Wi-Fi signal strenght

[Larouche]

Hi,
I have trouble understanding why my wi-fi signal is not strong as it should. I have an Airport Express, not really far from my iMac (like 8-10 feet away). I was able to check the strength of my signal with iStumbler and is varies from 47% to 52%. My channel is set to 1 (as opposed to 6 for my neighbor network).

So how can I boost the signal? Why is it so low? I cannot find any solution so far, any help would be welcomed

Thanks!

 

[miles01110]

How strong do you think it "should" be? Why does it even matter if you're connecting and accessing what you want to access?

 

[Larouche]

How strong do you think it "should" be? Why does it even matter if you're connecting and accessing what you want to access?

Since my computer is really close from my AE, the signal should be at 90% or something, no? And I found that the signal doesn’t have that much of a big range throughout my house. And my other AE, connected to my radio in the kitchen (the room next to where my computer is), suffers from audio drop-off while listening to music from my iMac through AirPlay. So I was thinking it might be a signal strength issue…

 

[ZipZap]

Sounds pretty typical for older AE's. If you have the latest version (or one back) then what you descibe could be a problem.

I put the latest on my network and can use WIFI from the parking lot....3 flights +50 feet away

Edit; Whoops I have the Airport Extreme

 

[Lennyvalentin]

So how can I boost the signal? Why is it so low? I cannot find any solution so far, any help would be welcomed

There is a setting buried somewhere in the airport utility app that allows you to adjust signal strength. Now, it probably defaults to maximum, but just in case it doesn't you may want to check it out. I'm not sure where exactly you'll find it though as it was a while since I fiddled with it, and now with the new look of the AP Utility who the heck knows where they've moved it.

It's there somewhere though, and if it won't go any higher then that's as far as it goes. Wifi isn't an exact science, and is fraught with performance quirks and gotchas and all kinds of such issues, especially when used in the 2.4GHz frequency range. If your hardware supports it you should consider a move to 5GHz instead as that range is a lot more reliable (and also allows higher performance.)

 

[hafr]

Hi,
I have trouble understanding why my wi-fi signal is not strong as it should. I have an Airport Express, not really far from my iMac (like 8-10 feet away). I was able to check the strength of my signal with iStumbler and is varies from 47% to 52%. My channel is set to 1 (as opposed to 6 for my neighbor network).

So how can I boost the signal? Why is it so low? I cannot find any solution so far, any help would be welcomed

Thanks!

Where is the APE placed, on the floor or higher up? Is there free line of sight between the iMac and the APE?

 

[Larouche]

Where is the APE placed, on the floor or higher up? Is there free line of sight between the iMac and the APE?

It's around 1 foot above the floor in my A/V cabinet. But I tried directly in an electrical outlet in free line of sight from my computer, but same result...

 

[hafr]

It's around 1 foot above the floor in my A/V cabinet. But I tried directly in an electrical outlet in free line of sight from my computer, but same result...

I just downloaded iStumbler, and I don't trust it... Using iStumbler on the MBP it tells me I have 47 % reception where WiFi Analyzer tells me my iPhone has 98 % reception... Holding the MBP a foot above the AEBS (the signal is stronger above than next to the AEBS) and iStumbler tells me I'm getting 78 % reception...

 

[paulrbeers]

It's around 1 foot above the floor in my A/V cabinet. But I tried directly in an electrical outlet in free line of sight from my computer, but same result...

You have a wifi access point in a box with a bunch of other AV equipment.....

I'm just gonna throw this out there, but that seems like a terrible setup.

1. Interference from other AV equipment will drastically lower your quality of signal
2. The cabinet is probably reducing the strength of signal

Try moving it up higher and out of your cabinet....

 

[Larouche]

OK, thank you all for your input, I'll do some testing