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Tracking Down Wi-Fi Interference?

Posted by kdawson on from the hello-fcc-i'd-like-to-report-hello?-hello? dept.

Nicros writes "Almost every evening, between 8:30 and 10:00, my Wi-Fi just dies. This, in itself, could be explained by a crappy Wi-Fi source or some hardware failure, except that I know both of my neighbors are experiencing the same loss of signal at the same time. While the Wi-Fi is down, the LAN is OK, and anything plugged into Cat5 can access the Internet just fine. One possibility comes to mind — perhaps some other neighbor arrives home and turns on their router from 8:30 to 10:00? And something in their signal is hosing our Wi-Fi? I have tried looking around for software to help identify the source of interference, but either the programs are ridiculously expensive for a home user, or else my card (Intel Link 1000 BGN) isn't supported. (Netstumbler is an example of the latter.) Any suggestions on how I can track this down?"

5 of 499 comments (clear)

  1. Hey Nicros by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd help you buddy, but every night between 8:30 and 10:00pm I'm working on my microwave disruptor beam. If it happens any other time, let me know and I'll be glad to pop over and take a look.

  2. Re:define "dies" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    For example I run netbsd on my wife router

    NetBSD...it really does run on anything!

    Did you get your wife from Stepford?

  3. Re:report it to the fcc by labnet · · Score: 5, Funny

    http://hackaday.com/2010/03/17/im-me-spectrum-analyzer/ [hackaday.com] The IM-ME can be had for about $15 or so, and is purportedly very hackable.

    But it's... pink...

    --
    46137
  4. Re:report it to the fcc by Atario · · Score: 5, Funny

    So is your dick. Do you avoid that too?

    --
    "A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy." --Theodore Roosevelt
  5. Re:report it to the fcc by Anachragnome · · Score: 5, Funny

    "It does *not* mean that the FCC doesn't care, or that they won't investigate interference."

    Investigate it yourself.

    Go from house to house, both sides of your street, pounding on doors, yelling "I'm gunna start kicking some ass if you don't stop interfering with my WiFi Signal! Pussy! C'mon!".

    The guy that DOESN'T come outside and kick your ass is the culprit. Speak to him privately after you get out of the hospital. I'm sure the two of you can come to a reasonable solution to the issue if you just relax and work things out rationally.