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Enhanced Wireless Router
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TRoUblEsHooTIng
Problem:
• My wireless network performance i s inconsistent.
• Data transfer is som etimes slow.
• Signal strength is p oor.
• Difficulty estab lishing and/or mai ntaining a Virtu al Private Network (VPN) connecti on.
limiting the wireless transmit rate—Limiting the wireless transmit ra te
can help improve the ma ximum wireless r ange and connec tion stability�
Most wireless cards h ave the ability to l imit the transmis sion rate� To
change this propert y, go to the Windows Co ntrol Panel, open “Network
Connections” and doubl e-click on your wireless card’s con nection� In
the properties dialo g, select the “Co nfigure” button o n the “General” t ab
(Windows 98 users wil l have to select th e wireless card in the list box
and then click “Proper ties”), then choo se the “Advanced” tab and select
the rate property�
Wireless client card s are usually set to automatically a djust the wireles s
transmit rate for you, bu t doing so can c ause periodic dis connects when
the wireless signal is too weak; as a ru le, slower transmis sion rates are
more stable� Experime nt with differen t connection rate s until you find the
best one for your enviro nment� Note that a ll available transm ission rates
should be acceptable for browsing the In ternet� For more a ssistance,
see your wireless car d’s user manual�
solution:
Wireless technology i s radio-based, w hich means conne ctivity and
the throughput perfo rmance between devices decreas es when the
distance between devi ces increases� Other factors th at will cause sign al
degradation (metal is g enerally the wor st culprit) are ob structions such
as walls and metal app liances� Note also that connection speed may
decrease as you move far ther away from th e Router�
In order to determine if wireless issue s are related to ra nge, we suggest
temporarily moving the computer, if possibl e, five to 10 feet from
the Router�
Changing the wireless channel—Depending on local wireless tr affic
and interference, switc hing the wireles s channel of your network can
improve performance a nd reliability� The default channel the Router
is shipped with is cha nnel 11; you may choose from several other
channels depending on your region� See the section on pa ge 41 entitled
“Changing the Wireless Channel” for ins tructions on how to choose
other channels