802.11b vs 802.11g and range problems

Maybe you could check with the neighbor and see which channel is nearest you then use the fartherst channel.

6-------1 11-----------1 you neighbor

Rather than use additional WiFi routers, consider trying a range extener (repeater):

Bill Crocker

This is not normal. I'll assume you're using the same laptop and radio for testing. If you changed both the wireless router *AND* the wireless client radio at the same time, you have the possibility that both are busted.

Again, it takes two to tango. What are you using on the client end and does it work (without any changes) with the old unspecified

802.11b wireless routers? If it's the same laptop and radio, then my guess(tm) is that something is busted in the new WRT54G. However, the possibility of 3ea WRT54G wireless routers all being defective is difficult to fathom. Therefore, I would look for problems with the wireless client (laptop).

That will work, but not very well. The coax loss is far to much to be useful. I would go back to the two access point model that you started with. If you're stuck with using the same channel on both, just make sure they don't "see" each other and you should be ok.

I can't offer a solution as you started out with what I consider to be a decent approach. The problem is that you're troubleshooting with far too many unknowns. I suggest you divide and conquer. Drag your laptop with it's unspecified wireless card over to a local free hot spot or coffee shop and test the range. If you can see your neighbors wireless router, try it with theirs. Do some walking and convince yourself that the client end of the puzzle is working as expected and as it was before you started juggling hardware. If the client works, then try to figure out what went wrong on the wireless router end. For me, that usually means using my "known working" test laptop with Netstumbler and watching the signal strength and S/N ratio. If the signal strength is good, but the S/N (or noise level) sucks, you're getting interference on your allegedly empty channel.

Just for fun, try channel 2. I had a neighbor on 11, I was on 6, we clashed. So I moved to 1, and it didn't help much. In addition to this, I was fighting my son's 2.4GHz wireless video link!

I tried channel 2, on my AP, and BINGO!

Bill Crocker

Thanks. I already found this suggestion on the LinkSys site for using their range extender, but I wanted to see if there were other options; you confirmed that it's probably worth the effort to get one.

"Bill Crocker" ...