Fast Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems
From Navas Wireless Wiki
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In network terms, a ''[[Wikipedia:Network bridge|bridge]]'' is transparent, passing data from each side to the other side (wireless to wired, wired to wireless). Thus in normal operation it doesn't have any use for [[wikipedia:IP address|IP addresses]], just [[wikipedia:Media Access Control|MAC addresses]]. | In network terms, a ''[[Wikipedia:Network bridge|bridge]]'' is transparent, passing data from each side to the other side (wireless to wired, wired to wireless). Thus in normal operation it doesn't have any use for [[wikipedia:IP address|IP addresses]], just [[wikipedia:Media Access Control|MAC addresses]]. | ||
- | However, because of the need to ''manage'' Wi-Fi operation ([[wikipedia:Service set identifier|SSID]] selection, [[wikipedia:Wired Equivalent Privacy|WEP]]/[[wikipedia:Wi-Fi Protected Access|WPA]] security, ''etc.''), a Wi-Fi client bridge will typically have ''configuration screen(s)'' at a specified [[wikipedia:Private network|private IP address]] (''e.g., ''192.168.0.254) that can be accessed with a standard Web browser (''e.g., ''Microsoft Internet Explorer) from a local computer. Unfortunately, unlike with a Wi-Fi router, a computer connected to a Wi-Fi client bridge ''can't'' normally communicate with both the client bridge configuration and the Internet at the same time. To deal with this problem, see [[Wi-Fi How To#Configure a Wi-Fi client bridge|How To Configure a Wi-Fi client bridge]]. | + | However, because of the need to ''manage'' Wi-Fi operation ([[wikipedia:Service set identifier|SSID]] selection, [[wikipedia:Wired Equivalent Privacy|WEP]]/[[wikipedia:Wi-Fi Protected Access|WPA/WPA2]] security, ''etc.''), a Wi-Fi client bridge will typically have ''configuration screen(s)'' at a specified [[wikipedia:Private network|private IP address]] (''e.g., ''192.168.0.254) that can be accessed with a standard Web browser (''e.g., ''Microsoft Internet Explorer) from a local computer. Unfortunately, unlike with a Wi-Fi router, a computer connected to a Wi-Fi client bridge ''can't'' normally communicate with both the client bridge configuration and the Internet at the same time. To deal with this problem, see [[Wi-Fi How To#Configure a Wi-Fi client bridge|How To Configure a Wi-Fi client bridge]]. |
== Poor coverage or range (weak signal) == | == Poor coverage or range (weak signal) == | ||
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Amount of antenna improvement | Amount of antenna improvement | ||
* Standard "rubber duck" [[wikipedia:Antenna gain|antenna gain]] (effectiveness) is about 2 dBi. | * Standard "rubber duck" [[wikipedia:Antenna gain|antenna gain]] (effectiveness) is about 2 dBi. | ||
- | * It takes an ''increase of 6 | + | * It takes an ''increase of 6 dB to double range''. Thus: |
:{| border="1" | :{| border="1" | ||
| align="right" | Antenna: | | align="right" | Antenna: | ||
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Possible causes: | Possible causes: | ||
* DHCP failure (interference and/or weak signal, broken DHCP server, or problem with Windows Vista DHCP client). | * DHCP failure (interference and/or weak signal, broken DHCP server, or problem with Windows Vista DHCP client). | ||
- | * Initial connection with wrong WEP | + | * Initial connection with wrong WEP/WPA/WPA2 key, and is waiting to complete the connect. |
* Wireless connection has been lost due to interference and/or weak signal, and is waiting to reconnect. | * Wireless connection has been lost due to interference and/or weak signal, and is waiting to reconnect. | ||
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# Wait until Windows re-establishes the connection automatically. | # Wait until Windows re-establishes the connection automatically. | ||
# Click the Repair button to try to fix the connection more quickly. | # Click the Repair button to try to fix the connection more quickly. | ||
- | # Find and correct the cause of the problem (e.g., wrong WEP | + | # Find and correct the cause of the problem (e.g., wrong WEP/WPA/WPA2 key, DHCP failure, insufficient signal). |
+ | |||
+ | === Android device connection problems === | ||
+ | Certain [[wikipedia:Android (operating system)|Android]] mobile devices ([[wikipedia:Mobile phone|mobile phones]], [[wikipedia:Tablet computer|tablets]]) may connect to Wi-Fi and work for a time but then "hang" or disconnect. The cause appears to be a bug in certain [[wikipedia:Texas Instruments|TI]] Wi-Fi drivers most commonly used in certain [[wikipedia:Motorola Mobility|Motorola]] products. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The best solution may be to replace the Android device with a completely different device, if possible, that works properly everywhere. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Otherwise, a possible work-around (where you control the wireless access point or wireless router, but not in other places) is to either: | ||
+ | <ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;"> | ||
+ | <li>disable [[wikipedia:Wireless Multimedia Extensions|WMM or WME (Wireless Multimedia Extensions)]] in the wireless access point or wireless router (not the mobile device), at the expense of WMM/WME functionality; or</li> | ||
+ | <li>replace the wireless access point or wireless router with a completely different device that's more tolerant of mobile device issues.</li> | ||
+ | </ol> | ||
== Slow wireless speed == | == Slow wireless speed == | ||
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{{Tip|tiptext=Products with the ''same'' (default) SSID seem like a ''single'' network!<br>See ''[[Wi-Fi#SSID Conflict|SSID Conflict]]''}} | {{Tip|tiptext=Products with the ''same'' (default) SSID seem like a ''single'' network!<br>See ''[[Wi-Fi#SSID Conflict|SSID Conflict]]''}} | ||
* Set a ''unique [[wikipedia:Service set identifier|SSID]]'' in your wireless router or access point. | * Set a ''unique [[wikipedia:Service set identifier|SSID]]'' in your wireless router or access point. | ||
- | * Set up ''security'' ([[wikipedia:Wired Equivalent Privacy|WEP]], or better yet [[wikipedia:Wi-Fi Protected Access| | + | * Set up ''security'' ([[wikipedia:Wired Equivalent Privacy|WEP]], or better yet [[wikipedia:Wi-Fi Protected Access#WPA2|WPA2]]), a ''very good idea'' in any event. |
== Works with no security, but won't work with WEP == | == Works with no security, but won't work with WEP == | ||
* Use a ''[[wikipedia:hexadecimal|hex]]'' key, not a character (ASCII) key. See ''[[Wi-Fi#WEP|Wi-Fi WEP]]''. | * Use a ''[[wikipedia:hexadecimal|hex]]'' key, not a character (ASCII) key. See ''[[Wi-Fi#WEP|Wi-Fi WEP]]''. | ||
- | {{Tip|tiptext=[[wikipedia:Wired Equivalent Privacy|WEP]] can be easily cracked! If possible, use [[wikipedia:Wi-Fi Protected Access| | + | {{Tip|tiptext=[[wikipedia:Wired Equivalent Privacy|WEP]] can be easily cracked! If possible, use [[wikipedia:Wi-Fi Protected Access#WPA2|WPA2]] instead. See ''[[Wi-Fi#Wi-Fi_Security|Wi-Fi Security]]''.}} |
== Wake On LAN (WOL) won't work from the Internet == | == Wake On LAN (WOL) won't work from the Internet == |