How To Troubleshoot A Wireless Internet Connection

wireless may be mobile and handy, but it is also prone to minor glitches that can disrupt its performance. Here is how you can troubleshoot a wireless internet connection.

• The first things you can do to check the source of your problems is to restart the computer and then check network setting and IP address and related information. Check the network cards by shutting them down one by one, you will be able to locate the malfunctioning one.

• Move the host around the router, this will allow you to see if the signal is being disrupted due to distance from access points, or weak signals which can be caused by shiny surfaces or other devices. To fix this problem you can use a wireless repeater to amplify the signals.

• Also try to keep the router away from other devices. You can change the Wi-Fi channel to see if you get a better signal strength.

• Check the routers’ functioning. Move around the antenna to see if better results are achieved. If the router has an internal antenna, attach the external antenna for better results. In addition you can attach WiFi-enabled antennae to laptops or computers to enhance signal strength.

• You can change the location of the router. Keep it away from shiny surfaces. Use the monitoring utility that comes with access points to check the signal performance.

• Check the devices lights, refer to the user manuals to understand what different lights mean, sometimes odd lighting patterns indicate a problem.

• Check and make sure that your SSID is different from other networks nearby, also check if the correct drivers are installed.

• You can also check to see if there is something wrong with the configuration of the encryption keys.

• The best way to avoid problems is to make sure you buy top notch devices. Make sure that they are configured properly and follow the manuals religiously. Ensure that the devices conform to a single standard and make sure that security protocols such as WEP- wired equivalent privacy or WPA- Wi-Fi protected access are used to protect the integrity of your network.