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Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
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My wireless network performance is inconsistent.
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Data transfer is sometimes slow.
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Signal strength is poor.
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Difficulty establishing and/or maintaining a Virtual Private
Network (VPN) connection.
Wireless.technology.is.radio-based,.which.means.connectivity.and.the.
throughput.performance.between.devices.decreases.when.the.distance.
between.devices.increases..Other.factors.that.will.cause.signal.
degradation.(metal.is.generally.the.worst.culprit).are.obstructions.such.
as.walls.and.metal.appliances..Note.also.that.connection.speed.may.
decrease.as.you.move.farther.away.from.the.Modem.Router.
In.order.to.determine.if.wireless.issues.are.related.to.range,.we.
suggest.temporarily.moving.the.computer,.if.possible,.five.to.10.feet.
from.the.Modem.Router..
Changing the wireless channel
—Depending.on.local.wireless.traffic.
and.interference,.switching.the.wireless.channel.of.your.network.can.
improve.performance.and.reliability..The.default.channel.the.Modem.
Router.is.shipped.with.is.channel.11;.you.may.choose.from.several.
other.channels.depending.on.your.region..See.the.section.on.page.43.
entitled.“Changing.the.Wireless.Channel”.for.instructions.on.how.to.
choose.other.channels..
Limiting the wireless transmit rate
—Limiting.the.wireless.transmit.
rate.can.help.improve.the.maximum.wireless.range.and.connection.
stability..Most.wireless.cards.have.the.ability.to.limit.the.transmission.
rate..To.change.this.property,.go.to.the.Windows.Control.Panel,.open.
“Network.Connections”.and.double-click.on.your.wireless.card’s.
connection..In.the.properties.dialog,.select.the.“Configure”.button.on.
the.“General”.tab.(Windows.98.users.will.have.to.select.the.wireless.
card.in.the.list.box.and.then.click.“Properties”),.then.choose.the.
“Advanced”.tab.and.select.the.rate.property.
Wireless.client.cards.are.usually.set.to.automatically.adjust.the.
wireless.transmit.rate.for.you,.but.doing.so.can.cause.periodic.
disconnects.when.the.wireless.signal.is.too.weak;.as.a.rule,.slower.
transmission.rates.are.more.stable..Experiment.with.different.
connection.rates.until.you.find.the.best.one.for.your.environment..
Note.that.all.available.transmission.rates.should.be.acceptable.for.
browsing.the.Internet..For.more.assistance,.see.your.wireless.card’s.
user.manual.