Wi-fi Interference
 

I have the fabulous Apple Airport Express and am using it as an access point in my apartment and would like to keep it as my primary method of connecting to the internet so I don't have to string cables all over the place. The problem is that my laptop can see EIGHT wireless networks in addition to my own, so there's tons of interference and sometimes, when the wind blows or the moon is in the right phase, I will lose my connection and have a heck of a time getting it back.

So, is there any way of helping with this? I turned on the "Interference Robustness" feature, but it still drops. Are there channels that are rarely used, or do the routers jump around until they find an unoccupied one? Can I tell my computer to lock on to my network and my network only?

<Unrelated rant> My stupid ISP (well, internet provided for free by my building) shuts off the http ports every few hours for 5-10 minutes. That's just obnoxious. I guess it's to prevent huge filesharing networks, but I can still IM and VPN, so I'm guessing it probably does no good. Actually, I know it does no good because my internet is usually ground to a halt at peak hours, and I poke along with barely usable speed. I can only imagine how much porn my neighbors are downloading :mad: ;)

For your own wireless network, set the channel away from the other access points. For example, if 1, 5 and 6 are used already, set yours to 11. Keep them as far apart as you can.

I'm not sure how the Apple air client interface works, but in some, you can set your card to only look at your SSID/Channel. For Windows, it's in the Device Manager > Network Card properties.

Is your card internal, or external (PCMCIA)?

The other option is to sell your Airport, ditch the ISP and hijack a neighboring network.

For 802.11b and g, there are only 3 non-overlapping channels. So that means if you have 4 or more access points within range of each other you will have interference. 4 isn't so bad, but 8 is a lot.

My best answer would be to get an 802.11a access point which uses the wide open 5GHz spectrum. No interference worries there. That means buying a new AP, but that may be your only choice.

nother topice
 

Anyone know how to reduce intereferance on b/g networks, from 5.8 ghz phones. I have some new phones, 5.8 g that are causing problems with my 802.11 b/g networks.

Doesn't sound right to me. Are you sure it's the phones? What are your symptoms?

802.11 B and G operate in the 2.4GHz range. So 5Ghz devices will have no effect at all. However microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices and DECT phones may interfere with other devices in the 2.4GHz range.

DECT phones operate in the 1900MHz band and will not interfere with WiFi. I seem to remember being warned that there are some '5GHz' phones that only use 5GHz for base-station transmit; handset transmit is in the 2.4GHz band. Perhaps nmenaker has one of those?

The DECT and Microwave are what I've been told. But I know for a fact that Bluetooth operates in the 2.4GHz range and frequency hops at 600 times per second which can really screw up 802.11B and G. The new Bluetooth standard is supposed to discover, then skip WiFi stations, but there are millions of the old Bluetooth devices out there.

Sort of on-topic: I have a Vtech 2.4 GHz phone that was advertised as "WiFi friendly." So far that's working out to be true (as opposed to the old Panasonic one that would kill the network about one time out of three) but the wireless controls on the electric blanket in the bedroom no longer work worth a damn.

Well, you may have been told DECT, but you were told wrong :)

See for example: http://www.free-definition.com/DECT.html

WDCT is DECT-like and operates in the 2.4GHz band.

Well
 

So, I upgraded our phones to the new Uniden TRU-8888 phones, all 5.8 ghz phones. For the most part, I like these phones.

The real reason I went with them was to reduce, or eliminate interferance with my 802.11 b/g network.

But, I have found that the phones DO create interferance. When I am on the network and a call comes in, there is no question there is a pause in connectivity.

When I am doing a file transfer from the mail network, and make a call, BOOM I can see the network connection stop, slow or die.

Ending the call brings the connection back.

If I have a phone connection and try to make a network connection I either don't get a connection, or it takes a LONG time to negotiate. USually, NO connection.

Could it be the A side of the IBM A/b?G card? Is there a way to shut off this side of the card to test this?

Is there anything one can do to eliminate this? I thought that getting away from 2.4 gHz was going to be a cure all.

any thoughts or experience would be MOST appreciated.

All I can say is, I have tried to do a pretty discrete test. Cell phones are off, and only the 5.8 ghz phones are used. As described above, well maybe I didn't describe it but I can make the WIFI connect stop now, but starting a phone conversation. When on a phone conversation, I can keep the WIFI dead, and then hang up, and the network will refind itself.

I didn't know about the 5.8 ghz base, vs. phone issue. don't really understand this actually, since the base is always connected to the phones, no?

If your card is ABG and the access point is ABG, then the card will always choose A. So sure, you can turn off A on the access point or the card. It shouldn't be difficult.

However, there is a ton of free spectrum in 5GHz and you could also set your access point to avoid 5.8GHz for A.

only bg
 

so the AP is only BG, the laptop has a/b/g/, but I cannot find where to turn off the A side of the internal card.

Still, I don't know why the 5.8g would kill the G connection

Cnet sent an interesting little story today on getting network connections from the wires in your walls, plug an adapter at each end, one near the router and the other near the laptop and no more wireless interference or distance issues.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3243_7-...ml?tag=nl.e404

I know nothing about the products other then what I have read in this story, so I'm not recommending them.

work well
 

these actually work fairly well, I have used them a couple of years now, and now that the standard HPN, or HomePlug is fully finalized the products are becoming much cheaper.'

I use them for Replays and TIVOs that are in remote locations, so they can get updates, and download files over the network.

downsides are, only 10 MB network, but still SOLID 10mb.

Another downside is, that you need TWO of them for every ONE device that you need. Upon first use, I thought cool, I'll just hookup one to the router and to the wall, and then fully enable the house for HPNA. Turns out, EACH device connected to the router and then a wall socket nearby, needs another device at the remote end.

Funny thing was, I didn't have enough wall socket near my router to enable all the remote devices I wanted, and these devices do not work well through a power strip.

So, plug them in where you most need them.

I also setup a simple AP in the remote family room, using one of these to bring networking and then the AP to do wifi in that room

You can find these items as low as 20$ a piece, which is pretty cheap.

Now, if I could only afford the DVI to CAT5 boxes, then I could enable my HDTIVO to carry HD content over the home network to the masterbedroom and then have HDTIVO content in there.

Alas, there ARE limits!