OK... Some feedback please... Is wireless just plain flaky?

NeilF · 8 Oct 2007 at 10:45

Every now and then I have network issues between my router and my Squeezebox 3 (12ft away). Typically the connection is rock solid, but everynow and then it goes down hill, and I'll swear sometimes completely fails for several minutes.

Now, there's not other wirelss networks nearby (I'm in a detached house with the neighbours on both sides being wireless), and other wireless devices (baby monitor, video sender) are always on and don't affect it normally.

So I'm trying to work out if the problems are:-
a) Hardware - Is my router for example going AWOL every now and then? Should I buy a new one?
b) Wireless networks are just flakey - A plane flying overhead, or a pigeon farting down my chimney could disrupt it?

I'm wondering if anyone else can put their 2p worth in from their experience?

ps: My router is a Netgear DG834GT - Was all in my beutifully formatted sig which was removed unfortunately

errata · 8 Oct 2007 at 13:37

Flaky yes common, if your lucky you eventually hit on a combination of router, drivers, aerials and OS that works flawlessly but it can take a long time.

Questions

a) no, have you tried the latest firmware update and drivers for your wireless card? Tried different channels on the wireless 1 or 6 or 11 (your probably on 6 andpossibly in 108mpbs mode at the moment) ) .Does a wired connection also suffer?

b) Lots of things can potentially interfere, even things that seem to work fine will occasionally renegotiate their connection and this may affect your wireless (microwave on used to kill my connection)

NeilF · 8 Oct 2007 at 13:49

errata said:
Flaky yes common, if your lucky you eventually hit on a combination of router, drivers, aerials and OS that works flawlessly but it can take a long time.

Questions

a) no, have you tried the latest firmware update and drivers for your wireless card? Tried different channels on the wireless 1 or 6 or 11 (your probably on 6 andpossibly in 108mpbs mode at the moment) ) .Does a wired connection also suffer?

b) Lots of things can potentially interfere, even things that seem to work fine will occasionally renegotiate their connection and this may affect your wireless (microwave on used to kill my connection)

Yes, router is on latest firmware...

I've played with 1 and 6 and also reduced speed just down to g... Still seems to flake out every now then, while generally at 100% most of the time...

One cut I experiences was when there was no one else in the house so nothing else happening.. eg: No microwaves etc etc...

There's a guy about 200-300 meters away with a ****** huge aerial in his garden (20-30ft high) probably for amateur radio etc. Bet it's him!!!

So, either I gamble and replace my router... Or if this sort of flakey - out of the blue - signal degredation is not unusual, look at Homeplugs!!

NeilF · 12 Oct 2007 at 10:40

Turned out to be the router in the end... Remembered I had an old BeBox (Alcatel Speedtouch) in the loft, tried that and it was far far better wirelessly than the Netgear, and even my pings were a bit better as well from hard wired connections to game servers

m_cozzy · 12 Oct 2007 at 13:19

It can be a nightmare getting wifi to work and its usually the ap at fault. I hurled my crappy dlink acess point out the top floor window the other week after putting up with years of poor performance. Was most satisfying

Now I knew wifi can work as the cisco ap's at work are awesome so I replaced it with a netgear pro ap and it just works as it should now, very happy.

NeilF · 12 Oct 2007 at 13:22

m_cozzy said:
It can be a nightmare getting wifi to work and its usually the ap at fault. I hurled my crappy dlink acess point out the top floor window the other week after putting up with years of poor performance. Was most satisfying
Now I knew wifi can work as the cisco ap's at work are awesome so I replaced it with a netgear pro ap and it just works as it should now, very happy.

A lot of people seem to have problems with the BeBox (Alcatel Speedtouch), but so far so good! Good wireless and faster pings than my Netgear...

Worse case I'll but another router if it plays up, but I sort of feel burnt by Netgear so will probably look elsewhere :confused: