D-Link Forums
The Graveyard - Products No Longer Supported => Routers / COVR => DIR-825 => Topic started by: motherfo on October 08, 2008, 10:51:14 PM
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I'm getting really low range on the 5.0 signal. I noticed it on Wireless A with my 360's wireless adapter. I'm using WPA personal.
Any fixes?
I'm using the latest firmware.
I have 5.8ghz phones in my house.
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disable the phones, does your range improve?
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Alrighty I did several tests and running around my house.
DIR-825 With the latest Firmware.
My house is 2 floors with a basement underneath. The router is at the highest point in the house with the antennas aimed properly. (according to the diagram)
My gaming setup is in the basement two floors down. (Right below the router)
With the 2.4 ghz band I can get a rate of 54mbps and a signal strength of 68-75. (Constant)
I tried turning off the 2.4 band so it is only running on the 5.0 band on wireless a only. I unplugged all the AT&T 5.8 phones and removed the batteries from them. I tested the signals with my laptop and my xbox 360's wireless adapter. According to the adapter it can support 108mbps over Wireless A. The router only allows for 54 though.
With my laptop I walked 10 ft from the router and my signal dropped from 5 bars to 3.
On the 1st floor of the house, I was getting 36-48mbps and a signal strength of 48-52%
In the basement, I get 18-48mbps (unstable) and a signal strength of 32-42%
I don't get how the signal strength is dying so fast especially with those phones turned off.
With 2.4 on:
I get 36mbps and 42% signal on the first floor.
In the basement I get 54mbps and signal strength of 68-75%.
I've tried both Wireless A and N and A only. I've disabled the one band and then the other.
I'm using WPA Personal Only.
I know for a fact, my buddy's DIR-655 gets better range in his house which is much bigger than mine. He is able to get 90-98% signal in his basement with a similar setup and much thicker walls.
Any ideas, I'm tempted to go for the DGL-4500 because it is very similar to the 655. My DAP-1522 is currently on back order.
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2.4GHz WLANs can experience interference from cordless phones, microwaves, and other WLANs; the building materials in your house could degrade the overall throughput. every environment is different!
What wireless adapter are you using? Also, which firmware? the latest on www.support.dlink.com is 1.01 (just double checking)
As frequency increases, range generally decreases. As a result, 5GHz systems generally have less range than ones operating in the 2.4GHz band. 2.4Ghz signals easily bounce off of most materials therefor increasing range. Whereas the 5Ghz band is very large signal by nature and has trouble reflecting off of surfaces however, it has MUCH higher penetrability in close range, but lower overall range.
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The 1.01 firmware.
I've got an intel abg wireless adapter in the laptop. (The chipset that had a lot of issues with the DGL-4300)
And the other is the wireless adapter from Microsoft for the Xbox 360.
So, if you don't mind me asking, what is the point of the 5.0 band if it is not nearly as good.
Will range be increased in the future?
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I would advise you to get a usb N adapter for your laptop. You'll see at lease a triple increase in your signal speed from the router to your laptop. You won't see an increase in your internet connection speed which is determined by your provider and the type of plan you have. I have Verizon DSL and with my laptop's built-in wireless lan adapter I only see 54mbps, however with a usb N wireless adapter I get 270 mbps 50 feet away from the router through 1 floor and two walls in my house. Outside my house roughly 80 feet from the router the signal strength is around 140 mbps. So you see that getting the right adapter should help you obtain a much higher signal speed.....