wrt54g

[cterling]

I have a wrt54g router on a pc connected to a cable modem. The other pc is another linksys card. they are communicating but the level fluctuated from good to low to very low. The remote pc is using AOL Instant messgaging alot and it keeps getting knocked off. IT is using mcafee antivirus software on the remote.

What could be causing the low levels and what could I try to fix it.

thanks....Curt

[Greenstead]

A fluctuating signal level is not unusual, but fluctuations in the speed should not happen if you are stationary, unless you are on the edge of the wireless range.

If you are stretching the range (say on the other side of the house from the router) you can only work to reduce the distance and the objects in Line Of Sight. i.e. move the router and/or laptop.

If you are well within range and experiencing this, e.g. in the same or next room as the router, it may be interference, in which case shift the wireless channel in the router config, say from 1 to 11. The laptop will follow it.

[cterling]

Thanks for the response.

I have a desktop communicating to the router from a room upstairs. It is 26ft from the router to the end of the house and then what ever the distance would be from there to the second story room right above that.

I've changed the channel to different settings. Could a MCAfee firewall on the remote desktop cause problems? I'd have to move the stationary pc closer to the router. I thought wireless would be much more reliable than this.

When I've talked to Linksys support they never ask me about distance being aproblem. They always have me changing settings on the router.

What would be the range on the wireless?

thanks...curt

[Greenstead]

A firewall will either stop it entirely or not. Thats not the cause of your problem.

Distance in the open air should be ~200ft. More important than distance is objects in the Line Of Sight (LOS), expecially metal or brick or water, or humans. If your LOS is at an angle thro a wall then it could be travelling thro a long solid distance and it only needs the equiv of say three walls to bring the signal down low.