OT: Improving laptop wifi reception

[Bob Goodwin]

On 25/08/11 07:28, Tim wrote:
> On Thu, 2011-08-25 at 18:04 +1200, Shiv Manas wrote:
>> I can happily recommend any Alfa brand USB WiFi adapters - they have a
>> long range, are compatible with most distros, and are very affordable.
>> Personally I use the AWUS036NH which has a massive 2W output.
> Two whole watts?!  Seems a bit extreme, unless it's designed for long
> distance work (such as across a factory).  It's probably more than your
> allowed for general purpose networking.
>
> Just the other day I experimented with the power output from my access
> point.  It was set on maximum, and my laptop is barely two feet from it.
> Yet, Fedora's signal meter was always around 95%, occasionally dipping
> down to lose a whole bar on the graphical display (whatever that
> actually means), which made no sense.  I'd expect 100% being that close,
> especially since I've used the laptop in another room, with three brick
> walls between them, and not noticed a huge loss on the signal meter.
>
> So, I've turned the access power down to minimum (12.5%).  And Fedora's
> signal meter reading hasn't changed in the slightest, nor is there any
> noticeable change in network performance.  So, I can't tell if the
> access point has actually changed signal level, or whether Fedora's
> meter is *more* concerned with some other factors than signal strength.
>
> I don't place a lot of faith in the signal metering.
>
I suspect that receiver quality is a bigger factor that transmitter 
power output. I am presently using a Linksys E3000 running DD-WRT which 
displays some receiving data [SNR, signal to noise ratio]. I have no way 
of verifying these numbers but have no reason to doubt them either. I 
have also noticed that signal quality affects the data rates. Good 
signal, faster transfers ...

Bob.

>
>             Wireless Nodes
>
>         Clients
>         MAC Address 	Interface 	Uptime 	TX Rate 	RX Rate 	Signal
>         Noise 	SNR 	Signal Quality
>         00:1E:52:86:4B:C3 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-42 	-88 	46 	
>         64%
>         B8:FF:61:35:AC:CC 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-52 	-88 	36 	
>         52%
>         00:1F:1F:A5:D6:84 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-62 	-88 	26 	
>         39%
>         00:AA:BB:CC:DD:10 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-67 	-88 	21 	
>         33%
>         0C:EE:E6:84:F3:A9 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-55 	-88 	33 	
>         48%
>         00:11:85:8C:CC:25 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-61 	-88 	27 	
>         40%
>         00:02:6F:9B:BA:C4 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-42 	-88 	46 	
>         64%
>         00:1D:73:C9:11:94 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-57 	-88 	31 	
>         45%
>




.