wireless connection more effective on the floor

[infinity11]

for some reason and not just with one computer
the signal and speed is MUCH better if i simply put the machine on the floor

as opposed to about meter up off the floor on a desk
the floor is only a bit closer to the signal
but the floor or walls must act like an antenna
how can i get the same speed up on the desk?

also not just for me, i noticed the same thing at a thai friends house

[Gsxrnz]

Isn't it obvious?

Just sit cross-legged Thai style on the floor and adios the desk.

[infinity11]

I know i know, i did that for ages and one of my knees gave out, can not anymore

[Gsxrnz]

Anyway, I don't really get it. Assuming that you're not actually losing the signal entirely at some point, a strong or weaker signal moves the same number of packets. I fail to see how your speed can be quicker just because you have a stronger signal.

Is it your own router? You could make the aerial on the router into a directional aerial by putting a reflector behind. Just cut open a beer can (after consuming the contents) and fit it like a semi flat, curved sheet behind the antenna. This has the effect of making it directional but also boosts (gives dB gain) to the strength of the signal in the direction you want. It acts like an old school TV aerial reflector, which is the longest rod behind the dipole.

[RichCor]

If your WiFi Router has an external antenna it will be extended out from that antenna in a pattern, most likely a donut shape, with most of the signal going out on the horizontal plane (similar to this 3G antenna example below:)

You can try tilting the antenna (lay it down) to send some of the shaped signal to the floors above. You may also need to move the WiFi Router away from any solid surface that might reflect/deflect/absorb the signal. Relocating the WiFi Router to another location may improve your reception and speed.

Brick/Cement Walls, Tile floors, Wire Reinforced Cement Floors tend to reduce WiFi signals.

//EDIT adding this link to an article that describes how WiFi antenna work:: 802.11:Time to clear up some antenna misconceptions

Edited October 29, 2013 by RichCor

[RichCor]

Like this?

DIY WIFI Antenna Reception Booster

Edited October 29, 2013 by RichCor

[Gsxrnz]

Yep, or like this. I prefer the DIY aspect of this little beauty.

[Pib]

I expect there are also some signal reflections going on and at floor level the reflections from the ceiling/walls are meeting up in phase with the original signal which results in a amplified/reinforced signal...and it could have easily worked in reverse for the reflections to arrive out of phase and decrease the signal strength. Strange things can happen with transmitted radio frequencies (RF). I've got a homemade signal booster on my Wifi router antenna very similar to the one shown in RichCor's post above....made from cardboard and aluminum foil like you wrap food in...works great to boost the signal (ie., antenna gain) in a certain direction...been using it for a couple of years now as my Wifi router is upstairs in the master bedroom but I use my laptop and tablets/smartphones downstairs most of the time...sure helps to increase the signal strength since from upstairs to downstairs the signal has to fight through a concrete floor and a couple of concrete walls.

[Jeffrey346]

Most WIFI Router manufactures state that the higher the router the better the signal. Routers need to have clear sight on all sides to be effective. ie: 25cm from the wall or furniture.

I live in a newly built Thai home. All walls are insulated concrete brick. I recently replaced my high-end Asus router with an Apple Airport Extreme 802.11b/g/n/ac. I get max reception anywhere in my house. I connect at max speeds using my Android tablet, Windows PC, Google TV and my Mac.

If you buy a quality router, place it properly you will get a dramatic increase in speed. Keep in mind, the speed is device dependant. My tablet's max speed is 65Mbps, my Galaxy S3 gets 150Mbps and my Mac rocks at 856Mbps.

[Sayonarax]

Radio Signals are "waves". Hence the increase or decrease in signal by moving it up or down.

Its best to keep them either desk level or on the roof pointing down. Also check the output in the router settings to make sure no ones changed the power out put level.

[Cuban]

Your understanding of physics leaves room for improvement.

Is the desk metal?

Move the antenna.

[lopburi3]

Anyway, I don't really get it. Assuming that you're not actually losing the signal entirely at some point, a strong or weaker signal moves the same number of packets. I fail to see how your speed can be quicker just because you have a stronger signal.

But with a computer that packet will be resent until it is right - that is the purpose of the packet - so if you have a better path there will be less overhead with resent packets and throughput will be faster. Normally a stronger signal will provide a better signal and less re-transmission of packets.

[Pib]

Radio Signals are "waves". Hence the increase or decrease in signal by moving it up or down.

Its best to keep them either desk level or on the roof pointing down. Also check the output in the router settings to make sure no ones changed the power out put level.

So true.. RF signals are like waves....that's why terminology such as wavelength is used to determine how long a wave of certain frequency is. Like a 2.4GHz Wifi router which has frequency waves around 0.125 meter in length or a 5GHz Wifi router which has a wavelength of around 0.06 meter...pretty short waves. No like a 50Hz line frequency wavelength that is 6 million meters long. But the thing about waves is the peaks and valleys of the wave are constantly washing across your device's antenna....the waves are not stationary in space/air. However, but, if you get reflections bouncing back and meeting up with the original wave it can cause additive or subtractive effects to the transmitted power level. But usually reductions in signal strength are predominately caused by obstacles the RF has to get through like floors and walls. But like I mentioned before strange things can effect RF signal strength.

[Rorri]

Radio Signals are "waves". Hence the increase or decrease in signal by moving it up or down.

Its best to keep them either desk level or on the roof pointing down. Also check the output in the router settings to make sure no ones changed the power out put level.

