2007-07-25, 08:31 PM
I use 802.11g/b Wifi (WPA) on my GBPVR PC, and on the laptop I use to RDP to it, and on two other laptops, and (mostly) it's pretty solid. The access point is on the 1st floor, and I generally access it from the ground floor. I use the XP/SP2 inbuilt Windows Zero Configuration client, and never install the vendor WiFi software, only the drivers.
When I first set up Wi-fi many moons ago, I did have constant problems with dropouts and found a few tricks. The obvious ones are to get as close as possible to the access point, avoid solid objects (especially reinforced concrete) between you and it, and minimise external electrical interference where possible.
The biggest non-obvious trick was when i found the connection would sometimes drop when I was right next to the access point, and wouldn't reconnect unless I disabled / renabled the wireless network adapter.
Eventually tracked this down to a conflict with my teenage daughter - every time she picked up the DECT phone (which with teenage daughters is quite often), the Wifi would drop. Even if she was right at the other end of the house.
Fixed it by changing channels on the access point until i found one that didn't drop when the phone was on (for me, in NZ, with Uniden DECT phones, this was channel 11). Now it's solid and if it does ever drop, I just do a Windows "repair connection" and it comes back smiling.
Having said that, wireless will never be as reliable (or as fast) as copper or fibre and for a really reliable connection, e.g. if I was streaming video or using network attached storage, I'd probably still use Cat5/6.
When I first set up Wi-fi many moons ago, I did have constant problems with dropouts and found a few tricks. The obvious ones are to get as close as possible to the access point, avoid solid objects (especially reinforced concrete) between you and it, and minimise external electrical interference where possible.
The biggest non-obvious trick was when i found the connection would sometimes drop when I was right next to the access point, and wouldn't reconnect unless I disabled / renabled the wireless network adapter.
Eventually tracked this down to a conflict with my teenage daughter - every time she picked up the DECT phone (which with teenage daughters is quite often), the Wifi would drop. Even if she was right at the other end of the house.
Fixed it by changing channels on the access point until i found one that didn't drop when the phone was on (for me, in NZ, with Uniden DECT phones, this was channel 11). Now it's solid and if it does ever drop, I just do a Windows "repair connection" and it comes back smiling.
Having said that, wireless will never be as reliable (or as fast) as copper or fibre and for a really reliable connection, e.g. if I was streaming video or using network attached storage, I'd probably still use Cat5/6.
[SIZE="1"]Near-silent budget HTPC: X-case w/ ACBel 400W quiet PSU, 2x undervolted (5V) 80mm case fans, ASUS M2A-VM-HDMI, silent Asus nVidia 9400GT, AMD X2 4800+, 2GB Corsair DDR800, Windows XP/SP3, Hauppauge HVR-900 hybrid tuner + PVR150MCE analog, GBPVR PVRX2 (latest), CyberLink H.264 PDVD(7), Monogram AAC, FFDShow video & audio, VMR9-FSE
HDMI -> Panasonic PTAX100E 100" 720p/1080i projector, S-Video -> 27" CRT TV, SP/DIF -> Denon AVR3805 (7.1) + Q-Acoustics 1030 / 1010 speakers, Harmony 525 remote[/SIZE]
HDMI -> Panasonic PTAX100E 100" 720p/1080i projector, S-Video -> 27" CRT TV, SP/DIF -> Denon AVR3805 (7.1) + Q-Acoustics 1030 / 1010 speakers, Harmony 525 remote[/SIZE]