I am new to wireless routers, and networking in general. So i am wondering if this is normal.
I have cable high speed internet, and it always works very well. Today i hooked up a linksys wireless router to my pc, and a card to my wifes laptop. It worked great for awhile, "very strong" signal. After a bit it went to low signal, then no signal. It is still going up and down. I have the laptop on a desk, 3 feet from the router.
Is this kind of signal variation normal? Is there anything i can do to either test it or fix this?
A number of thing can affect your signal streangth, such as microwaves
2.4GHz phones and such, but what can affect it the most is a neighbors wireless network. Just about all routers set your network to channel 6 by default. If others in your neighborhood have wirless networks and are close to you then that could do what you are saying is happening to you. You can confirm this by using a site survey utility that will show you other networks in your area and what channels they broadcast on, or you can just go into your router a try turning it to channel 1 or 11, since these overlap the least, and see if that clears it up.
Do a google for the free program "Netstumbler", which will give you a graphical view of the signal to include the noise floor.
It sounds like you may be experiencing interference from something. "Netstumber" may make it much easier to isolate the source of interference.
Interference (2.4 Ghz) can come from many different sources: cordless phones, microwave, fish aquariums, security systems, garage door openers, baby monitors, you name it.
Also, you many want to track the signal level with the laptop further away than just 3 feet from the router. Being too close can actually give problems as well. Try seperating the two by at least 10 to 15 feet.
As another poster replied with, you may need to change your channel. If you are seeing a neighbor's SSID, try changing your SSID to at least three channels away from there. The channel selected for your SSID is the center frequency it will operate at, but the signal will actually take up bandwidth across multiple channels. I..e., with channel 1 through 11, you can only have three 802.11g/b channels (1, 6, 11) without any overlap -- at least, here in the US. In Europe, they get a few more channels (up to 15, I think), so are able to have four channels without overlap.
Some signal level fluctuation is normal, but shouldn't get a "low signal" with an AP in the same room. At the most, maybe a 20 percent dropoff, but should still register as a "strong signal". When I'm using my laptop, I'm usually within 30 feet of the closet AP and see a signal level slightly over
80 percent. I'm using 802.11a (5 Ghz) for WLAN traffic though -- which drops off much more quickly than 802.11g/b with distance. For 802.11g/b, which is coming from upstairs, I usually get signal levels in the low 90 percentages.
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