Laptop Repair Drop-off in Bloomfield, NJ
Professional Mac & PC Computer Repair
Tech Team Tutorials: Wi-Fi Performance Tips
Improving Your Wireless Network
Low bars? No Bars? Intermittent signal?
- Extend the range of your home Wi-Fi network
by mounting it in a central location in your house, preferably high on a wall.
- Make sure that other 2.4-GHz devices such as cordless phones, baby monitors,
wireless audio speakers, Bluetooth gadgets, and microwave ovens are not causing interference.
- Separate your router from your neighbors' router on the Wi-Fi spectrum.
If they are using channel 1, for example, try channel 12 to
minimize the chance of cross-channel interference.
- If you still get a poor signal, consider upgrading to a router that incorporates MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) or draft-n technology.
These routers not only provide far greater range than standard 802.11b/g routers,
but they also boost speed by as much as ten times. OR BETTER YET...
- Upgrade your Wifi Router to the New 802.11n. Be sure it's also backward compatible with 802.11b and 802.11b devices.
Hold out on this purchase until you find a product that ALSO provides dual 2.4 and 5.6 GHz spectrums.
I'm recommending the Linksys WRT610N Simultaneous Dual-N Band Wireless Router
(Nice price at Amazon...see link in sidebar) because it suits all these requirements PLUS you can connect a USB external
drive to it and have a network accesible volume...sweet.
What's 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n?
- The first Wi-Fi routers were 802.11b, with a max of 11-megabits-per-second throughput.
- Next, 802.11g increased that to 54 mbps.
- Now, MIMO and draft-802.11n routers have pushed the wireless frontier
to 280 mbps and beyond, rivaling wired ethernet. If you are in the market
for a new router, definitely buy one of these models.
How can I get wi-fi in the saferoom?
- If you have particular Wi-Fi trouble spots in your house, such as odd corners,
a basement, or an attic, power-line networking can be a great way to serve those areas.
- With
power-line devices, you simply
plug one adapter into a wall outlet and run an ethernet cord to your router. Then you plug another adapter
into an outlet near the device you want to connect to the network and run an
ethernet cord to that device. May the force be with you
What is AirPort? What is AirPort Extreme?
- AirPort (802.11) provides a maximum wireless data rate of 11 megabits per second,
and AirPort Extreme (802.11g) provides a maximum wireless
data rate of 54 megabits per second, which is five times faster. AirPort Extreme is
backwards-compatible with AirPort, and works in much the same way. However,
it is worth noting that at 54 megabits per second, the "Base Station range"
is only 50 feet, whereas the range is 150 feet at 11 megabits per second.
- All MacBook systems have AirPort Extreme pre-installed.
Does the MacBook support 802.11n?
- The original MacBook "Core Duo" models -- the MacBook "Core Duo" 1.83 13-Inch,
MacBook "Core Duo" 2.0 13-Inch (White), and MacBook "Core Duo" 2.0 13-Inch (Black) -- do not support 802.11n but
we can upgrade your MacBook's wireless card. Make request.
- All subsequent MacBook models support 802.11n, but the "Late 2006" models
required a firmware update before it was available for use.
Advanced Reading
