Wireless Internet question

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I work out of my home--using the internet when I do inbound telemarketing phone calls. when I work, I have mutliple windows open for the different things i need to do my job.


My single strenght always varies from low to very good?

I discovered last night when I open additional windows open that my single got lower.

Is this a bandwidth thing? I.e the more I have open the harder the signal has to work.

With all things the same, I cannot figure out why my signal would get worse just by opening a new internet window.

Explain it to me like I'm a 2 yo.

 

[Amity 3]

how far away from your router are you? the number of windows you open should have no effect on your signal, just your computer's resources.

 

[Charade]

how far away from your router are you? the number of windows you open should have no effect on your signal, just your computer's resources.

I agree.

With that, you should look at getting a new, higher powered wireless router. They're not all created equally.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

It is linksys.

We have Concrete block--so that has something to do with it.

But all things unchanged--I don't get why it varies.

Hubby will be calling brighthouse to have it relocated. It presently is in the room that will be the baby's room and we are moving my "office" to our room.

But it just confuses me b/c it isn't like I wander too and fro with my laptop. It stays in the same place--but the signal will arbitrarily change.


I can USE a computer--but ignorant on how they function and what makes them tick.

Right now i have all the same windows open and signal is very good. This morning--it was low. Nothing has changed except time of day.

 

[Amity 3]

it's your downstream bandwidth from brighthouse that's causing the problem. we've got roadrunner service through them, but our stream is pretty even.

 

[JNorris]

My cordless phone interferes with my wireless Linksys router. They both work on a 2.4 ghz channel, so I can't talk on my cordless phone and surf the net at the same time.

I've heard that things like microwave ovens can interfere also. Or maybe something from the neighbor's is interfering?

 

[Charade]

it's your downstream bandwidth from brighthouse that's causing the problem. we've got roadrunner service through them, but our stream is pretty even.

Huh?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

it's your downstream bandwidth from brighthouse that's causing the problem. we've got roadrunner service through them, but our stream is pretty even.

So what fixes that, do you know?

 

[Amity 3]

the router is just a outbound radio. it sends out it's signal to any device designed to receive the frequency. (like 802.11g) but it's outbound signal strength depends on the inbound bandwidth it's getting.

does your weaker signal occur more during mornings, afternoons or evenings?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

we used to be low all of the time..hubby finally secured our network.

I notice the low very early in the morning.....

but I do see more very good than anything now.

Just wondering about the arbitrary sudden shift to low

 

[Aidensmom]

Do you use a VPN to connect to a network at work? That in itself can cause some problems, depending on which one you use.

 

[Amity 3]

it sounds like a stream problem. if new subscribers sign up for cable modem service in your neighborhood, brighthouse has to send out a stronger signal to compensate.

we live in concrete as well, the only thing that does is lower the signal outside of the house if you want to surf by the pool. if you open a window or slider, the signal jumps.

make sure your router is as close to the center of your house as it can be, and tell the brighthouse tech what's happening. with Verizon moving in, they're going to make sure you're happy.

 

[Charade]

Strength will be affected by physical interference with the signal. It shouldn't be by number the of windows open or a VPN. Bandwidth (speed between your PC and router) will be affected by signal strength but since your cable speed is probably considerably slower than your wireless speed, low signal strength (and lower speed transmission) shouldn't be a problem unless you drop the connection because the signal drops off. A VPN could affect the communication speed but only to the remote host. Not just the plain old internet. In most cases, if you hover your mouse over the wireless signal strength icon down by your clock, it should tell you what your speed is.

The location of the router can make a world of difference so getting brighthouse to move it is a good start. But I would suggest they try a new one before they start pulling cables because you could have a defective router. As I stated before, some brands work much better than others especially when there are obstacles.

 

[LuvDuke]

it sounds like a stream problem.

There's a pill for that now.

 

[Charade]

it sounds like a stream problem. if new subscribers sign up for cable modem service in your neighborhood, brighthouse has to send out a stronger signal to compensate.

we live in concrete as well, the only thing that does is lower the signal outside of the house if you want to surf by the pool. if you open a window or slider, the signal jumps.

make sure your router is as close to the center of your house as it can be, and tell the brighthouse tech what's happening. with Verizon moving in, they're going to make sure you're happy.

Ok, you lost me here. How does the number of users on the cable system affect her wireless signal strength? She could disconnect the cable from the cable modem and still communicate with the router (it's config page). The two should be completely independent of each other.

 

[Aidensmom]

Strength will be affected by physical interference with the signal. It shouldn't be by number the of windows open or a VPN. Bandwidth (speed between your PC and router) will be affected by signal strength but since your cable speed is probably considerably slower than your wireless speed, low signal strength (and lower speed transmission) shouldn't be a problem unless you drop the connection because the signal drops off. A VPN could affect the communication speed but only to the remote host. Not just the plain old internet. In most cases, if you hover your mouse over the wireless signal strength icon down by your clock, it should tell you what your speed is.

The location of the router can make a world of difference so getting brighthouse to move it is a good start. But I would suggest they try a new one before they start pulling cables because you could have a defective router. As I stated before, some brands work much better than others especially when there are obstacles.

Whether it should or not, I do receive a lower signal strength when I connect to the VPN. I'm not cable, I'm DSL.

 

[Amity 3]

Ok, you lost me here. How does the number of users on the cable system affect her wireless signal strength? She could disconnect the cable from the cable modem and still communicate with the router (it's config page). The two should be completely independent of each other.

it's becoming more old school as the tech keeps evolving.

think of an internet connection like a circuit. with DSL, think of a straight line. your bandwidth degrades the farther you get from the switching station.

with cable, it's more like an oval. the more users that tap into that oval degrades the original signal the company provides unless the cable company ups the bandwidth.

the signal stays the same, the speed drops.

 

[Amity 3]

Whether it should or not, I do receive a lower signal strength when I connect to the VPN. I'm not cable, I'm DSL.

has Verizon been laying the FIOS lines in your neighborhood yet?

 

[Aidensmom]

has Verizon been laying the FIOS lines in your neighborhood yet?

Yes, our neighborhood has been done for awhile.

 

[Amity 3]

Yes, our neighborhood has been done for awhile.

us too, but no one has made the switch that I know of.