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TheZee · Jul 5, 2005, 01:10 AM

Can anyone give me some pointers on how to resolve low signal strength. I use a NETGEAR wireless router. The router is not more than 15 feet from my iBook. I am the only one using it. Up until recently I was getting a signal strength of 93% on average. I run iPulse as a guage. Today, however, the signal strength has been 83%. Are there ways that I should try to resolve this and get my signal strength up to what it was before ? Peace out.

chabig · Jul 5, 2005, 08:16 AM

There are only two ways to increase signal strength--you can decrease the distance between the antennas, or you can increase the gain of one or both of the antennas. In your case, with the numbers you provided, I would do nothing. 83% is a great number!

By the way, you ought to know that the number that really matters is not signal strength, but the signal to noise ratio.

Chris

TheZee · Jul 5, 2005, 06:26 PM

Thanks for your insight. Would you happen to know what a good signal to noise ratio would be??? iPulse shows the signal to noise ratio so I have it. What, exactly, is the noise # ??? Could that be other people using their wireless routers or cordless phones on a similar frequency ??? Could the noise #, if high, indicate that someone is trying to use or break into your network ??? Peace out . . .

Captain Obvious · Jul 5, 2005, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by TheZee

Up until recently I was getting a signal strength of 93% on average. Today, however, the signal strength has been 83%.

Either something is wrong with the router, your internal antenna, or someone is occasionally running an electrical device that puts out RF that is messing with your signal. A new microwave, cordless phone, etc.,. may have been put nearby recently that was not there before.
Try switching channels on your router to see if it helps.

chabig · Jul 5, 2005, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by TheZee

Thanks for your insight. Would you happen to know what a good signal to noise ratio would be??? iPulse shows the signal to noise ratio so I have it. What, exactly, is the noise # ??? Could that be other people using their wireless routers or cordless phones on a similar frequency ??? Could the noise #, if high, indicate that someone is trying to use or break into your network ??? Peace out . . .

I honestly don't know what a good S/N ratio is. But you can use the speed of your connection as an indication of its quality.

Chris

ghporter · Jul 5, 2005, 08:16 PM

There are a few things you can do to improve your chances of getting a good signal. One thing that sometimes happens on iBooks and PowerBooks is that the antenna cable does not stay fully plugged into the AirPort card. The only way to address this is to LOOK at it. It's really simple to do on an iBook, because the card is right there under the keyboard and above the optional RAM slot where it's easy to get at. The instructions for installing the card are on page 51 of the manual. Checking the antenna cable is really simple, and all you have to do is lift the keyboard and look to see if it's ok. The antenna connector should be pushed into the card so that only a tiny bit of it shows.

Another thing to look at is where your Netgear router is located in relation to where you put your iBook. Placing the wireless router up above most things, such as on a bookshelf above desks, will help a lot. My wireless access point is six feet off the floor, and moving it there from the desktop gave me at least 50% better coverage.

TheZee · Jul 11, 2005, 04:30 AM

Thanks for the ideas my Mac Brethren. Putting the router at a higher level seems to me to be a very good idea. Right now, my router is about level, in heighth, as where I have my iBook. I will try the router at a higher level to see if that will get a better signal strength. Currently, my signal strength is @ 90% which I like. I find it odd, though, that an hour or so ago it was at 87% signal strength. I haven't moved either my iBook nor the router so why the fluctuation? Considering that the location of my router and my iBook doesn't change, should there be such a fluctuation in signal strength? Is it possible for someone else, outside my location, to be able to alter the signal strength. Could that be a sign of someone trying to mess with network? Or am I talking crazy speak? Peace out . . .

ghporter · Jul 11, 2005, 07:03 AM

Interference is the most probable reason for your signal strength variation. It doesn't take much to pare a few kilobits per second from a wireless connection-a leaky microwave, a particularly strong 2.4GHz cordless phone, or perhaps something else, could easily impinge just enough to knock down your indicated signal strength.

Note that the indicator is actually displaying a measure of signal quality, a combination of signal strength and data reliability, so it's hard to say exactly what's going on when it dips-it could be something as simple as putting your hand between the router and the computer and blocking just a tiny bit of signal...

A loss of a few percent is nothing to worry about, particularly if it's transient. You are NOT being messed with, you're just experiencing normal variations.

TheZee · Jul 11, 2005, 08:49 AM

Thanks for easing my mind. It just seemed strange to me that the signal level would fluctuate like that. Especially when the factors you had mentioned before hadn't changed. So, can this fluctuation occur even if those other factors that you mentioned aren't factors? What I mean is, if I am not using anything that might have an effect on the signal strength/quality should I be concerned? Is the fluctuation of signal strength/quality ever an indication that an outside source may be attempting to hack the connection? Just want to be safe and secure as I can be. Peace out.

ghporter · Jul 11, 2005, 09:13 AM

Your signal strength indication will probably never change in response to someone else using your network without your knowledge. You may, however, notice that there is significantly more ativity indicated on your broadband modem and/or your wireless router. As far as your indication is concerned, it doesn't care if there is anything beyond the router for it to pass, just as long as your computer has a good signal level and good data quality, you'll get a good, strong indication.

