[Gr@peApe]

I recently purchased a Netgear wgr614 wireless router and an AirPort Extreme Card for my iBook.

I have both installed but I am getting terrible reception. Currently my iBook is about 2 feel from the router and I can't even load a web page consistantly. My AirPort is showing 1 sometimes 2 bars of signal strenth in the menu bar even when I put it beside the router.

My wired (PC based) internet connection is working fine but the wireless is useless unless I can leave the room my PC is in and surf the internet.

I specifically bought the Netgear because it listed Mac OSX compatibility on the box (and the fact it was $39 CDN after rebate) but so far all I'm getting is headaches.

Could a wireless guru please help me out otherwise this thing is going back to Futureshop.

Thanks.

[Jadey]

Check to see that the hardware is running the latest firmware. It may not have shipped with it.

[Gr@peApe]

I've done that already. I updated the firmware on the router and ran software update to get the latest files for Airport extreme.

[Krusty]

I definitely not a wireless guru but I do have a mixed wired/wireless network that I run here at the house.

The Basics:
802.11b or g operate on a 2.4ghz bandwidth. So does bluetooth, so can microwaves, so do cordless phones. My netgear wireless gave specific instructions that a computer < 1 ft away, a 2.4ghz cordless phone in the house, a microwave < 10ft away, a cell phone < 6ft away, etc could totally screw up the wireless transmission. If you have anything like this anywhere nearby, shut it off or move it out of range and see if that helps.

Check that the antenna appears securely fastened. If it is disconnected (especially internally where you can't see it) then your range will drop off dramatically.

Check that the airport card antenna is properly attached -- if not, those great antennas in you iBook won't be helping you at all.


Not so Basics:
I went through some trouble recently with a Netgear wireless router (different model) and what I found was:
The 'upgrade router' option from within the router config page worked like crap. Go to Netgear.com-->support and find the latest firmware for your router. Download it to your desktop. Go into router .. choose 'Erase settings" (from the "Backup settings' area. Reset the router via the hardware reset button, load firmwar from the file you downloaded. Re-Enter your settings manually. This is the only way I know to get a truly "clean" firmware update that gets rid of any straggling info from before. Mine has worked great since then.

[Matt OS X]

Originally posted by Gr@peApe:
I recently purchased a Netgear wgr614 wireless router and an AirPort Extreme Card for my iBook.

I have both installed but I am getting terrible reception. Currently my iBook is about 2 feel from the router and I can't even load a web page consistantly. My AirPort is showing 1 sometimes 2 bars of signal strenth in the menu bar even when I put it beside the router.

My wired (PC based) internet connection is working fine but the wireless is useless unless I can leave the room my PC is in and surf the internet.

I specifically bought the Netgear because it listed Mac OSX compatibility on the box (and the fact it was $39 CDN after rebate) but so far all I'm getting is headaches.

Could a wireless guru please help me out otherwise this thing is going back to Futureshop.

Thanks.

I've had the same experience. What did I do? I returned the Netgear wgr614 to store and got airport Extreme base station. and hooked up the other computer to Airport's LAN port and there you go.. it's a router... It works wireless with my powerbook perfectly and LAN to another computer perfectly.. Apple's Airport Extreme Base station works the BEST.

[Gr@peApe]

Originally posted by Matt OS X:
I've had the same experience. What did I do? I returned the Netgear wgr614 to store and got airport Extreme base station. and hooked up the other computer to Airport's LAN port and there you go.. it's a router... It works wireless with my powerbook perfectly and LAN to another computer perfectly.. Apple's Airport Extreme Base station works the BEST.

While this sounds good in theory, in practice the Airport Base station is $200 more than my Netgear.

The Airport Express semed like an option for a while until I found out it has only 1 ethernet port making it useless as a router.

I have finally got my iBook to connect to my Netgear router but the signal is terible even from 10 feet away.

I was at my school today and I tried to connect to the wireless network but I couldn't even get a single bar on the Airport menu bar meter. I was in the tech offices where the signal is supposedly very strong. I have checked my Airport card and it is properly installed so now I'm lost as to what to do.

I would gladly purchase an Apple wireless router if one were even reasonably priced but $200 more is simply ridiculous.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to why I am getting such poor performance out of my Airport extreme card?

[Disgruntled Head of C-3PO]

It sounds like the iBook and airport card is the one with the problem not the router.