[Tfug] Wireless

[Bexley Hall]

Hi, Jim,

--- Jim Secan <jim at nwra.com> wrote:

> This appears to be a rather generic problem.  I'm
> running a Mac network at
> home that uses Apple's base station for the wireless
> part of the network.
> The "signal strength", and the ability to connect
> and download through the
> wireless link, from a Mac located about 40' away
> from the base station
> across a courtyard varies throughout the day with no
> discernable
> correlation with ANYTHING else (air temperature,
> rain, wind,
> dog-in-the-yard, sliding doors open or closed, etc).

<frown>

>  Drives me crazy, but
> I don't know that much can be done about it other
> than directional antennas
> or other ways to effectively boost the signal
> strength on either end.  

But, that was my point -- signal *strength* is
misleading.  In my case, I usually have *great*
signal but still piss poor throughput (like one
in several thousand packets received *clean*)

Hence, I've rethought this... good signal just
means "its loud" (drawing an analogy to audio);
but, it doesn't mean that it has good *fidelity*.
 
> The base station runs 802.11g and 802.11n, the Mac
> runs only 802.11g.  When
> I put a Mac laptop that can "speak" 802.11n in the
> same room, I do get
> better connections (and I should certainly hope
> so!).  However, when I was
> working using my laptop in that room a few months
> ago I noticed that the
> signal strength (or whatever Apple's wireless icon
> really means by its
> bars) varied over time for no particular reason.
> 
> Fine wires and magic not to be understood by mere
> mortals.

BFM.

--don


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