Wireless Signal is not good

[dwight28]

I just bought the DWA-556. But after i installed the drivers, card, etc. it says my signals are either 1/5, 2/5/ 3/5. Even my BELINK wireless USB adapter had better signals, which was always 4/5 or 5/5. Need help? Thanksss.

 

[dwight28]

helpppppppppppppppppp!!!

 

[dwight28]

my latency seems to be going on and off. low and high constantly spiking.

 

[eibgrad]

Frankly, PCI wireless adapters are not my favorite choice, esp. for desktops. Since the antenna is located BEHIND the computer, and many (perhaps most) ppl have their desktop's backside facing some type of wall, perhaps under a desk, or the case itself stands between the antenna and wireless AP, it's just not an ideal setup. There’s even a greater chance for EMI issues when using a PCI adapter. And while I’m not a fan of USB wireless adapters either (for different reasons), you're better off using a USB wireless adapter w/ a long USB extension cable so you can avoid these issues. Or even better than USB or PCI, use a wireless ethernet bridge (aka, gaming adapter), then you have total flexibility.

Anyway, does the PCI wireless adapter perform significantly better when positioned right next to the wireless router? Or is it bad all the time, no matter where or how its positioned?

 

[dwight28]

Frankly, PCI wireless adapters are not my favorite choice, esp. for desktops. Since the antenna is located BEHIND the computer, and many (perhaps most) ppl have their desktop's backside facing some type of wall, perhaps under a desk, or the case itself stands between the antenna and wireless AP, it's just not an ideal setup. There’s even a greater chance for EMI issues when using a PCI adapter. And while I’m not a fan of USB wireless adapters either (for different reasons), you're better off using a USB wireless adapter w/ a long USB extension cable so you can avoid these issues. Or even better than USB or PCI, use a wireless ethernet bridge (aka, gaming adapter), then you have total flexibility.

Anyway, does the PCI wireless adapter perform significantly better when positioned right next to the wireless router? Or is it bad all the time, no matter where or how its positioned?

my internet speed seems to be fine. i did some research, and people say that the wireless strengths that windows or the program show are largely fictional. what do you think?

 

[eibgrad]

Well there's a difference between signal strength and performance (as in speed). When your device is reporting 2 of 5 bars, 3 of 5 bars, etc., that's reasonably accurate in terms of signal strength. What's fictional are the ASSUMPTIONS made about speed based on that signal strength.

In the case of Windows, sometimes it reports only signal strength (e.g., perhaps when running a wireless survey to find a wireless AP). But once the connection is established w/ that AP, it may now report speed (e.g., it shows as 54mbps, or 33mbps, etc., in the system tray). It's that translation that's almost always bogus.

The reason it’s bogus is because Windows is not actually measuring the performance, it’s simply “guestimating” what the speed *should* be under ideal conditions for the given signal strength. But as we all know, we don’t live in an ideal world. So these estimates are typically vastly overstated. In fact, they’re pretty much useless.

If you want actual speeds, you need to measure it using tools like NetCPS, Iperf, Qcheck, etc. If you report those results instead, then we have something to work with (results that are invariably far, far less than reported by Windows).

 

[dwight28]

Well there's a difference between signal strength and performance (as in speed). When your device is reporting 2 of 5 bars, 3 of 5 bars, etc., that's reasonably accurate in terms of signal strength. What's fictional are the ASSUMPTIONS made about speed based on that signal strength.

In the case of Windows, sometimes it reports only signal strength (e.g., perhaps when running a wireless survey to find a wireless AP). But once the connection is established w/ that AP, it may now report speed (e.g., it shows as 54mbps, or 33mbps, etc., in the system tray). It's that translation that's almost always bogus.

The reason it’s bogus is because Windows is not actually measuring the performance, it’s simply “guestimating” what the speed *should* be under ideal conditions for the given signal strength. But as we all know, we don’t live in an ideal world. So these estimates are typically vastly overstated. In fact, they’re pretty much useless.

If you want actual speeds, you need to measure it using tools like NetCPS, Iperf, Qcheck, etc. If you report those results instead, then we have something to work with (results that are invariably far, far less than reported by Windows).

Alright thanks man. And btw i think it is fictional, windows shows 3/5 and my DLINK program shows 4/5 5/5. And can I change my speed to 300mbps through the card?

 

[eibgrad]

You don't actually choose your link speeds, at least not w/ wireless. Link speed is simply a result based on your client's best efforts to achieve the faster performance available given the capabilities of the wireless client, wireless AP, environmental conditions, etc.

 

[dwight28]

You don't actually choose your link speeds, at least not w/ wireless. Link speed is simply a result based on your client's best efforts to achieve the faster performance available given the capabilities of the wireless client, wireless AP, environmental conditions, etc.

seems like my internet is slowing down atm.

 

[dwight28]

You don't actually choose your link speeds, at least not w/ wireless. Link speed is simply a result based on your client's best efforts to achieve the faster performance available given the capabilities of the wireless client, wireless AP, environmental conditions, etc.

weird. okay so now I got a new problem.. When I shut my computer down and its in the process of shutting down and I turn my monitor off, after is shuts down it turns back on by itself....

 

[eliang]

weird. okay so now I got a new problem.. When I shut my computer down and its in the process of shutting down and I turn my monitor off, after is shuts down it turns back on by itself....

dwight28...if u had done anything in msconfiq, it could be the reason or in the bios, if not run a virusscan
also take the thing apart and give it a good clean out , remove ur memory chip and clean the contacts with a eraser . with the internet part , all those gadget does not do a good job especially if u have a cluster
of stuff and wires around it , too much of an electrical field , get a router that can run DD-WRT maybe a used linksys and create a repeater out of it , connect to one of the lan ports to ur puter and ur problem is solved...
Have fun bro..........

 

[dwight28]

dwight28...if u had done anything in msconfiq, it could be the reason or in the bios, if not run a virusscan
also take the thing apart and give it a good clean out , remove ur memory chip and clean the contacts with a eraser . with the internet part , all those gadget does not do a good job especially if u have a cluster
of stuff and wires around it , too much of an electrical field , get a router that can run DD-WRT maybe a used linksys and create a repeater out of it , connect to one of the lan ports to ur puter and ur problem is solved...
Have fun bro..........

fixed that nvmm. is there a certain speed I can set for my PCIe adapter? And btw I think I found the problem, recently i got a new modem and when i technician installed the new wireless modem, my atenna on it was broken.... LOL

 

[eliang]

no there is not only in ur router u can set maybe 5 , 10 , 20 mhz and sometimes quality of service and on ur puter u can set auto negotiate

 

[dwight28]

You think you know the answer to this?

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/forum2.php?config=tomshardwareus.inc&cat=63&post=16661&page=1&p=1&sondage=0&owntopic=1&trash=0&trash_post=0&print=0&numreponse=0&quote_only=0&new=0&nojs=0