Wireless Troubleshooting
In recent weeks, as we continue to add to our wireless product line, we have been getting more questions in regards to common wireless issues. I thought I would take a moment to address some of them here.
The most common of them has been something along the lines of the following:
"The card I bought from you doesn't work in laptop A which has Windows XP, but my other brand cards that I own all do. But I know your card is not a defect because it works fine over on laptop B which also has XP. What do you think is wrong?"
This is becoming a more common question as XP is gradually becoming the most common operating system among PC users (replacing Windows 98). There are two ways that most wireless cards will be able to connect to a wireless signal. The first is through the default software that comes with the wireless card, generally called a "wireless utility". The wireless utility will supposedly identify available networks and connect your wireless card to one, or allow you to choose which wireless network to connect to if there is more than one signal available. The second way is through the Windows XP software, which can autodetect the presence of a wireless network and autoconnect you, and it also gives you the option of choosing which one to connect to if there is more than one network available.
Which way is the best? There are people who argue both sides, but if you are looking for ease of use, we recommend using the XP utility, especially if you use more than one wireless card on your PC and are commonly switching out cards. Different configuration utilities can conflict with each other, and can also conflict with the Windows XP software. If you are being told by Windows that your wireless card cannot obtain an IP address from your wireless access point, and you know the card is within range, right click on the wireless network icon on your taskbar and click "View Available Wireless Networks". On the window that pops up, click "Changed Advanced Settings" over on the left side. Then click the Wireless Networks tab on the new window that opens and check the box next to "Use Windows to Configure my Wireless Network Settings." This will cause Windows XP to override any third party wireless utility and will generally resolve any connection issues you might be having with your card. Be careful because many third party wireless utilities will load themselves at startup and if you tkae the above steps, they will report that your card is not configured properly to be used with their software and will tell you to click OK to fix this. This will cause that app to become the default utility again instead of Windows XP, and you will need to redo the steps above again to fix it. In some cases where the third party wireless utility is autoloaded at startup, you will have to repeat the above steps each time you reboot so it may be best in that case to just uninstall the third party utility.
Another common question is this:
"I am not getting the range with this wireless card that I thought I would. Could the card be a defect?"
The short answer is that it is not likely a defective card. If the antenna is picking up a signal, no matter how weak, is is most likely that the antenna is working but some other factor is affecting the signal strength. A defective antenna or card will usually not work at all. There are many factors that can impact a wireless signal, a number that are unseen to the naked eye. The most common is interference from other 2.4 GHz appliances, including 2.4 GHz cordless phones and microwaves. If you have a 2.4 GHz cordless phone somewhere between your wireless card and access point, try moving it to the other side of the room. If you are in an office location where there are many phones, you may want to try upgrading your phones to 5.8 GHz ones, or even downgrading to 900Mhz if you can. FCC regulations require 2.4 GHz devices to accept interference from other devices on the same frequency, so don't wait for "interference free" wireless devices to ever hit the market since they never will.
If you are trying to use your wireless card a long way away from your access point, the problem may be that your card or access point does not have a strong enough antenna. Remember, not all wireless cards were created equal. A generic 802.11b wireless card on eBay for $9.99 will not give you the same performance as an enterprise class 802.11b card like Orinoco or Senao, no matter what the seller tells you. Generic cards are cheap because they use low range antenna and are low power cards. Low range antenna are fine if you will be using the PC in the same room (or possibly even the next room) as the access point or router. But if you are trying to use the PC further away, such as down a long hall or upstairs, the antenna likely will not be strong enough. When you are shopping for a wireless card, be sure to determine ahead of time if you need a low range, a mid range, or a long range (enterprise class) card. Obviously the better the range the higher the price, so don't spend a bundle if you will only be using your PC a few feet from the access point.
If you buy a card like this Orinoco card, or this Senao card, both which have external antenna jacks, you can always buy an external antenna to increase the range even more if the built-in antennae are not strong enough for your range requirements. In fact, there is a whole group of hobbyists who partake in the activity of acquiring high quality cards and antennae to detect wireless signals from afar, or from remote locations. This activity, sometimes dubbed "wardriving" is growing especially among folks who travel a lot and want to get a wireless signal wherever they are- whether a fancy hotel in midtown Manhattan or a Ramada special in Laramie, Wyoming. So if you must have good range, there is a plethora of options available to you- don't just settle for the one or two wireless products that are on the shelf at your local Best Buy or Circuit City.
posted at: 11:25 | path: | permanent link to this entry