If you notice sites that have been historically fast for you suddenly slowing down, then you might want to start watching the indicators on your router and modem.

TheZee · Jul 11, 2005, 02:43 PM

Thanks for sharing your expertise. I am of the thought that one never can be too cautious. Thanks for your info on if sites that I frequent become slow to load I should check my router and modem. Don't mean to be a nuisance with all these questions. Just want my connection to be as secure as it possibly can. Do you know of the tell tale signs that would indicate if someone were tampering with my connection and/or network? I have recently seen applications that can assist someone in finding someone elses active network signal and it freaks me out. I realize that there are added vulnerabilities when using wireless internet connections so I want to be as informed as I can about what signs there are that would point to any outside devious attempts to compromise my network connection. Peace out.

Captain Obvious · Jul 11, 2005, 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by TheZee

Do you know of the tell tale signs that would indicate if someone were tampering with my connection and/or network? I have recently seen applications that can assist someone in finding someone elses active network signal and it freaks me out. .

There really are none. You may see a bandwidth slowdown if they are downloading large files or using P2P. Or if you have an activity light on your router it would be flickering when you are not using your wireless. But it wouldn't cause your router to go crazy.

If you want to secure your connection turn on WEP, Mac filtering, and check from time to time to see if your router logs in other users other than you.

Oisín · Jul 11, 2005, 06:22 PM

Originally Posted by Captain Obvious

There really are none. You may see a bandwidth slowdown if they are downloading large files or using P2P.

I have a huge bandwidth slowdown as soon as anyone else logs on to my network. When I'm the only one on it, downloads usually max out at around ~225 KB/S; as soon as someone else logs on (there are only two others who ever log on, and the network is encrypted), this goes down to about 1-2 KB/S, which is not particularly satisfying for a 2 Mbit ADSL connection.

It doesn't make a difference if they are downloading anything or not, just them logging on to the network causes the slowdown. Doesn't matter much anymore, 'cause we just got wireless Internet at our dorm last week, so they don't use my network anymore, but I still think it's weird...

(AirPort Express network; the two others are Windows users with a Belkin USB Wireless Adapter each)

TheZee · Jul 11, 2005, 06:29 PM

Thanks so much for sharing you expertise. As you can tell, I am fairly new to the wireless arena. I truly appreciate your guidance. You said that if my router exhibits activity even when I am not using the net then something could be suspect. I have noticed that the activity light flickers sometimes even though I am not browsing the web. I chalked it up to the fact that I have other applications like a weather application, for example, that automatically gathers data from the internet. I am not too sure how to check my router to see if it has logged in anyone other than myself. I'll have to check the NETGEAR website for more info on how to do that. I must know how to check if my router logs in any other person than myself. I wasn't aware that I could do that. You also mentioned P2P. What is that? I did configure my router so that WEP is activated. Do you know if there is a way to check to see if WEP is functioning properly? Peace out . . .

Oisín · Jul 12, 2005, 04:02 PM

P2P is Peer2Peer, ie. programs like Limewire, KaZaA, eMule, DC++, Soulseek, etc.

It's normal for your modem's activity light to flicker sometimes when you're not browsing the web. As long as it's not having a blinkgasm like they tend to do when you're downloading stuff, etc.

ghporter · Jul 12, 2005, 08:30 PM

Oisín, that is very odd. The only thing I can figure is that the Windows computers are doing something on the network, even if they are not apparently participating in traffic. I'd have to know something about the Windows computers to know what's up-which Windows version, what programs do they have running, is the Belkin driver up to date, etc.-and even then I don't know if I could figure it out.

What you are experiencing is NOT normal. I can have a combination of as many as four wireless computers connected to my network at once (as well as a couple of wired computers), with a mix of Macs and PCs and not notice any reduction in speed.

TheZee · Jul 15, 2005, 01:35 PM

Ok, now you are kind of worrying me a bit. The reason for my concern is the fluctuation of signal strength as guaged by the application iPulse. It sometimes fluctuates from 92% - 84% and from 84% - 92%. Not sometimes, fairly regularly. I do not change factors like location of router, distance between router & my iBook etc. These fluctuations also ocurr when I am not using other things that are know to interfere with signal. So, I was wondering if it could be a indicator that someone outside could be attempting to hack my connection. What do you mean when you say that what I am describing is "not normal?" Peace out . . .