[HOW TO] Diagnose Wireless Issues

tom 2000

So can anybody tell me why the Router and PS3 insisted on using the same channel. I couldnt shift the PS3 so I selected Channel 6 on the router.
We will see if the PC holds it WiFi connection better now.

PS. The Playstation has now moved to Channel 6 automatically so it must be method not madness and I just do not understand the theory.

mickevh

Client devices don't choose the radio channel, (if you're using "infrastructure" mode wifi - ie wifi that uses Access Points.)

Channel choice is in the gift of the Access Point (there's a wifi AP built into your "router.") Some AP's won't let you change channel if there is anything already associated (in session) with them, so you might need to change channel in the AP then reboot it (to cause it to drop all the sessions and start again.)

tom 2000

Thanks. So turn everything off and back on again?

mickevh

It won't hurt.

tom 2000

It didn't hurt at all although the PS3 trace has disappeared altogether but it is fully on line still.

tom 2000

And now the PS3 is back shown on Channel 6 same as the router. Should I just forget about this? The only reasons it bothers me is , a) i dont understand it, and b) it could be the cause of WiFi  dropouts on the PC.

mickevh

Everything in your wifi LAN has to be "on the same channel" otherwise it won't work.

Your AP (router) advertises the channel it is using, and everything else "tunes in" to that.

tom 2000

Thanks for that. I can rest easy now.

jonboy666

hi , ive got a wireless router a belkin N1 . im connected through virgin media.im running 2 xboxs on live,laptop and 3 ipods and phones and mainly its fine but today it loses connection after about half an hour and i have to reset it.

my question is does anyone know wshat the correct set up of the router should be? by that i mean on the set up page for the router on the internet? because theres loads of options to turn this on turn that off and ive not got a clue,basiclly ive just left it as it is. should i have security on it ? does lose connection when someone else trys to connect?

ive done a speed and ping test and they are spot on,so its got to be something im not doing. sorry about all the questions.

cheers

Richard

Just had Sky broadband installed. I'm now having to connect my desktop pc via the wireless network.

I have a Dell Studio (D005403) pc with a Dell 1505 wireless N card.

The problem I'm having is my pc can only just connect to the wireless network with a very low signal strength. I'm getting a download speed of 0.37mbps.

Sitting at my pc now on my iPad I can see numerous neighbourhood wireless networks but not on my pc.

Any ideas what might be wrong?