Wireless Cards

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barbhelm

Registered
Is there a "sell by" time on wireless cards? I find mine has lost distance from Airport. The closer I get to Airport, the stronger the signal. Formerly, I had no trouble getting the signal in my usual sitting place. Now, I often have trouble. Thoughts?

Barbara
 
Remember that the 802.11b/g/a specifications have a certain distance requirement. Along with that distance requirement, you have to factor in other factors that could cause interference of the signal. These factors can be walls, microwaves, 2.4 GHz wireless home phones, environmental factors (if you're trying to access it from the outdoors), interference from other wireless devices (specifically the 802.11n ones), etc.

Also, the placement of your wireless router/access point is important as well. If it's placed somewhere on the floor, you won't get a good enough signal as if you've placed it in an elevated plane. Remember that the signal radiates from the access point in a bubble-like fashion, so take into consideration where you place the router/access point so that you can maximize your signal strength even given the amount of interfering factors you have to deal with.
 
Yes, I do understand all that. The peculiar part is that I have not moved an inch nor has the wireless router and the signal is still not reliable. That is why I wondered if wireless cards "go bad."
 
Oh cards can go bad it's quite possible, but I imagine it depends on the wear and tear of the card. How old is your Mac? Are you using the original Airport card or is it an Airport Extreme? You might also want to make sure that it's seated properly in its slot...try reseating the Airport card and see if that improves anything (this may require opening up your Mac).

Also, what version of OS X are you running on that Mac? It's possible that it could be something to do with the version of OS X you're running.
 
In addition, you may also want to use a program similar to iStumbler to find out if there are other wireless networks in your area -- if there are, and if they are using the same wireless channel that you're using, that can also cause a drop in the "usable distance" from the router.
 
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