[TriLUG] wifi woes

Chris Bullock cgbullock at yahoo.com
Fri Sep 2 21:53:46 EDT 2005


To rule the driver out you could always set the computer up closer to the
WAP and see if it loses the signal, this will prove the threory of signal
strength vs driver and maybe even other interference with the signal. 
Since its a pci nic is the computer up against the wall or does it have
some room.  Maybe its like cell phones, you just need to walk around the
room til you get a good signal.
Good luck
chris

--- Cristobal Palmer <cristobalpalmer at gmail.com> wrote:

> I set my brother up with a desktop in my parents' basement about a
> week ago, and since the fam already had an apple airport base station
> (802.11b), I got an atheros-based PCI nic (802.11a/b/g) and installed
> the madwifi driver. Before you read on, I know, I (sigh) know the
> madwifi driver is in beta, is noisy, etc.
> 
> When I set it up in the basement, I fiddled for a bit to find a decent
> spot, finally settling for 68% signal strength. I stuck the little
> gnome network status monitor in his panel and taught him how to bring
> the interface down, play with modules, bring it back up, etc, etc.
> 
> The problem, he tells me, is that he loses the connection
> sporadically, sometimes only for five seconds, but sometimes for
> minutes on end (even after bringing the interface down and back up),
> which is really inconvenient when he's trying to turn in an assignment
> on the web or print to the network computer before bed.
> 
> As I've typed this, I've lost the connection twice, each time for less
> than ten seconds. It's come back before I could even get to a command
> prompt to check something.
> 
> So the real questions:
> 
> 0) If I'm sitting here and the connection is just GONE, what should I
> be checking to diagnose this?
> 1) Would a $20 antenna that's stronger than the 2.5 duck the card came
> with help?
> 2) Is there something that I can fiddle with in the driver that will
> help? (The HAL won't let me push the signal, but...)
> 3) Should I just throw up my hands and tell my parents they need to
> move the base station?
> 4) And be honest with me here guys... do I look fat in these pants?
> 
> -- 
> 
> Cristobal M. Palmer
> UNC-CH SILS Student
> cristobalpalmer at gmail.com
> cmpalmer at ils.unc.edu
> ils.unc.edu/~cmpalmer
> "Television-free since 2003"
> --
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> 



		
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