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WiFi Interference Problems in Urban Environments?

Posted by Cliff on from the handling-clutter-the-airwaves dept.

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?

3 of 51 comments (clear)

  1. Use 802.11a by Elik · · Score: 5, Informative

    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.

    --
    -- Amazing how the Internet still humms along.... -- Dispite all the flaws of Micro$oft in their software!
  2. Easy answer by BeatdownGeek · · Score: 5, Insightful
    What other options are there to help ensure a consistent and reliable network connection?
    Cat5 works great.
  3. Don't amp the signal by Fallon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "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.