Unusually low signal with TP-Link N900 PCI-E wireless card.

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
S

Scion_of_the_Ur

Honorable
Feb 16, 2013
22
0
10,510
Upon initial installation I had this card working with the Diamond WR300N wireless repeater, but it has been acting up a lot lately (will have 100% signal strength but will not have connection to the internet) so I unplugged it and haven't messed with it since. With just the TP-Link card in play, my signal hovered around 3-4 bars, which is acceptable, but in the past few days the signal has stayed at 2 bars constantly loses the connection and often won't even show any available networks on screen. After this happens, I use the Windows "Troubleshoot Problems..." on the wireless network icon then it'll tell me it fixed a problem with the local wireless access point by resetting it, at which point the TP card will find and connect to our SSID in a flash, it'll get 4 bars for a second, then immediately drop to 2, rinse and repeat. No other wireless devices in my room are having this issue, just my tower, and it is a gaming PC, so I would really like to get this sorted out as soon as possible. :x
We are using WPA2, aside from that I don't really know what else I need to say about it. The little TP-Link window says Channel 6 (2.4G)/Encryption Type: AES/Wireless Mode: 802.11g/Signal Strength: 34% Fair (until it crashes again <.< )
 
Solution
B
The signal bar thing like a lot of cell phones is a marketing tool. You can not really trust the manufacture a real lot. The db levels are a little more truthful.

If there is not problem with the physical connections to your antenna I would be suspect at this point of a bad card. I really wish there was a way to know if it was interference but you generally need another device to test and even then for mysterious reasons some device work great sitting next to other that work like crap.
Sort by date Sort by votes
B

bill001g

Titan
Aug 9, 2012
28,325
2,755
125,640
Have you tried other channels like 1 or 11. Many people just leave the router set to the default which is 6 for many routers. You can also see if setting it to 20mhz helps at all.

You also if at all possible want the back of the computer facing the router to reduce the amount of signal blocked by the case.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
S

Scion_of_the_Ur

Honorable
Feb 16, 2013
22
0
10,510


Just switched router settings from channel 6 and auto 108 to channel 11 and g only mode. Did not help. Signal strength showed 4 bars after new settings were applied, then dropped to 2 bars, then lost the signal and couldn't find our network. Also, I removed and reinstalled all the TP-Link software and drivers, but to no effect. It may or may not be noteworthy, but the Windows icon and TP-Link icon show to different signal strengths most of time. It is only when it the card is about to lose the signal altogether that both icons show 2 bars.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
B

bill001g

Titan
Aug 9, 2012
28,325
2,755
125,640
The signal bar thing like a lot of cell phones is a marketing tool. You can not really trust the manufacture a real lot. The db levels are a little more truthful.

If there is not problem with the physical connections to your antenna I would be suspect at this point of a bad card. I really wish there was a way to know if it was interference but you generally need another device to test and even then for mysterious reasons some device work great sitting next to other that work like crap.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
S

Scion_of_the_Ur

Honorable
Feb 16, 2013
22
0
10,510


With that in mind, I submitted a ticket to TP-Link about it. Depending on their response, I may just end up buying a 100ft ethernet cord.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom