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WiFi won't connect when close to AP

When I have my laptop in the same room with my access point, I can't connect my laptop (Dell D410 with 802.11 b/g using WPA). When I put a couple of walls between me and the AP, I can connect. This is very consistent now.

This is exactly backward from what I would expect. Like the signal is too strong to connect.

I have other devices (three right now) in the room connecting with the AP without trouble. They use the LinkSys WUSB54G. Access Point is a WRT54GS.

As far as I know, I have the latest drivers installed for the laptop, which uses a Dell Wireless 1470 Dual Band WLAN Mini-PCI Card. The driver is version 4.100.15.5.

What's up with the laptop?

Thanks in advance for nay ideas.

Jim

Reply to
jim_nospam_beasley
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jim_nospam snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com hath wroth:

The Dell 1470 wireless card in your Dell D410 probably has a problem with the receiver AGC (automatic gain control). Todays Wi-Fi chips are all digital. They digitize the RF as early in the receiver chain as possible. The A/D (analog to digital) converter involved needs the widest possible dynamic range in order to properly deal with both weak and strong signals without overloading. My guess(tm) is the AGC gain control circuit that does this has failed.

A clue that my guess(tm) is correct is to monitor the signal strength with your laptops unspecified operating system. If I'm right, you'll have roughly the same receive signal level, no matter whether you're right next to the access point, or in the next room. If it's constant, the AGC is not working. However, if the receiver uses the BER (bit error rate) to calculate the corresponding signal strength, then the readings will instead be weird (jump from high to low and back and forth) instead of stuck at one value.

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Jeff,

I think you are right. I replaced the Mini PCI card this week, and it works fine now.

Reply to
jim_nospam_beasley

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