Wireless networks are amazing when you are connected to them. But if you are very far from the wireless access point(WAP) or router, then your signal will be extremely weak. The laptop will take several minutes just to load a simple page or website. This will make you rip the keyboards out of the laptop and smash the machine to bits. That is just me I guess, as I always fall prey to weak wireless signals.
Internet wireless signals get weak as they travel through different objects and distance. The objects can be the amount of walls between the laptop and router or the amount of buildings in the area. Every obstacle reduces the speed at which the wave can travel. This reduction delays the transmission of the signal between the laptop and access point.
The location of your laptop is vital for getting good strength. In heavy dense city area’s, the wireless signal will be getting stuck in other external noise. The origin of the noise could be coming from anything such as electrical equipment or cell phone/3G network towers. The higher up you go, the harder it will be to get good wireless signal. The best connection is a wired one, but when you have to cover large distances the wireless is more efficient.
Analyze the laptop
The technology in the laptop will determine the strength of the signal. Having an internal wifi-card will not be as strong as an external wifi card. Check to see if your laptop has a slot available for to plug-in a PCMIA card.
No slots? Don’t worry, there are USB wireless antennas that can help with this. Most of the major cell phone providers use USB antennas for their 3G connections. These USB sticks works in the same way as wifi USB antenna.
What ways to boost laptop signals?
First there is no actual “signal booster” per say because signal boosters normally work directly with access points. Wireless cards for laptops are normally external PCMIA cards that have a long range antenna.
Get to the source
The source of the wireless signal, which is most likely the router, will have the strongest signal. You can place a signal booster or wireless signal repeater that is within good range of the router. The wireless signal booster will amplify the signal from the router to other parts of the building or home. If you can’t get to the source, then connect to the network with a wifi signal booster and connect your laptop to the signal booster.
Amplifying the signal from its source is the best way to increase the range and strength of the wireless signal.
More Power to the network card
Sometimes the laptop does not give enough power to the network card itself. This reduces the ability of the network card to pick up signals. Here is how you can increase the power on a Windows OS.
- Go to Start.
- Click Control Panel.
- Find “Device Manager”.
- Find your network card.
- Click Properties.
- Find the “Advanced” tab. You should be able to change the power settings there.
Laptop Signal Booster Products
Majority of the laptop signal boosting products are expensive but there are some cheap ones.
Sierra Wireless AT&T USB adapter
This is a USB based wireless antenna that connects to the laptop’s USB port. The antenna has an easy clip on/clip off system so you can place it any where on the laptop or area.
Many customers who have bought have increased in signal strength. One person was able to get 3 bars on the 24th floor of a building. Normally at that height and distance, the signal would be scarce.
Laptop Signals Explored
There are many options to pick from when it comes to getting better reception. It depends if you can afford to spend the extra cash to buy a decent signal booster that will provide great strength.
Do you have any recommendations for laptop signal boosters?