Connection speed?

Question

I used to have all 5 bars for my IE. Now I'm sharing my network with my sister because we only paid for one ISP. I now only have 3 bars. Can I buy additional software to get it back to 5 bars? Can I do something? Me and my sister are both on the internet and I know that if we take turns going only one at a time we'll get the full 5 bars. What can I do for the full 5 bars when we're both on it at the same time?

Why does my sister have all 5 bars when I only have 3? Could it be because my computer is a desktop and hers is a laptop? Could it be because her laptop is closer to the router? There's no way for me to move my desktop closer without it lleaving my room and there's no where else for my computer besides my room.

I used to have all 5 bars before I had to share the connection so I don't think it's because she's closer to the router than I am.

I know we're both on the same network because we only paid for one ISP and I was there when Verizon Fios hooked it up and told me we both we're going on the same network.

Answer 1

There are hundreds of factors that can cause your signal to degrade, far too technical to get into here...

The most common factors are interferance from other X10 devices that use the 2.4Ghz frequency (microwaves, other computers, remotes, motors, etc etc), walls and other obstructions in the way of the signal path, antenna polarization, plus many more!

The first thing you want to try is changing the channel on your router! Ch 1, 6, and 11 do not overlap eachother. By default all routers are set to ch 6, so if a neighbor or someone near you has a router its likely they're on the same channel - set your router to either channel 1 or 11.

Second you want to make sure your antenna's are aimed properly - a desktop WiFi adapter and a router will come standard with an omni-directional antenna. This means it will transmit 360 degrees horizontally around the antenna, but only 30-90 degrees vertically depending on the antenna's power rating. Therefore, the "side" of the antenna's should be facing eachother if that makes sense.

Ex: if you're on the same floor, the antenna's should all be straight up so that the sides are facing eachother...

- - - Ant1>|< - - signal - - >|
An antenna will broadcast like this...
>|<
...the signal does not travel straight up or down - I really hope I'm not confusing you!

The next easiest step would be to purchase a more directional and higher powered antenna. However, by doing this the antenna will reduce it's vertical signal path so the direction it is pointing will be more sensitive and you'll have to be more precise with your antenna's direction or angle.

Finally, the easiest way would be to purchase an Access Point with a repeater function. It's easier, but a little more pricy than an antenna. Using a repeater you want to place it between your computer and the router, the general rule of thumb is to have a 50% overlap in cell size, but somewhere in near the middle of the two should be fine for a home enviroment.

Start with the router's channel, and antenna direction before you purchase any equipment though! If need be, I have a $70 antenna that I was going to sell cheap... It would have to be compatible with your router though.

I'm am WiFi certified (CWNA, CWNE, CWSP) so if you have any questions feel free to contact me if you'd like more info, or you want me to be more specific...

Answer 2

54mps feels like your wi-fi community velocity. This would possibly move right down to 1Mps whilst the sign degrades as a result of interference and many others. I have a 100M duplex stressed out ethernet connection to my router and 100M stressed out duplex to the cable modem. Connection velocity to the web is max 4M.

Answer 3

Remember what you are seeing is signal strength, it has nothing to do with the speed you attain.
It simply means you are farther away from the router then your sister is. Don

Answer 4

Don't worry about it. Are you sure you are both on the same network?