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Lee Koo
Community manager |
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How do I improve the Wi-Fi reception on a laptop?
Dear CNET members,
Before I get started with this week's topic, I just want to let you
know I received a thank-you note from Marti, the member who submitted
last week's topic on how she can block access to porn sites on her PC.
It's always great to hear back from a member after their topic had
been presented. Thank you Marti; your note is appreciated. Read
her note here.
Today I hope we can help Alida with her friend's new laptop
and figure out how she can improve her Wi-Fi signal.
Well, Alida, there are a number of possible issues that can prevent
a good signal strength from reaching a laptop. These can vary from
software to hardware problems . As your fellow members have
mentioned, a fix can be as easy as repositioning the laptop
as there can be interferences, or updating the driver for the Wi-Fi
network card. Just remember that not all network Wi-Fi cards
play nice with all router brands. And just because you get a
great signal strength on your laptop doesn't necessary mean it will be
great for your friend's laptop -- due to differences in hardware brands.
Our members provided multiple solutions for you to try. Some
are easy that I believe you can perform on your own, and some not so
simple. Regardless, try the ones that you feel comfortable with and
work from there. If all else fails, since this is a new laptop, it may be best
to take it back to the dealer and have them check if the Wi-Fi network
card is faulty and use the warranty to fix it, or possibly exchange for
another. I hope some of these suggestions help make your friend's
Wi-Fi signal better. And if any of you have additional suggestions
besides the ones already mentioned, please post them in the discussion.
Have a great weekend, everyone, and thanks to all who helped out!
(Note to reader: There will be no Community Help newsletter next week
as I will be out, enjoying some R&R with my family. Talk to you in
a couple of weeks!)
Cheers!
-Lee
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Got suggestions? Send me an e-mail: messageboards@cnet.com |
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TOPIC OF THE WEEK |
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Q: How do I improve the Wi-Fi reception on a laptop?
Hello, and thank you in advance,
I helped my visually impaired friend purchase a new laptop...an Asus
X73E-BH51 17.3" Laptop with 2nd Gen Intel Core i5-2430M with Turbo
Boost 2.0 8GB DDR3 640GB HDD. She is happy with the purchase.
However, the wireless signal strength on her machine never seems to go
higher than three bars, while on my laptop (a different make) sitting next
to hers is up to five bars and working very quickly. I feel terrible
having recommended this laptop based on research done by another
friend the previous year.
Is there a way to make her laptop receive the wireless signal at a
higher strength? It would be so gratifying and it would sure help me
not to feel guilty about her purchase based upon my "words of wisdom."
This laptop should go like the wind with 8GB RAM and turbo boost,
but, it loads slow as molasses. She is able to Skype with folks, but,
often the video breaks up or is otherwise not clear. This also
troubles her a great deal with "a brand-new computer that doesn't
work!" Any help would be greatly appreciated, so that I can fix it for
her.
-- Submitted by: Alida
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 A: Featured member solutions |
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Thanks to all who contributed! |
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NEXT WEEK'S QUESTION
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Q: Intel vs. AMD CPU in desktop: Does it matter?
I have to replace my 8-year-old Dell desktop soon, currently using
Windows XP SP3. In my research I found, among other things,
one thing that determines the price of a replacement machine is the
PC processor. It is the apparent difference in cost between the AMD
and the INTEL i3, i4,or i5. The price difference seems to be about
$100 or more if I look at Intel i4 or i5. (I hope I didn't goof on the Intel
product numbers). For my general household use with no gaming,
only light photo work, e-mail, Web surfing, and use of Microsoft
Office, will it matter much which I processor I buy? A computer with
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do processor brands and speed make a difference? Your
explanation and thoughts are appreciated.
-- Submitted by: Mel F.
If you have an answer to this question, click here and click the "reply" to submit your advice, suggestions, opinions, or tips.
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