Wireless Network Setup Question

Hi all

I'm a complete novice at this wifi lark so please bear with me. This is the
scenario:

I am trying to set up a simple wireless network.

The house in question is 18th Century stone built, but the main office is
in a new build brick annexe. The office is approx. 20' x 15' in plan. In
this office is the main PC (PC1) which is connected to a 3COM ADSL modem
router with hardware firewall, this unit works very well for me at home.

Adjacent to this in another room is the second PC (PC2) which is separated
from the office by a back to back chimney breast OR two outside walls with
windows.

PC2 is fitted with a PCI wireless network card, but I cannot get better
than a 'Low' or 'None' signal reported by XPSP2. My laptop which is fitted
with a 3COM Wireless PCCard reports a 30% 'Fair' signal adjacent to PC2.

What is confusing me is that my laptop will only report a 98-100% signal
within 3" of PC1's router's antennae. Within the same office at the other
end of the room it drops off to 40-50%. The claimed range for this device
(I guess line of sight) is 100 metres (328ft). I can't get 328 inches!!

I've tried changing from 11g to 11b, all the different channels from 1 - 13
without any noticeable difference.

My original plan was to site a 'repeater' approx midway between the two PCs
but I have had to give up on that for the time being as I couldn't get the
repeater to 'talk' to both the PCI wireless network card and the router. I
could get PC2 to find the repeater and report a 100% signal but I then
lost my network connection. :>(

Am I missing something or am I expecting too much?

--
Best regards
Barry

Use Wire


"Barry Higginbottom" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:12dbd3v4hvckb.i1atrbe8q7cs$.(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi all
>
> I'm a complete novice at this wifi lark so please bear with me. This is
the
> scenario:
>
> I am trying to set up a simple wireless network.
>
> The house in question is 18th Century stone built, but the main office is
> in a new build brick annexe. The office is approx. 20' x 15' in plan. In
> this office is the main PC (PC1) which is connected to a 3COM ADSL modem
> router with hardware firewall, this unit works very well for me at home.
>
> Adjacent to this in another room is the second PC (PC2) which is separated
> from the office by a back to back chimney breast OR two outside walls with
> windows.
>
> PC2 is fitted with a PCI wireless network card, but I cannot get better
> than a 'Low' or 'None' signal reported by XPSP2. My laptop which is fitted
> with a 3COM Wireless PCCard reports a 30% 'Fair' signal adjacent to PC2.
>
> What is confusing me is that my laptop will only report a 98-100% signal
> within 3" of PC1's router's antennae. Within the same office at the other
> end of the room it drops off to 40-50%. The claimed range for this device
> (I guess line of sight) is 100 metres (328ft). I can't get 328 inches!!
>
> I've tried changing from 11g to 11b, all the different channels from 1 -
13
> without any noticeable difference.
>
> My original plan was to site a 'repeater' approx midway between the two
PCs
> but I have had to give up on that for the time being as I couldn't get the
> repeater to 'talk' to both the PCI wireless network card and the router. I
> could get PC2 to find the repeater and report a 100% signal but I then
> lost my network connection. :>(
>
> Am I missing something or am I expecting too much?
>
> --
> Best regards
> Barry

On Wed, 22 Sep 2004 20:28:30 GMT, Joe Dow wrote:

> Use Wire
>

I know, I know!

--
Best regards
Barry