Wireless internet?

[JeepJeepster]

I got me a wireless router a few months ago and it seems to be working great. The only problem Im having is, the wireless internet wont work in my bedroom. The wireless router is on the other side of the wall in my brothers room which really has my puzzled. Its not 10feet away from me. The only wireless electronic I have in my room is a weather station which has the atomic clock and wireless outdoor transmitter. Ive taken the weather station out of my room and I get the same results. The only other thing I have in my room is an LCD tv.. If I get the laptop right up against the wall that has the router on the other side of it then it works..

I can take the laptop outside of the house at least 200feet away and the internet works great..

Any ideas?

 

[AbsoluteRenegade]

try putting it in your room and have your brother use the wireless.

 

[JeepJeepster]

I had thought about that but I do not have my room wired for cat5. I have a server(smooth wall) in the attic with the DSL modem. I have a small 5port switch up there which runs to the livingroom(two places) and his room. From his room it runs back to the Dining room which was the livingroom(kinda small for a livingroom, perfect for a dining room) before we added on the new living room and it also runs downstairs which was the computer room at one time. When we added on it kinda messed my little network up so thats why its all messed up.

Anyway, Ill just bring it in my room and use some cat5 cable Ive got laying around to hook it up and see what happens. That cant be permanent but I can try it to see what happens.

 

[hyde]

Was your room used as fallout shelter before?
Or is it the room that you built (added to the house)? Sometimes I heard that the paint used could affect the reception of certain signals. It sounds weird I know.

 

[Blaz0]

Check your network settings on your wireless adapter, or the config of the router itself. You could have too restrictive access. See if your IP will ping from another PC on the network. Even test it on a wired line to make sure it's on the network. Or even think about running a hardline with a network bridge in your room if you need wireless in there. I avoid the wireless because of issues like this mainly because I don't have any devices that need it. Not to mention, I don't want anyone trying to gain access to my network through the airwaves.

 

[timmer]

Do you have plaster walls? There may be wire mesh in there.

 

[MoladoGuy]

What type of wireless signal are you using B or G? I had a 802.11b router and upgraded to a 802.11g router which made a huge difference for signal strength and network reliability. My current setup has the router/cable modem downstairs sitting on top of beam just under the floor. I can get 5 bars of wireless (excellent strength) throughout my entire home (ranch house with 3 bedrooms/living room/kitchen). I can get 3 bars of wireless (good strength) outside on my deck.

Check out this information. I came by it while looking for ways to boost my signal strength and get my wireless system up and going:

http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi#Attenuation
Remember that your range gets cut in half for about every 4-6dB.

Fun way to increase your signal strength:
http://www.freeantennas.com/

 

[billforde]

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/wirelesstips.mspx

Have you tried changing the channel that the wireless is using?

 

[VTNomad]

Router

Can you drill a small hole in the wall and run your cable through the wall and use it as a wired connection?

 

[JeepJeepster]

Its a linksys wireless G router. Our house has Sheet Rock so no wire mesh. As soon as I get out of the bed and walk to the wall that has the router on the other side it will work. If I walk out of the room it will work anywhere else in the house or outside. Haha, and my room isnt a fall out shelter.. that would be really cool though. All of the computers that I have hard wired into the network are working fine while its doing this... If I sit there and dont touch it, I can watch it connect, and disconnect, connect, and disconnect.. But as soon as I get close to that wall or walk out of the room, it works no problem..

Its just a normal 70's house. No plaster on the walls though, its all sheet rock.

We live in the butt crack of no where so Im not worried about other people getting into our network.

Ohh, and its a laptop so thats why I want wireless. I have all the desktops hard wired.

 

[MoladoGuy]

What wireless card are you using.

 

[K Dje Ryu]

try updating drivers for the wireless card, and making sure you have the latest version for the router.

 

[JeepJeepster]

built into the laptop.. Both the laptop and the router are up to date..

 

[K Dje Ryu]

The only other thing I can think of is lead-based paint or maybe you have plutonium under your bed? LOL

 

[hyde]

I would have to say magazine stack under the mattress is too high, it blocks your reception.

I just cannot think of anything else. Can you just unplug everything in the room and then try? There's gotta be something that blocks it, especially if it works as soon as you get out of the room.

Did you try moving the router to the adjacent wall? Maybe it is something in that other room blocks the transmission to your room? Just unplug everything else in both rooms, see if it makes any difference, then work your way plugging things back on.

 

[MoladoGuy]

Yea I wanna know whats up. That sounds really strange that it works everywhere else except for your room. Is there anything outside your room like an antenna or power in th yard? By your bedroom window? Etc....

 

[Atrus]

Any HVAC provisions between the router/laptop? Yes, those can mess up a wireless signal, although I don't think a household system would, it'd be more of an industrail scale that would experience this.

 

[hyde]

Only HVAC he will know of will be that's on the jeep vacuum line.

 

[Corwyyn]

OK I have a question: does your router have one or two antennas, and if it has two have you tried re-orienting the router to see if it changes? Maybe rotate the router 90 degrees and see if the signal picks up?

 

[jeepkj02]

Can you drill a small hole in the wall and run your cable through the wall and use it as a wired connection?

I like this idea...BFG time!! Hehehehe