So true.. RF signals are like waves....that's why terminology such as wavelength is used to determine how long a wave of certain frequency is. Like a 2.4GHz Wifi router which has frequency waves around 0.125 meter in length or a 5GHz Wifi router which has a wavelength of around 0.06 meter...pretty short waves. No like a 50Hz line frequency wavelength that is 6 million meters long. But the thing about waves is the peaks and valleys of the wave are constantly washing across your device's antenna....the waves are not stationary in space/air. However, but, if you get reflections bouncing back and meeting up with the original wave it can cause additive or subtractive effects to the transmitted power level. But usually reductions in signal strength are predominately caused by obstacles the RF has to get through like floors and walls. But like I mentioned before strange things can effect RF signal strength.

It could also be that the floor provides a better ground plain.

[Tywais]

Radio Signals are "waves". Hence the increase or decrease in signal by moving it up or down.

Its best to keep them either desk level or on the roof pointing down. Also check the output in the router settings to make sure no ones changed the power out put level.

So true.. RF signals are like waves....that's why terminology such as wavelength is used to determine how long a wave of certain frequency is. Like a 2.4GHz Wifi router which has frequency waves around 0.125 meter in length or a 5GHz Wifi router which has a wavelength of around 0.06 meter...pretty short waves. No like a 50Hz line frequency wavelength that is 6 million meters long. But the thing about waves is the peaks and valleys of the wave are constantly washing across your device's antenna....the waves are not stationary in space/air. However, but, if you get reflections bouncing back and meeting up with the original wave it can cause additive or subtractive effects to the transmitted power level. But usually reductions in signal strength are predominately caused by obstacles the RF has to get through like floors and walls. But like I mentioned before strange things can effect RF signal strength.

It could also be that the floor provides a better ground plain.

Ground plane was also my thoughts on it. All concrete is conductive due to retained moisture and rebar. It could act as a bounce source of the RF. When you think of walls/floors interfering that is due to lack of penetration of the RF, that is it gets absorbed into the material attenuating it. As distance increases signal strength decreases as does any barriers in between. This does cause the effective throughput of the data to decrease.

[Crossy]

+1 on the ground plane idea.

To our OP, where is the router in relation to the PC?

[samtam]

Is there such a thing as a "booster" (maybe the wrong terminology), so that my router in my home office can be boosted in the bedroom (s) next door. In UK there was a device that I could plug into the wall socket and it relayed the signal from the main router to another room many (100) metres away.

[LemonSqueeza]

buy a decent router and or wireless NIC

[Rorri]

Is there such a thing as a "booster" (maybe the wrong terminology), so that my router in my home office can be boosted in the bedroom (s) next door. In UK there was a device that I could plug into the wall socket and it relayed the signal from the main router to another room many (100) metres away.

Yes, most wireless "routers" can be configured as repeaters. So, buy another "router" and configure it as a repeater, bare in mind you still need to use your existing wifi "router" as base. But 100 meters, I do not like your chances, even in open space, line of sight, most wifi "routers" are not designed for that distance, boosting the transmit power is illegal, at least in most countries. I have not tried these, but they might be what you are looking for Linksys Powerline Adapter.

Edited October 30, 2013 by Rorri

[Pib]

Repeaters can definitely improve range, but they also usually cut your bandwidth in half since the repeater is working as a middle man/bucket of data relayer between the Wifi router and your Wifi devices.

[wayned]

I have one interior room in my house that is a "Faraday cage", my mobile won't even get a signal when I'm in there. Must be all of the steel that I out in the walls when we built the house.

[Baloo22]

If your wireless router has two or more antenna, try aiming one antenna straight up (vertically) and one at a 90 degree angle (horizontally).

You may need to experiment some to see which specific antenna orientations gives you the best signal.

[Baloo22]

I have one interior room in my house that is a "Faraday cage", my mobile won't even get a signal when I'm in there. Must be all of the steel that I out in the walls when we built the house.

Yes, that can happen. At the college where I worked back in the U.S. we had one building that had a brand new addition put on to one end. They used steel-stud wall framing. Cell phones were pretty much useless in that part of the building.

[Rorri]

If your wireless router has two or more antenna, try aiming one antenna straight up (vertically) and one at a 90 degree angle (horizontally).

You may need to experiment some to see which specific antenna orientations gives you the best signal.

Wireless Router Antenna Example.jpg

Antenna need to be in the same polarisation, so, if the PC wireless network card is vertical, then the antenna on the "router" must be vertical, this is for maximum power transfer, any variation reduces the received power. Two antennae are usually for "diversity" and improve reception.

[FangFerang]

Interesting responses. I suggest hard-wiring the current router to your PC. Skip the signal issue and grind on your knees.

[patjem]

Surely, it would be better to post question in a furm of IT specialists than a bunch of guys who live in or discuss life in Thailand?

You're likely to find better "experts" on such a site..... just a thought!

[Pib]

Problem is many people can't understand the answers some IT specialists give in their IT language/secret code/acronyms/etc.

[mtimmu]

Yep, or like this. I prefer the DIY aspect of this little beauty.

leo antenna.jpg

i thought this same, saw it on youtube, how to make it

[mtimmu]

Yep, or like this. I prefer the DIY aspect of this little beauty.

leo antenna.jpg

after 20 cans u dont remember what u were doing..ing ing ing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUYGb2JtQYA

[infinity11]

Radio Signals are "waves". Hence the increase or decrease in signal by moving it up or down.

Its best to keep them either desk level or on the roof pointing down. Also check the output in the router settings to make sure no ones changed the power out put level.

Easy to do?

How?

What do i look and check for and change back to?

thanks