[MLB-WIRELESS] A question for the gurus

[Rowan Wainwright-Smith]

Tony,

I can think of one possible reason for your variations between the two systems.

Take the WiFi card out and check for "Random Noise" interference around each
machine. This is usually caused by things like Hard disks, fans etc. ( things
with motors). a really easy way to check this is put a radio next to the
machines, tuned to an old AM station, if you get static when the Machine is on,
but not when it is off, then that is your problem.

You may well find that the Dell machine does not have a brushless fan in it
either (big interference across a broad spectrum)

There could be other issues there, but I can think of them right now, its MONDAY
Morning!!

Rowan


Tony Smith wrote:

> I have two laptops, an ancient Toshiba 110CS and a somewhat newer Dell
> Latitude CPI.
>
> I have a single Xircom CWE1100 PCMCIA WiFi card that I use in either laptop.
>
> >From just about anywhere in the house or yard, with the card in the Toshiba
> and using the supplied Xircom "Link Status Meter" Software the signal
> strength varies from around  95% to a low of 35%, whilst the signal clarity
> scale varies likewise from the mid 90% to the low 30%.
>
> If I place the laptop on top of the computer that has the PCI Prism II card
> that is acting as my access point I get a rock steady 98% on both strength
> and clarity.
>
> However, if I then put the card in the Dell I get dramatically different
> results. Whilst the signal strength measure stays basically the same, the
> clarity measure never rises above 20%.
>
> In fact if I put the Dell on top of the access point I have strength 98%,
> clarity 20%.
>
> Generally the card is perfectly usable in the Dell, although I have had to
> adjust the retries to max and disable short radio packet headers.
>
> Can anyone give a reasonable explanation of why the card performs so
> dramatically differently in two laptops?
>
> If I had never put the card in the Toshiba I would have been suspicious of
> my Host AP lash-up.
>
> Cheers
>
> Tony Smith
>
> Connected to the internet in Sunny Far North Queensland Australia
> http://www.tonsyl.org
>
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