Big wireless networking problem - HELPPPPPPPPP

[mmx]

I installes a D-Ling Wireless router connected to a DSL for a client.
I attached the computer sitting next to it throught the ethernet cable and it works great.
I installed a wireless card in an IMAC(yes apple) placed in the basement(works great - great reception to the router)

Problem #1
I installed a a wireless PCI card in the computer sitting in the next room of the router that has win xp installed.
No signal, or nothing. Maybe its the card so I installed a Linksys pci wireless card, I get 30-40% reception, I get an IP but no internet.
What can I do? i'm gonna try changing channels in the router, and maybe getting a bigger antenna, but why would the Imac work from farther down?

Problem #2

My clien and neighbor wants the share net, so I installed a linksys PCI wireless card in the neighbors computer, it installed fine but no signal. I think the range is the factor but what do you think?

All the setup is 802.11b, all cards are good checked it. There is something wrong but not having experience with wireless tech is killing me. So you guys are the expert so help?

 

[JackMDS]

Most Client cards are PCMCIA, which work very well with Laptops. For Desktop, it is usually better to use USB Wireless Card.
PCMCIA Wireless Cards with fixed antenna (stuck behind the PC) yields inferior results versus Flexible Antenna on a USB card.

The iMac is probably all plastic (j/k).

 

[cipher00]

<<it installed fine but no signal. I think the range is the factor but what do you think?>>

How far away is your neighbor's house/apt/dwelling? I've found that once I've left my house (single family standalone) I can't get very far before I drop the signal... a few yards at most.

 

[mmx]

25-100 feet.

 

[Gunther]

I think you should call the tech support, they are not that bad. But I agree with jack, go with usb, from my experiences pci cards are SO much harder to handle. I think it has to do with the fact that you have two pieces an adapter and the actual wireless card, so more things to go bad in xp If you are trying to give a neighbor who lives in a house next to yours then good luck because your walls will kill the connection, you might want to try 802.11a it might be better for that.

 

[ktwebb]

<< you might want to try 802.11a it might be better for that. >>



Actually the opposite is true. The higher frequency (5.15-5.35 Ghz) lends itself to smaller cell size and less penetration of obstacles.

 

[cchan]

The iMac has better reception because all wireless capable Apple's have a built-in antenna. This is far superior to the tiny antennas in PCMCIA cards (as Jack MDS has already pinted out). In fact the iMac antenna is probably better than the USB ones as well.

Also it can depend the material is in your walls. At my house (for whatever reason) signal quality between floors is quite good, but between rooms on the same floor is quite poor.