Anyone understand wireless networks?

[Clash]

I'm using a wireless broadband connection to the internet and on a good day it can be really fast despite a low signal strength. Other days, like today, the signal strength is described as "Very Good" but it has all the speed of an arthritic tortoise crawling uphill against a strong wind. The speed currently, I'm informed, is 1.0 Mbps, but seems even slower - I'm having to shave between pages.

Any suggestions?

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Update: Now the signal strength is "Low" but the speed is a much more usable 11 Mbps

[emptybox]

Sounds to me, like there must be a lot of obstacles between the router and your computer. A speed of 1Mbs is very low presuming you have a 54Mbs modem/router.
I don't know why the signal should vary from day to day when your house stays the same? It's a mystery.

As long as the speed is higher than your broadband speed, it shouldn't affect it, but it will slow down internal network traffic (file sharing etc).
As to signal strength, I would think it's a bit like digital telly. As long as there is a signal at all the info will get through, but if the signal gets too low you will get breaks and glitches.

I know the wireless waves don't take a direct route, but bounce around the walls of your house till they find their way to and from the router. I've even heard of people putting mirrors at various places in their house to aid the journey. It works but is very hit and miss.

Alternatively if you're having a real problem you can buy a device to boost your signal such as this.

I should add, I'm no expert on these matters, I just like talking about computers.

[Clash]

emptybox said:

Sounds to me, like there must be a lot of obstacles between the router and your computer. A speed of 1Mbs is very low presuming you have a 54Mbs modem/router.
I don't know why the signal should vary from day to day when your house stays the same? It's a mystery.

Thanks EB. I've got the computer in the spot that seems to have the most reliable signal strength but it still varies a lot. Sometimes the signal has been so elusive that I've had to stand on the arm of the sofa balancing my laptop on one hand in order to get any signal at all. I know absolutely nothing about routers or anything like that - I didn't even know I had an internet connection until Google Desktop burst into life one day and started telling me the latest news headlines. As far as I can tell, I'm connecting via an NTL public access point, but I could be wrong. I'm a complete novice when it comes to wireless networks.

[emptybox]

Do you mean you've got cable broadband through NTL?
In which case you will have a router (but not a modem), and what I said above still counts.

Or do you mean you are accessing a wireless hotspot, outside of your premises, for free?
In which case you can count yourself a jammy sod.

edited to add- You may be tapping into a neighbour's unprotected network?

[Clash]

I think I'm accessing a free wireless hotspot which I agree is pretty jammy, and I shouldn't really complain too much when the speed isn't what it could be. I get my cable TV from NTL but don't have a phone line so it was a bit of a shock when I suddenly found myself connected to the 'net. I did a whois on one of the IP addresses that was displayed in my wireless network connection settings and that said it was NTL, but that's about all I know.

[emptybox]

One of those extender/repeaters might still work, but I would seek wiser council than mine before you shelled out.

Or perhaps a more powerful USB wireless adaptor for your laptop, might just do the trick. Perhaps you could borrow one to experiment?

[carrickmac]

clash said:

I think I'm accessing a free wireless hotspot which I agree is pretty jammy, and I shouldn't really complain too much when the speed isn't what it could be. I get my cable TV from NTL but don't have a phone line so it was a bit of a shock when I suddenly found myself connected to the 'net. I did a whois on one of the IP addresses that was displayed in my wireless network connection settings and that said it was NTL, but that's about all I know.

If you have NTL it should work off the same signal your tv gets so i dont know if it is free i would check your bill if i was you to see if it is in your package,and if it is free ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Clash]

I might look into one of those if the slowdowns keep happening but at the moment it's more of an occasional annoyance rather than a major problem. Thanks again though.

[Clash]

carrickmac said:

If you have NTL it should work off the same signal your tv gets so i dont know if it is free i would check your bill if i was you to see if it is in your package,and if it is free ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

* gulps *

If I'm not around much from now on, it means I've seen my bill and it wasn't free.

[Admin]

Jammy sod

Im on dial up as my ISP was taken over and we got "walled gardened"
Cut off basically.

I have to wait untill mid December before I can get my BB back on with a new company.

I wish someone lived near me that I could "share" with