wifi connection weak and slow

[888qqq]

My wifi connection is weak and my internet browsing is slow. Sometimes I lose connection with the Internet or I get a page not loading message when trying to surf around. There are several wireless security options. The one I always choose is WPA-PSK which is what is shown under the "Site Survey" tab for the SSID I am supposed to use, and for Encryption I always choose TKIP instead of AES. All other tenants in my building get a strong internet connection with no complaints according to my landlord. I don't know if they are using the same type of antenna as I am using because they use laptops and I use a desktop PC. The router is upstairs about twenty yards from my computer. I don't use any electronics besides my computer. There is a large screen tv next to the router, but whatever electronics are next to the router is probably irrelevant because everyone else has a strong connection to the internet. Sometimes when I start my computer a little window pops up that says "The adapter is not present". I moved the antenna to the windowsill which made a big improvement. Now the signal strength is almost always in the "good" range from around 25-40% whereas before the signal was almost always in the "poor" range. The longer I am connected to the internet the weaker it gets, but from what I remember the signal strength still reads in the "good" range when the connection weakens at least sometimes. Thanks for any replies.



Motherboard: ASUS P5G41T-M LX PLUS, Intel G41 Socket 775
O/S: XP Home from installation cd I bought directly from MS, 32 Bit
RAM: 4GB Crucial DDR3, 1333 MT/S
CPU: Intel Celeron Dual Core E1200, 1.6 GHz, 512K, 800 MHz, OEM, Advanced Performance Series, Allendale, socket 775
PSU: Power Up 450 Watt ATX
HD: WD Caviar SE, 320G, IDE
Wifi antennae:TRENDnet TEW-645UB Version V1.0
Avast scanner, Comodo firewall

 

[mammador]

which channel are you using?

is the wifi router set to b/g/n?

As you are using TKIP, it could be somebody is compromising your network. AES is most advisable. WPA-PSK is fine, but WPA2 is optimal for wifi security.

 

[Fardringle]

You say that everyone else in the building gets a good signal. Is that to their own routers, or to yours?

If there are many different wireless routers in the area, you are probably getting interference from the other signals. Try switching your router to channels 1, 6 and 11 to see if it improves.

If other people are getting a good connection to your router but you are not, then you either have a problem with your wireless adapter, or with the location of the antenna. Moving the antenna can definitely help, as you saw when you moved yours. However, the error message that you get when booting, combined with the gradual deterioration of performance over time, seems to indicate an issue with the adapter itself. Try completely uninstalling the adapter then reinstall with the newest drivers available from the manufacturer.

And as mammador said, use WPA2-AES if possible.

 

[zon2020]

Is this your router? Or are you sharing wireless access with others in your building from one common router provided by your landlord?

If the latter, then you have no control over the settings, and your weak access could simply be the result of other people connecting to that same router at the same time. There's not much you can do other than get a better adapter or try moving the one you have to some different locations (or complain to your landlord that he needs a new dual band multi-antenna router to provide better throughput for his tenants).

If you have your own internet access and router, what kind of access others in your building are able to achieve has little to do with what you get other than potentially causing conflicts and interference if they're using the same or overlapping channels on the same frequency.

If you have your own router and thus have the ability to change channels, and have a smartphone, you might download the free app "Wifi Analyzer and see what other networks exist in your location and on what channels they're operating. If there are a whole bunch of overlapping 2.4Ghz networks (as there often are in multi-family housing) you might consider getting a 5Ghz router and wireless adapter.

 

[888qqq]

The landlord owns the router. I don't own a router. I would ask him to change the settings if other tenants were having connection problems, but noone else is according to my landlord. What's an adapter? Is wifi adapter another name for antenna? I only have an antenna connected to my computer. As I said in my original post, sometimes a message pops up when I start my computer saying "Adapter not present" even though I have always had my antenna connected to my computer and the antenna firmly connected to its base. Should I try another antenna? Should I get my own router? If I get my own router will there be an additional cost to use it? Thanks.

 

[Fardringle]

The wireless antenna is part of the wireless adapter, just like the antenna is part of your car/home stereo. A necessary part, but certainly not the whole thing.

There are a few different types of wireless adapters.

One type is a card that plugs into a slot inside the computer and the antenna attaches to that card through the back of the computer case. These can either have an antenna that attaches directly to the card on the back of the computer or an antenna on a longer cord so you can move the antenna around.

Another type has the adapter and the antenna all in a small (usually plastic) box that attaches to the computer through a USB port.

Laptops usually have their wireless adapters (tiny circuit boards) installed inside the machine and attached to wires that run up around the inside edges of the LCD screen.

There are also adapter cards that can plug into a specialized slot in a laptop or desktop computer.

What type of wireless adapter do you have? (The brand and model number printed on the adapter will work if you aren't sure.)

If you frequently get error messages that the wireless adapter is not present, then it probably either isn't connected securely, or it is failing and needs to be replaced.