I've been using the Linksys WRT54GS wireless router/access point for a little over a month now and find that I can't get much use out it. I don't know why, but as more of my neighbors fire up their own access points (there are now at least two others within range of the Seto Shack), the Linksys signal strength goes down until the connection is lost.
At first, I thought I had configured things wrong but after trying everything I could think of or find on the Internet, I noticed that as the number of other access points went up, my signal strength went down. Note, some sites talk about RF interference from cordless phones or even microwave ovens. But I don't think that's the source of my problem.
Here's why. When no one else has their access point powered, I get what the Linksys software says is "good" to "excellent" signal strength. But when one neighbor goes online, signal strength immediately drops to "poor". When the second access point comes on, signal strength goes to zero and my connection is lost.
The big question is why is this happening. Some people said to change channels or to use specific channels like 1, 6, or 11. So I did, even though none of the access points were on the same channel. So, of course, changing that did nothing. Others have said to change various other settings but none made a difference.
There have been reports (here, and here) that, in fact, having more than one access point within range does cause interference. But they also say to change channels.
Surely, the 802.11 standards committee would have anticipated environments with more than one access point. Surely, they would not have created a standard that allows the presence of other access points to negatively affect the performance of others even when on different channels. This is such a basic problem that surely it would have been solved by now by using, for example, spread-spectrum technology, long in use in the cordless phone world. Right?
Perhaps. Maybe I should switch to another brand of access point? I've heard good things about the Microsoft offering but, of course, they've since stopped making them. What I need to know is if anyone lives in a similar environment to mine in which at least two other access points are nearby, all on different channels, and whereby they all get good access.
So, if you live in a such an environment and are getting good reception, let me know what brand of access point/laptop card you are using. Thanks.
Aloha!
