How do I tell if my WAP11 is any good?

I have a Linksys WAP11 (v. 1.1) hooked up to my Linksys BEFSR41
router. We just bought a Gateway Laptop with a builtin Orinoco
wireless card (I can't find out right now since my wife is using it).
We also have an old Compaq laptop with a Linksys WPC11 card. The
problem is that neither one works very well with the WAP11. In tests,
where each is only 6 feet away with an unobstructed view, the signal
is rather poor -- it varies from excellent to poor, and with the
Gateway, it just disconnects in under 10 minutes. I'm running with
firware version 1.4j1 on the WAP11, and even have used to the ATMEL
access point manager with the "secret options" to boost the power, all
to no avail. I'm ready to give up on the WAP11, but would really like
to make sure that it is at fault and not the cards. What kind of
tests can I do to tell this?

Victor

On Mon, 21 Jun 2004 00:02:37 -0400, (E-Mail Removed) (Victor S.
Miller) wrote:

>I have a Linksys WAP11 (v. 1.1) hooked up to my Linksys BEFSR41
>router. We just bought a Gateway Laptop with a builtin Orinoco
>wireless card (I can't find out right now since my wife is using it).
>We also have an old Compaq laptop with a Linksys WPC11 card. The
>problem is that neither one works very well with the WAP11. In tests,
>where each is only 6 feet away with an unobstructed view, the signal
>is rather poor -- it varies from excellent to poor, and with the
>Gateway, it just disconnects in under 10 minutes. I'm running with
>firware version 1.4j1 on the WAP11, and even have used to the ATMEL
>access point manager with the "secret options" to boost the power, all
>to no avail. I'm ready to give up on the WAP11, but would really like
>to make sure that it is at fault and not the cards. What kind of
>tests can I do to tell this?
>
>Victor

I have version 1.0(same as 1.1 really) boosted and it's a monster.
These are the only good .11b units ever sold by Linksys. BTW, if you
don't unplug the USB cord from the back, it goes into sleep mode every
10 minutes. That's the term for a huge reduction in transmission
rates. They don't completely stop but almost.

Was it always working - and now not working with the Gateway? or is the
problem with both the Gateway and the Compaq?

- Try resetting the WAP11 to factory defaults.
- Try using NetStumbler to check signal settings.
- If you are using XP, try using the card's client software instead of the
built in XP Zero Config Client.

I have three of the WAP11 ver 1 / ver 1.1 - all running 1.4j.1 , boosted
with the ATMEL utilities ... one as a standalone WAP, and two as a point to
point bridge between two buildings ... and they all work like a champ!!

I am using a original Lucent Orinoco Silver card and a new Linksys 802.11
b/g card (WPC54G ver 1.2).


"Victor S. Miller" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have a Linksys WAP11 (v. 1.1) hooked up to my Linksys BEFSR41
> router. We just bought a Gateway Laptop with a builtin Orinoco
> wireless card (I can't find out right now since my wife is using it).
> We also have an old Compaq laptop with a Linksys WPC11 card. The
> problem is that neither one works very well with the WAP11. In tests,
> where each is only 6 feet away with an unobstructed view, the signal
> is rather poor -- it varies from excellent to poor, and with the
> Gateway, it just disconnects in under 10 minutes. I'm running with
> firware version 1.4j1 on the WAP11, and even have used to the ATMEL
> access point manager with the "secret options" to boost the power, all
> to no avail. I'm ready to give up on the WAP11, but would really like
> to make sure that it is at fault and not the cards. What kind of
> tests can I do to tell this?
>
> Victor

>>>>> "Jim" == Jim Orfanakos <jim@-nospam-orfanakos.com> writes:

Jim> Was it always working - and now not working with the Gateway? or
Jim> is the problem with both the Gateway and the Compaq?

Well it has always worked, but never well. It would stay connected
with the Compaq (with the WPC11), but a lot of times the signal
quality would dip drastically (and this was with a test where the
laptop was only a few feet from the WAP11), but it would remain
connected. Are there bugs with the XP Zero Client config (I wouldn't
be surprised)? Any fixes for those?

Jim> - Try resetting the WAP11 to factory defaults. - Try using
Jim> NetStumbler to check signal settings. - If you are using XP, try
Jim> using the card's client software instead of the built in XP Zero
Jim> Config Client.

Here's a strange thing. When I run Netstumbler to check the quality
of the signal it stays connected much longer than when I don't. There
is no "client software" (at least none that I could find). Gateway
support told me that there isn't any, that I should just use the XP
Zero Client config. XP says that the card is a "Realtek" card. I've
tried power cycling the WAP11, all to no avail. One strange thing --
last week, my daughter briefly unplugged the the WAP11 from the
router. My wife claims that since then we've been having the problem
(or at least that it's much worse).

Jim> I have three of the WAP11 ver 1 / ver 1.1 - all running 1.4j.1 ,
Jim> boosted with the ATMEL utilities ... one as a standalone WAP, and
Jim> two as a point to point bridge between two buildings ... and they
Jim> all work like a champ!!

Jim> I am using a original Lucent Orinoco Silver card and a new
Jim> Linksys 802.11 b/g card (WPC54G ver 1.2).

Thanks for the suggestions. I went to the Realtek website and was
able to download their software (and an updated driver), and use it
instead of the XP Zero Config. Things are working much better now.

Victor