Barry
The -xx dBm is a relative power level. If you transmit at the maximum 100mW then it that is 0 dBm. I would think that -30dBm is a standard level for being near to the WAP firing out at full power. If the AP is just giving out 10mW then that already -10dBm. Its decibel do -3 is half and -10 is one tenth of the power. You get good reception at -80dBm which is the normal power where most clients try to roam.
As other have said the cordless phone could be doing the problem, did you switch the base and all handsets off ?
Keith
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From: main-bounces@lists.alug.org.uk on behalf of Barry Samuels Sent: Thu 20/12/2007 3:59 PM To: Alug Subject: [ALUG] Wifi again
I'm baffled by wifi. I see people quoting ranges of over 100 feet or more with wireless access points inside buildings and I can hardly stretch to 12 feet.
I've just done some tests using the following:
Netgear WG602 v1 Wireless Access Point D-Link AirPlus XtremeG DWL-G520 Wireless PCI card Netgear WPN802 RangeMax Wireless Access Point Netgear WPN311 RangeMax Wireless PCI card
With the units only 12 inches apart the results are:
Link Quality Signal Strength WG602 + D-Link 70% -29 dbm WPN802 + D-Link 60% -38 dbm WPN802 + WPN311 77% -21 dbm
Shouldn't I be getting close to 100% quality at that distance?
With the units 12 feet apart (with some obstructions) the results are:
Link Quality Signal Strength WG602 + D-Link 34% -61 dbm WG602 + WPN311 36% -61 dbm WPN802 + WPN311 31% -65 dbm
Why should there be such a drop in quality/signal at that distance? How do other people get the range that they apparently do? What sort of range/signal do you get?
I don't understand those minus figures for signal strength except that -21 is better than -61. What is the strongest signal that one can get using that notation?