WIRELESS FAQ
Q: My wireless signal drops, or my wireless signal strength fluctuates, or I am having problems wirelessly
transferring large files, what steps can I take to correct this?
A:
When the signal strength drops or fluctuates, the common cause is RF interference.
•
Change the channel on your access point or wireless router.
•
Change the location of your wireless products. Subtle changes (2-3 feet) can make a big difference. Do not put
the access point or wireless router in a cabinet or enclosure.
•
2.4GHz phones, X-10, and bluetooth devices will interfere with your wireless network. Change the location of the
base for your phone, or downgrade to 900Mhz phones, or upgrade to 5.2Ghz phones.
•
The wireless signal will degrade (or die completely) when going through brick (fireplace), metal (file cabinet), steel,
lead, mirrors, water (fish tank), large appliances, glass, etc.
Q: How do I tell if my adapter is installed properly in Windows XP?
A:
Step 1
Right click My Computer.
Step 2
Select Manage
Step 3
Click the Device Manager under the System Tools section in the left panel.
Step 4
In the right panel, expand the Network Adapters section.
Your adapter should show up by name. (ex 802.11g USB 2.0 Wireless LAN Adapter)
If there is a problem with installation, the device will display as an Ethernet Controller, Network Controller, Unknown
device, or will not be listed at all.
Q: The wireless adapter driver and software are installed properly, but it cannot detect nor connect to any
wireless station. What can I do?
A:
Step 1
. Inspect wireless utility software Wireless Channel setting, make sure it matches router’s setting. (e.g. if
router’s wireless setting is set to channel 6, then the software must be set to channel 6 as well, so on.)
Step 2
. Make sure in wireless utility software, wireless mode is set to Infrastructure (access point), not Ad-hoc
(computer-to-computer)
Step 3
. Set all TCP/IP settings in your computer to automatic, unless your ISP specifies otherwise.
Step 4
. Check wireless security key setting in the router; make sure the wireless utility’s key matches it.
Q: I have trouble configuring or using Wireless Configuration Utility that comes with the wireless card/adapter.
What can I do?
A:
If you are using Windows XP, we recommend that you use Windows XP’s Wireless Utility (WZC).
To do this, go to
Start
,
Control Panel
, if it is not already in Classic View, click on “
Switch to Classic View
” on the
left panel,
Network Connections
, right-click on your Wireless Connection icon and then select “
View Available
Wireless Networks
”, on the left panel select “
Change advanced settings
”, click on the
Wireless Networks tab
,
make sure “
Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings
” box is checked, press OK.
Now, on the bottom-right corner of the screen you should see a little monitor icon. Right-click on it, choose “
View
Wireless Networks
” to view a list of wireless stations, then double-click on your wireless station to connect to it.
If you are not using Windows XP, please remove Wireless Configuration Utility in Control Panel, Add/Remove
Program, restart the computer, and reinstall it.
