, macs, smartphones, etc). I can't think of the name of the one I use from the top of my head but have a look around and you'll find one. But for now just try another channel.

 

Right, when I click on the signal strength icon there does seem to be more in the list of possible connections. There was a SKY one which seems to have a strong signal strength now. I always thought when you put your password in for your own router it stopped anyone else using your wifi signal?

 

They had me change channel to number 7, but thanks for the advice I'll have a look into this software you mentioned.

[kinetic]

Forget the software for now. I shouldn't have mentioned it, it's largely irrelevant to your problem.

 

You certainly shouldn't be using channel 7 (and any one involved in technology will know that, the guy was an idiot). It's complicated to explain but there are a range of wifi channels, 1-13 or something, but the radio signal bleeds over slightly into the next channel. (so for example if you use channel 7 is will bleed over slightly over into channel 6 and channel 8 ).

 

That's why there's a gap between usable channels. You should only be using channels 1,5,9 or 13. If you're currently using channel 7 try 13 (if your router allows it, some don't - generally speaking 13 is the least used channel as it's illegal to use this channel in the United States, so some hardware doesn't allow you to select it). If you can't select channel 13 try channel 1 for now (although be aware that channel 1 is usually the most overloaded channel, as it's the default on a lot of routers and most people never change it).

 

See if that cures your problem.

[kinetic]

I always thought when you put your password in for your own router it stopped anyone else using your wifi signal?

 

It's not that they are using your routers signal. It's that they are using the same frequency as your router is broadcasting on.

 

The best way to explain it is that it's like when an FM radio has 2 radio stations playing close together (often caused by a pirate radio station running), and you can't hear either clearly because they are sharing the same frequency. Same principle.

[Blade73]

Forget the software for now. I shouldn't have mentioned it, it's largely irrelevant to your problem.

 

You certainly shouldn't be using channel 7 (and any one involved in technology will know that, the guy was an idiot). It's complicated to explain but there are a range of wifi channels, 1-13 or something, but the radio signal bleeds over slightly into the next channel. (so for example if you use channel 7 is will bleed over slightly over into channel 6 and channel 8 ).

 

That's why there's a gap between usable channels. You should only be using channels 1,5,9 or 13. If you're currently using channel 7 try 13 (if your router allows it, some don't - generally speaking 13 is the least used channel as it's illegal to use this channel in the United States, so some hardware doesn't allow you to select it). If you can't select channel 13 try channel 1 for now (although be aware that channel 1 is usually the most overloaded channel, as it's the default on a lot of routers and most people never change it).

 

See if that cures your problem.

 

Cheers for that mate, I'll give that a try when I get home. When I originally looked at the channel number it was set to Auto and they said try number 7. but 13 will be tried and hopefully sort the problem out

[AlexAtkin]

I don't want to complicate things but I just wanted to mention that there can be good reasons to use none-regular channel numbers.

 

For example I have deliberately chosen channels that overlap on both sides before. Why? Because potentially it means I have more available bandwidth as the chance of BOTH of those networks being used simultaneously is lower. If I choose to share with just one network there is a greater chance of it having a noticeable impact.

 

That is where things get confusing as just because you have a WiFi network seemingly overlapping your own, it doesn't mean its actually in-use. Its only when someone is actually using that network that it will start to impact your own (and likewise, you will be impacting theirs).

 

So if your neighbours do not use their wireless much, or at all (as all routers tend to have WiFi enabled by default but not everyone will actually use it or know to turn it off), then it might appear to be a strong signal overlapping your own - but it won't actually impact your network at all.

 

That said its HIGHLY advised to bring the router down to the master socket anyway, as your broadband itself is likely to work better there. Is it not possible to wall mount the router if there is a lack of space?

[kinetic]

For example I have deliberately chosen channels that overlap on both sides before. Why? Because potentially it means I have more available bandwidth as the chance of BOTH of those networks being used simultaneously is lower. If I choose to share with just one network there is a greater chance of it having a noticeable impact.

 

That is where things get confusing as just because you have a WiFi network seemingly overlapping your own, it doesn't mean its actually in-use. Its only when someone is actually using that network that it will start to impact your own (and likewise, you will be impacting theirs).

 

All that information is completely wrong. Wireless routers constantly transmit bursts of data (think about it; if it wasn't transmitting data how would your laptop know the router existed when you scan for the closest wifi signal). The problem is compounded by the fact that wifi is only half-duplex, so it can't receive and transmit at the same time. When the channel is in use nothing else can transmit/receive. So you're effectively locking down the channel until there's a break in data transmission.

 

By positioning your channel in the middle of 2 frequencies you'll get crosstalk from both routers. If the signal is strong enough it will lock out your channel while transmitting (and you're doubling the problem by having it positioned between two router frequencies). It's also considered bad form because your neighbours' routers will be affected by your data transmissions. You'd be far better off finding an empty channel, or if there aren't any empty channels, select the one with the weakest signal (probably the one furthest away from your house).

 

Edit: And I haven't even mentioned packet loss caused by sending/receiving data from the neighbouring routers which wasn't meant for you.

[AlexAtkin]

Yeah, because sending out beacons is REMOTELY comparable to sending out 300Mbit of traffic, NOT!

 

I am in an area saturated with networks, there is no empty channel nor is there a weak signal, they are all pretty comparable strength wise plus others come and go depending on the weather. So how THEN am I supposed to decide who to share with?

 

I really do not see how sharing slightly with two people (thus giving them half the channel free) is less friendly that sharing ENTIRELY with one person, thus hammering their channel completely. Why should that person I am sharing with be penalised?

 

Now maybe I am wrong and it doesn't work out that way, but nobody seems to know for definite either way so it makes perfect sense to me.

[kinetic]

Can't be arsed to argue. Use whatever channel you want. Just don't move next door to me.