Can-not Connect to Wireless Router

Hi, I have a 3 computers. I Installed the Disc on all of them and made 1 of them the "source" it is the one containing the internet. When I installed the CD in my other 2 computers and then attached the Wireless USB on them it said Signal "LOW ". How can I make the signal go to very good or exellent? and I still cant connect to the interenet even if the signal goes to very good sometimes. In my "network settings" it says local area connection "A cable is unplugged" and on my wireless connection it says connected signal "Low-Very Good" and on another connection thing it also says connected. But when I open my internet it says "page can-not be displayed" Whats wrong?

 

You are attempting to setup up Internet Connection Sharing, without a router, using wireless ad hoc mode.

Please see: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/setup/adhoc.mspx

 

Wireless Setup

First of all buy a wireless router.
You will find them on sale at this time of year.
Most brands are ok.
If you use the one computer as the "source" first you will have to leave it on all the time. Better to have a low voltage ac adapter feeding the router. False economy.
You did not specify the type of wireless adapter you are using . If it is a PCI card lots of luck as a transmitter. The metal of the compter will shield the signal. A USB wireless adapter up and away from the computer will be better.
The reason you are not getting an internet connection most likely is that the signal strength is too low. You did say it was low. Medium is usually the minimum.
The stated range of the wi fi is generally 300 feet indoors, 1000 outdoors.
Heavy metal items such as doors , furnaces, pipes , acquariums , filing cabinets and foil insulated walls as well as brick will limit your range and reception.
Set up the router high and away from clutter. Set up the wireless adapters.
Best to change the channel of the router from the default channel 6 to channel 1 or 11.
If you need diagnostic software try netstumbler.
That is it.
Best not to use a computer as the router.
Routers are on sale this time of year and a much better idea. They will act a
traffic cop shuttling the flow either in your system from computer to computer ( without going through the internet) as well being the gateway to the outside internet. In addition with NAT they act as the first line of security.

 

ICS is a NAT router.
With the native firewall, it is a NAT router with SPI.

I do not disagree with the notion of buying a wireless router, only your description of ICS as an alternative.

 

Ics

Bill - what are you referring to with the abbreviation "ICS" ?
I know it must be something very simple but it just escapes me right now.

 

Ok I connected it. I just had to put the password of the connection. Lol

but now My signal is Good and my Mbps goes down and down till it raches

12.0. How can I increase my signal and speed?

 

Reduce the noise. You can have an excellent signal but a lot of noise.

Move the adapter, antenna orientation around. Even inches can make dramatic differences.

In many settings there is not a lot you can do. At the least, you can try changing the channel used by all wireless devices. If set to 6, experiment with 1, 11 or something else.

Remember this should be done for each adapter, although in the main the software client you are using should be smart enough to adapt.

Check the manufacturer's web site of the adapters. New drivers are frequently introduced and help to solve noise discrimination and other issues. Upgrade all adapters if you find new drivers.

But if you were expecting to get 54mbs on an ad hoc wireless network you are going to be disappointed. Half of that bandwidth is taken because you are using ad hoc and not infrastructure mode with a wireless router or access point.

Getting half of what remains then is, on a practical basis, considered good to very good. If you could even pull 18mbs consistently, it would be quite an achievement and you can consider yourself done. For the adapter to step down can usually be controlled in the Configuration, Advanced settings of the adapter itself. But forcing a specific mode is likely to lead to broken or no connections at all. Letting the adapter constantly adapt itself is a very good idea.

 

Increasing Wireless Speeds

In terms of speed on your wireless connection the stated speed does not include the cost of the overhead. Generally I have read real max throughput rates are 1/2 of stated. This business of 54 mb/s. The speed on a g drops rapidly with distance. I could be wrong but the real drop off like a stone is around 30 feet.
If speed is real important say in gaming or large file transfers you can always use a cable.
As said location of the router - in a higher , non cluttered area is important.
Although the signal is generally said to be line of sight a lot of the connection is the bounce around ( they have some fancy name for it now that I can never remember). Sort of like a plane flying over your house in the pre cable days and stopping your tv reception. A few feet or inches either way can make a big diffirence in reception.
As for the wireless adapter. If you can get a matching brand ( i.e Linksys router + Linksys wireless card ).. I was surprised to note the diffirence in max speed rates. PCI card in PCs most always work but they are shielded behind a metal box ( the computer ) low to the ground. USB devices can be extended away from the computer and up. If it is propietary card with higher rates of stated speed then of course you need matching cards and router.
Several last points. 1) ensure that the speed in router is set to mixed or g and b not only b and the rate is set up 2) If you wep is not on you can inadvertently have neighbours ( and not even on purpose leaching
- two cases of merit - my son was shut down by the broadband cable company - the router is somewhat shielded in the basement and should not go far. Some unknown nube neighbour has a Microsoft wireless adapter . The computer must be turned on 24/7 and the nube is inadvertently file sharing. The count was 200 gig of bandwidth for the month almost of all uploading . Yesterday I was at a friends who has a wireless printer and to set up the printer whoever set it up turned off the wep. Several neighbours all with Linksys WRT54G all all set to default (Linksys ssid , channel 6 and no wep). Network Magic counted 15 computers on the network. My friend has 2 laptops , 1 PC and the wireless printer. One neighbour even has a wireless card installed on Windows 95. Got to give him credit.
Lastly and most imporantly change the channel fromt the default channel 6. The two next choices ( which are non overlapping distinct) channels are at either end . Channel 1 and channel 11.

 

Umm..My brain hurts.. I really dont underastand that srry. and Bill Castner, by noise to u mean the sound of the computer?

 

my speed is know 54.0 Mpbs and Signal Strengh: Very Good. Is that good?

Though when I PLAY COUNTERSTRIKE my computer is making noise which probably means its running and then it Exhales and stops the noise for a sec and starts again. at that point I lag.

 

By noise I did not mean the sound of the computer.

Let say I was standing thirty feet away from you in an empty open field, and yelled at you as loud as I could.

Your signal strength would be excellent. Your noise factor zero.

Now lets say I was standing thirty feet away from you during a league championship football game and repeated the experiment.

Technicly, your signal strength would be the same. But because of the noise being made by the crowd around both of us, you would likely not hear me at all.