I'm decent with technology but my wireless knowledge doesn't go much further than basic networking and I can extrapolate just a little bit more. Regardless, at my work, I've setup a wireless AP (it actually sits a few feet away from my desk, more or less) for the building (it's about the size of a mechanic's bay or two). I selected its location because it would seem to cover the most distance and looks to be in an area where other wireless APs shouldn't affect things too much.
However.
I do know there are three Cisco APs that I can detect through my laptop (I know they're spread over channels 1, 6 and 11, which doesn't bode well for me), as well as a few other commerical/residential ones that seem to come and go. Now, even when I'm right by my AP, I can sometimes connect, but there are other times I just can't. It says the signal is at full bars, but it just won't let me connect sometimes (it'll cycle through the channels but be unable to lock onto anything). It's the same thing, no matter which channel I use. And yes, it's an 802.11g AP. Switching to 802.11a isn't really a viable option, either.
This would lead me to believe there's some form of wireless interference, in spite of me being where my APs signal strength/ connection quality should be at its best. I've search the internet for suggestions but honestly can't really find many definitive answers. What can I do? Would installing a stronger antenna help? Any and all suggestions would be most welcome. I apologize if this question seems "newb"-ish, but I'm really in a bind.
I little knowledge is dangerous. More is often fatal.
Is this a theoretical question? If not, kindly disclose the access point maker and model, the topography in whatever ft, meters, metres, cubits, or whatever, and some clue as to the environment (walls, sources of interference, expected coverage, etc).
Those are just the one's that you can see. If you happen to be using a sniffer that detects access points and clients, such as Kismet running on Linux, you'll probably find far more systems. Also, just because a given AP is on some channel today, doesn't mean they will stay there. There's "automatic channel selection" which allegedly selects the least polluted channel, and moves the entire WLAN over to a new channel. In addition, other WLAN systems are not the only source of interference. See the FAQ at:
I think municipal wireless is currently the most popular method of generating interference.
Stop, look, and think. There are two possible causes, interference and something else. Let's take interference out of the picture. Drag your unspecified model access point and a portable wireless client (also known as a laptop) to a dungeon. Lacking an RF shielded anechoic test chamber, a dungeon should suffice. No need for an internet connection in the dungeon, but it would be interesting. See how things work in the dungeon, where presumably no stray RF signals and interference from other WLAN's can enter. Use the built in web server in the AP for simple testing.
If you want to do a more better test, use a benchmarking program such as IPerf:
Setup a 2nd computer as a server, in the dungeon, and run: iperf -s On your wireless laptop, run: iperf -c ip_address_of_server You should see some benchmark results. Also try it without wireless, using a direct CAT5 connection to the server. You should get: Type-o-connect Thruput 100baseTX-FDX CAT5 80-90 Mbits/sec 10baseTX-FDX CAT5 8- 9 Mbits/sec 802.11g 54Mbits/sec 22-26 Mbits/sec 802.11b 11Mbits/sec 3- 6 Mbits/sec
If performance is good in the dungeon, and the symptoms do NOT follow the hardware, then you probably have an interference problem.
However, if you have exactly the same problems below ground, as you do above ground, then it's likely your unspecified model AP, client, operating system, or client manager are in dire need of a firmware or driver upgrade.
I see that you went through considerable effort to use the term "it" instead of specifying what is actually on your screen. Is this some type of secret project?
Viable not? If you happen to be in the middle of the interference capital of the world, that may be your only option. A 2nd 802.11a access point and dual mode MiniPCI clients aren't that expensive.
No, you're 86.3% wrong. Interference at the access point end will show up in the signal to noise ratio figure. The signal will be strong, but the noise level will climb sufficiently to cause problems. Also note that if the interference is caused by a WLAN system, the system usually has to be moving traffic in order to see the interference. That means that there will probably be long periods during the evening where there is no interference present. It really depends on the source of interference. The worst case I've found is in a high rise glass office building, with a fabulous view of perhaps
100 assorted wireless systems (half of which are SSID=linksys or default). With such a large number of systems in view, just the broadcasts and management traffic conspired to generate sufficient interference to make the system useless. As they say in real estate: location, location, location.
In addition, your AP search tool only finds other AP's. It will not show clients. I found one office where I could just barely see the access point through the window, but where the interference from all the employees sitting by the large windows was awful. This mess only showed up using Kismet.
That's because there are no definitive answers. The best we can do is an FAQ or two. See:
I don't think so. Most antennas are aluminium and fiberglass. Making one out of steel would be stronger, but not necessarily have more gain or directionality. Anyway, if you can't get a reliable standing next to the access point, antennas are not going to make any difference.
Hint:
What are you trying to accomplish?
What do you have to work with? (Hardware, software, versions, topography, environment, numbers)
Where are you stuck? What have you done and what happened? You missed badly on #2 and part of #3.
Suggestions:
Disclose the pertinent hardware, firmware, and software numbers. I don't like working in the dark.
Verify that you are using a known working client laptop for testing. Drag it to a coffee shop with wireless to be sure.
Update the firmware and client drivers. This is the most likely culprit.
Reset the AP back to defaults. If it's a turbo-enhanced conglomeration of acronyms, kindly turn off all this crap and go back to plain old 802.11g at 54Mbits/sec.
If the channel selection in the AP is set to auto, change it to either channel 1, 6, or 11.
The best way to troubleshoot is by substitution. If you can borrow a different model access point and try it in place of your existing unspecified model access point, and it also acts flaky, then interference (or a screwed up client computer) is certainly a possibility.
There's also a possibility that you're testing too many things at once. Start at the DSL or cable modem and plug in a wired computer. Test for performance. If that works, add in your router and try again. If that works, add in your wireless access point and connect via wireless. Etc. At some point, you're going to see the problem. Whatever you added last, is probably the culprit. It would be rather embarrassing if this were a bad DSL or cable modem, broken CAT5, or ISP problem.
I have lots of other suggestions, but I think this will get you going in the general direction.
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