WiFi Interference Problems in Urban Environments?

EagleEyez asks: "We're running a wireless network (802.11g) in our apartment: four computers connecting to a Linksys wireless router. But living in a high-rise building in a major city (NYC) there are at least 3 other wireless networks nearby, plus numerous microwaves and cordless phones in the apartments around us -- all of which make the wireless network less than stable. We've pumped up the signal strength on our router, but we lose the connection from time to time disrupting our internet connection and LAN games. What other options are there to help ensure a consistent and reliable network connection? We've tracked the channels the other networks use and chosen one that doesn't conflict, but there's little we can do to prevent the interference from cordless phones, in other people's apartments. As more and more people go wireless, especially in denser urban areas, there has to be some sort of solution..." If you've run into this problem before, did you find any way to solve (or at least mitigate) the outside interference?

Comments

Use 802.11a

[Elik]

I use 802.11a for my wireless network and never had any problems with it since it don't get interface from other wireless or raditiation crap like telephone, microwaves and such.

Easy answer

[BeatdownGeek]

What other options are there to help ensure a consistent and reliable network connection?

Cat5 works great.

Re:Easy answer

[ScuzzMonkey]

Dude, what are you even worrying about? You've got three other wireless networks that already cover your apartment? I call that free Internet access, with none of the configuration hassles!

Trust me, they wouldn't be broadcasting into your apartment if they didn't want you to take advantage of it. ;)

Faraday cage

[LastToKnow]

Aluminum foil wallpaper! Stylish and functional.

Re:Faraday cage

[moosesocks]

Well... from the looks of it, this guy will never have to worry about RF interference.

don't mod down!

[TheSHAD0W]

This "troll" makes an excellent point. Wireless has its benefits and drawbacks, and especially in an urban environment the drawbacks are enormous. Something as stupid as a neighbor's leaky microwave oven can drive one to tears. A wired ethernet connection is faster, more reliable and more secure.

Channel 11

[Rheingold]

This might be relevant only for b, but using channel 11 will considerably reduce interference from cordless phones. I'm assuming it applies to g also.

Re:Channel 11

[addaon]

Channel 13 is even better, and in the US at least you're basically guaranteed to not get interference from other wifi points, either. It is a bit of a hassle to update the firmware on some cards, though.

Obvious...

[phraktyl]

The answer, of course, is to sell your wireleess router on eBay, and start sucking bandwidth off of your neighbor's connection. The more people who do this in the building, up to a point, the less interferance you will have.

Problem solved!

Walk around the apartment with your router

[ChaseTec]

I have an apartment in Houston and I pick up at least two other wireless networks. I'm using 802.11b and what helped me was plugging my wap (linksys wap11) into a long cat5 cable and an extension cord. It turns out that I get better coverage with my wap off to one side of the apartment then in the middle. The signals bounce thru walls in ways you don't always forsee. Don't forget to try out each location with your microwave and cordless phones in use. I see a much more noticable difference with placement then I do with channel changing or even hacking the signal stregth.

Don't amp the signal

[Fallon]

"We've pumped up the signal strength on our router, but we lose the connection from time to time"

Quite probably other people are doing the same. All of a sudden the spectrum becomes unusable because a couple people decide to blast the hell out of it with excessive power. It's quite easy to pack in a good number of WiFi devices if you follow proper WiFi etiquette

The best course of action is to only use the least amount of signal necessary to get a stable connection & use directional antennas. Directional antennas cause less RF pollution and interference with the rest of the spectrum and when properly aligned give you much better signal to noise ratios. Errant signals from sources not in line with the antennas are rejected much better and your signal should have much less interference.

Using amplifiers isn't the way to a better WiFi world.

Hearing aids get interferences too...

[antdude]

This might be off-topic. I can hear my Linksys WAP11 (802.11b) during heavy file transfers with my bone conduction hearing aid when I am in close range. It is the same type of interferences that I get if I am near radio stations or cellular phones. I believe this situation is going to get worse. I love wireless, but there are conflicts.