Grrr - Improving Wifi Signal?

Soldato
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18 Oct 2002
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Sandwich, Kent
I'm trying to inprove my laptops wifi range. I have an Intel Pro internal wifi but wanting more, I have just bought a Buffalo High Power PCMCIA card (with built in amplifier) attatched to a +7db omnidirectional external antenna.

Perhaps I was just expecting miracles, but I really dont get much difference using the additional kit than I was getting using the internal Intel wifi.

Using netstumbler, the wifi box right next to me gets a SNR of 92 with the high power kit where the internal wifi gets 70. Great. However a wifi box a bit further afield I get a SNR of 25 internally and only 24 from the external antenna. Plus the internal wifi can see a 3rd wifi signal from a box downstairs, however the 'high power' card and external antenna can't even see that.

Also, it doesn't make a great deal of different whether the external antenna is plugged into the high power buffalo card or not. Could it just be a crap antenna? The only benefit I can see it that I can dangle the aerial in places I wouldn't want to dangle my laptop.

:mad: Certainly isn't the result I was hoping for.
What am I doing wrong?
 
Last edited:
Bug One said:
I'm trying to inprove my laptops wifi range. I have an Intel Pro internal wifi but wanting more, I have just bought a Buffalo High Power PCMCIA card (with built in amplifier) attatched to a +7db omnidirectional external antenna.

Perhaps I was just expecting miracles, but I really dont get much difference using the additional kit than I was getting using the internal Intel wifi.

Using netstumbler, the wifi box right next to me gets a SNR of 92 with the high power kit where the internal wifi gets 70. Great. However a wifi box a bit further afield I get a SNR of 25 internally and only 24 from the external antenna. Plus the internal wifi can see a 3rd wifi signal from a box downstairs, however the 'high power' card and external antenna can't even see that.

Also, it doesn't make a great deal of different whether the external antenna is plugged into the high power buffalo card or not. Could it just be a crap antenna?

:mad: Certainly isn't the result I was hoping for.
What am I doing wrong?

I have exactly the same problem, I ended up buying an omni-directional antenna from here ages ago, the signal on the PCI NIC was actually stronger using the inbuilt one.
 
Other thing is Centrino Wi-Fi is generally very good as standard, or I have found that anyway - the antennae are usually in the screen and seem to give good signal. Does with my Inspiron 6000 anyway.

What are you using as access points?

Hope this helps, null :)
 
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