Wireless network range problem

H

Herman

New Member
Hello,

I'm trying to set up an 802.11g wireless network for a friend who wants to use his laptop around his house.

The router is a D-Link AirPlus G DI-524.

His laptop is a Compaq Armada which runs Windows ME. I bought a Belkin High-Speed Mode Wireless G Notebook Network Card for it.

It worked normally when his laptop was within the same room, and it didn't work at all from rooms that are considerably less than 50 feet away. I then tried out my Toshiba Satellite laptop with Windows XP from all of those rooms, and it worked normally with its own built in network card (an Atheros AR5004G). I then tried the Belkin card in my own laptop, and it didn't work any better than it did in his laptop.

At that point, I decided to exchange the Belkin network card for a D-Link DWL-G630, and it's having exactly the same problem in both laptops, only it works in one more room than the Belkin did.

Does anyone have a recommendation of how to get my friend's laptop connected to the wireless network that doesn't involve trying every network card in the store on the off chance that I'll eventually find one that works?

Thanks,
 
First thing's first. Does the laptop actually see a connection and the internet just doesn't work? Or does the laptop not even see a connection there. Also, have you edited the router settings to allow the laptop to be used? A good way to do this in addition to more security is MAC Address Filtering, and even WEP. If you're laptop sees the connection and can't use it, it may be one of those problems. If it doesn't even see a connection, post again.
 
The laptop both sees a connection and works normally when in the same room as the router. When I take it into a different room, it stops working, sometimes it'll still see the wireless network with almost no signal. The further away I go, the worse it works.

It's just a range problem. Why does my own laptop with its own built in network card work normally from every room in the house, while his only works when it's within the same room as the wireless access point?
 
You have a D-Link router and a D-Link adapter, I'd try calling D-Link ... and hope they don't blame Compaq ;-)

--David
 
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