Wireless Networking Unreliable? POLE

If we're only talking a few feet w/ no walls or obstructions then why didn't you just buy a switch and have a wired network. Switches are really cheap now. The last one I bought was about a year ago and a 8 port switch was only $50. The 4 port switches were cheaper than the hubs!

When I first designed my computer network at my store I initially looked at wireless because it was cheaper (only because of the amount of wire used - I used almost an entire spool of Cat 5 E shielded cable ((Very expensive)) wiring up the computers.) We abandoned the wireless idea because of potential interference and security issues. I know nobody can access my network w/o plugging directly into one of my switches. With a wired network based on switches I have a fast, reliable, & secure network.

 

What kind of phones do you have? I am talking about 2.4Ghz cordless phones. Sometimes they interfere with WiFi networks. Maybe someone very close to you has one. What about other devices that use 2.4Ghz? There are wireless speakers, bluetooth, etc. that use 2.4Ghz as well.

Try using a software in your computer called NetStumbler. You can diagnose signal problems with that and measure noise, signal to noise ratio and the like.

 

As Bobolito said, it is interference of some sort. At home I almost never have a connection issue. I have one 2.4 GHz cordless phone in another room.

Netstumbler has found 2 other wireless access points around my house.

Over the past 12 months, I worked on two projects in Taiwan. We had wireless networks at both. Netstumbler picked up 5 or 6 ASPs at the office in Taichung and up to 12 ASPs at the Hsinchu office. Both of these offices had wireless connection problems. Several external ASPs were strong enough that I used them for email when our ADSL dropped out. The wireless connection problems that we had were certainly caused by other interfering wireless networks.

 

Signal strength means nothing if you have noise. Look at the Signal-to-Noise Ratio, not the signal strength, in NetStumbler.

Very simple: it provides freedom/mobility. It's a valuable convenience in many environments. Although wired connections are always faster, more secure and reliable, I wouldn't say WiFi is inferior or immature. WiFi works very well and very reliably when deployed properly. I've never had a problem at home or at work with my WiFi setups.

Are you using 11b or 11g?

 

You might want to buy one of those WiFi scanners they sell on the Internet, shut off all your Access Points and computers with WiFi adapters and scan around to see if the scanner can find a signal. That's another way to determine the source of interference. Since the scanner doesn't care what type of signal it is, (just as long as it is in the 2.4Ghz unlicensed band) it may find it easier than NetStumbler.