Fixing 802.11b link performance problems

By Ron Nutter
Network World, 02/14/05

I've got 50% to 65% signal quality on my 802.11b link, but the transfer rate is around 2K bit/sec. What have I done wrong? Thanks for any insight you can offer.
Via the Internet

There are several reasons behind this. I have seen the antenna in the wireless NIC not "hearing" the access point as well as it should. A quick thing to try is to borrow another brand of NIC and see if it gets a better signal from the access point than the NIC you have. Another option with some wireless NICs is to connect a small external antenna that could help get a better connection to the access point.

The issue may by the access point; not all are created equal. I have seen some putting out as little as 50mw of power in the frequency ranges used by Wi-Fi. Access points made by companies such as Cisco can run up to 100mw of power. The FCC has a limit of 1 watt of transmitter power. You won't find access points this strong at your favorite electronics store. They have to be special ordered from a vendor specializing in this type of product.

While we're on the subject of access points, you may need to change the antenna that came with it. The "rubber duck" type of antenna isn't the most efficient available. Going to an omni-directional antenna won't cost that much and can give you a much better signal. Depending on where the access point is placed and where you need the signal, a "patch", or square, type of antenna may be able to direct the coverage where it is needed.

Look at the building you're trying to get the access point to work in. The more metal you find in the building or that's blocking a clear line of sight between the access point and your computer, the lower the signal strength can be at your computer. As you can see, there is no one single thing that could be causing your problem and it may take more than one change to get things to be the best they can be. Also check with the vendor whose equipment you're using to see if there are any firmware updates for the access point or wireless NIC. Checking for updated drivers may also help improve the performance.

Ron Nutter, a Master Certified Novell Engineer and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer in the Lexington, Ky., area, tracks down the answers to your questions. Send your questions to helpdesk@networkref.com.

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