My Wireless network won't work!
The wonders of modern science - the Wireless Router.
Why don't they ever work then!
Mr P called Bertha in when he was having trouble with his computer wireless connection being both slow and intermittent. When we had a look at the problem it was immediately obvious what the problem was.
The router was by the front door, where the BT master socket was - nothing unusual there. The computer was towards the back of the house. Again nothing unusual. Between the two was a brick wall, a brick wall with a fireplace in it, a microwave oven, a base station for a cordless telephone and yet another brick wall. Just to finally kill any signal from the router, Mr P was using a USB wireless connection plugged directly into the back of the computer.
The radio signal transmitted by wireless routers are often quoted as having a range of anything up to 250 Meters, which is quite true - in ideal situations. Unfortunately anything between the router and the computer can reduce the strength of the signal, some things more than others.
The real signal killers are solid walls (such as brick walls), other radio transmissions (such as microwave ovens and cordless phones) and metal objects (such as microwave ovens and computer cases). Perhaps the more observant reader might have noticed why Mr P's wireless connection was struggling to work?
The solution was simple - and cheep. A 2 Meter USB extension cable was bought, one end was plugged into the computer, with the other end having the USB wireless adapter fitted. This let Mr P move the USB adapter so that it was away from the metal computer case and the microwave oven and cordless phone weren't between it and the router.
The result? A stable and fast wireless connection and all for £1.75!
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