Reasons for terrible wireless connection with TP Link?

Beagle · 28 Jul 2012 at 14:09

Hi all,

After reading good reviews on this site, I got myself a TP Link TL-WN781ND adapter, but it gives me a really bad quality connection. The best I can achieve is a 'fair' 2-bar connection, at about -89dBm. I'm only upstairs from the router.
I've also got a Macbook and when I place this next to my PC (so it has exactly the same 'line of sight' from the router) it gets an excellent connection.

So, what can be causing this? Before I go and spend £25 on a new adapter, is there something within Windows 7 (or the BIOS even) that could be effecting this? Or is it just a bad adapter?
As far as I can tell, I'm running the most up-to-date driver. (oddly, Windows sees this as an Atheros AR9285 adapter).

ANDARIAL · 29 Jul 2012 at 21:32

couple of things to think about
can you adjust the angle of the antennas?
check for neighbouring wifi channels over lapping yours and change if necessary
possibly electric consumer box between you and the router?i get a pants signal if this is between me and my router while using a wireless device
might get a better signal if the adapter is plugged into a usb extension cable and raised away from the pc

Beagle · 30 Jul 2012 at 10:06

Thanks Andarial.
The antenna can be adjusted and it makes very little difference. It can only pick up one other signal and I'm using a different channel to them - in fact I went through all channels to make sure I'm using the best one.
Don't think there's anything major between the pc and router - it's almost directly upstairs, and besides my laptop can get a brilliant signal when sitting in the same position.

And I can't move it - it's a PCIe card.

Oh well, if there's no software reason then I guess I need to try another card...maybe my computer just doesn't like TP Link.

PiKe · 30 Jul 2012 at 10:08

Spent £4 more and get a couple of homeplugs, the tplink ones of those work well.

ANDARIAL · 30 Jul 2012 at 17:00

I suppose running a network cable is out?
if so the above suggestion of a homeplug looks to be a better solution as you do not know if a new wireless card will give you the same problems

Beagle · 1 Aug 2012 at 11:49

cheers all, I may give the homeplug a go!

deshepherd · 1 Aug 2012 at 13:42

Beagle said:
cheers all, I may give the homeplug a go!

I did that to connect a PS3 after spending several days trying to get a reliable wifi connection ... part of problem was direct line to router went through floor/ceiling at fairly shallow angle so probably had several floor joists in route etc! Saw homeplugs on special offer somewhere (possibly here!) and almost immediately the connection issue was fixed (only slight complication was having other end homeplug on other side of double socket that PC/router/printer/etc used didn't get a good connection - moving it to another socker a few feet away though fixed that)