Signal is weak

[Ash98]

my friends signal is weak to his router and whenever hes on it it disconnects from msn and tries to reconnect so he cant do anything on it...is there any OS tweaks he can do to his pc (without spending money)?

[nitroshift]

Unfortunately, no, but there might be a cheap way to do it and therefore I am moving this topic to the Network section of the forums.

[SyntaxError]

Router placement can make a big difference. The house itself can also have an impact on signal strength, especially if the studs are steel.

Placing the router as close to the center of the house and near the ceiling would be a good idea if possible.

Make sure wireless adapter drivers are up to date.

The type of antenna used on both the router and each client pc also makes a difference. There's omnidirectional and dipole antennas. With a dipole antennae, which most consumer level wireless gear comes with (far as I know), the signal is in the shape of a toroid, so the signal strength is best at right angles to the antennae, so all antennas should be pointed straight up.

Here's what the toroid shaped signal would look like if you could see it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Elem-doub-rad-pat-pers.jpg

With omnidirectional antennas, it doesn't matter which way they point, as the signal is a true sphere.

Here's a few articles with more info and tips.

http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/wireles...te_aprouter.htm

http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/20...-router-signal/

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/setup/wirelesstips.aspx

http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardwar...cles/41022.aspx

Edited January 18, 2010 by SyntaxError

[Woomera]

i agree with syntaxerror.

here is a guide from linksys about how router placement could affect the signal strength and other internet connectivity issue's:

http://linksys.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/linksy...hp?p_faqid=4261

[tain]

You can also reduce the transfer speed. Slower speed signals travel through walls a bit better.