If Windows ever notifies you about a weak signal, it probably means your connection isn't as fast or as reliable as it could be. Worse, you might lose your connection entirely in some parts of your home. If you're looking to improve the signal for your wireless network, try some of these tips for extending your wireless range and improving your wireless network performance.
1.Position your wireless router (or wireless access point) in a central location.
When possible, place your wireless router in a central location in your home. If your wireless router is against an outside wall of your home, the signal will be weak on the other side of your home. Don't worry if you can't move your wireless router, because there are many other ways to improve your connection.
2.Move the router off the floor and away from walls and metal objects (such as metal file cabinets).
Metal, walls, and floors will interfere with your router's wireless signals. The closer your router is to these obstructions, the more severe the interference, and the weaker your connection will be.
3.Replace your router's antenna.
The antennas supplied with your router are designed to be omni-directional, meaning they broadcast in all directions around the router. If your router is near an outside wall, half of the wireless signals will be sent outside your home, and much of your router's power will be wasted. Most routers don't allow you to increase the power output, but you can make better use of the power. Upgrade to a hi-gain antenna that focuses the wireless signals only one direction. You can aim the signal in the direction you need it most.
4.Replace your computer's wireless network adapter.
Wireless network signals must be sent both to and from your computer. Sometimes, your router can broadcast strongly enough to reach your computer, but your computer can't send signals back to your router. To improve this, replace your laptop's PC card-based wireless network adapter with a USB network adapter that uses an external antenna. In particular, consider the Hawking Hi-Gain Wireless USB network adapter, which adds an external, hi-gain antenna to your computer and can significantly improve your range.
Laptops with built-in wireless typically have excellent antennas and don't need to have their network adapters upgraded.
5.Add a wireless repeater.
Wireless repeaters extend your wireless network range without requiring you to add any wiring. Just place the wireless repeater halfway between your wireless access point and your computer, and you'll get an instant boost to your wireless signal strength. Check out the wireless repeaters from ViewSonic, D-Link, Linksys, and Buffalo Technology.
6.Change your wireless channel.
Wireless routers can broadcast on several different channels, similar to the way radio stations use different channels. In the United States and Canada, these channels are 1, 6, and 11. Just like you'll sometimes hear interference on one radio station while another is perfectly clear, sometimes one wireless channel is clearer than others. Try changing your wireless router's channel through your router's configuration page to see if your signal strength improves. You don't need to change your computer's configuration, because it'll automatically detect the new channel.
7.Reduce wireless interference.
If you have cordless phones or other wireless electronics in your home, your computer might not be able to "hear" your router over the noise from the other wireless devices. To quiet the noise, avoid wireless electronics that use the 2.4GHz frequency. Instead, look for cordless phones that use the 5.8GHz or 900MHz frequencies.
8.Update your firmware or your network adapter driver.
Router manufacturers regularly make free improvements to their routers. Sometimes, these improvements increase performance. To get the latest firmware updates for your router, visit your router manufacturer's Web site.
Similarly, network adapter vendors occasionally update the software that Windows XP uses to communicate with your network adapter, known as the driver. These updates typically improve performance and reliability. To get the updates, visit Microsoft Update, and then under Select by Type click Hardware, Optional. Install any updates relating to your wireless network adapter. It wouldn't hurt to install any other updates while you're visiting Microsoft Update, too.
Note When you go to Microsoft Update, you have two options: the Express Install for critical and security updates and Custom Install for high priority and optional updates. You may find more driver updates when you use Custom Install.
9.Pick equipment from a single vendor.
While a Linksys router will work with a D-Link network adapter, you often get better performance if you pick a router and network adapter from the same vendor. Some vendors offer a performance boost of up to twice the performance when you choose their hardware: Linksys has the SpeedBooster technology, and D-Link has the 108G enhancement.
10.Upgrade 802.11b devices to 802.11g.
802.11b is the most common type of wireless network, but 802.11g is about five times faster. 802.11g is backward-compatible with 802.11b, so you can still use any 802.11b equipment that you have. If you're using 802.11b and you're unhappy with the performance, consider replacing your router and network adapters with 802.11g-compatible equipment. If you're buying new equipment, definitely choose 802.11g.
Wireless networks never reach the theoretical bandwidth limits. 802.11b networks typically get 2-5Mbps. 802.11g is usually in the 13-23Mbps range. Belkin's Pre-N equipment has been measured at 37-42Mbps.
01 October 2008
Bit Torrent damages your hard disk! 6 steps to avoid it.
If you are one of those download leechers who use Bit Torrents everyday for your series, movies, games, softwares or whatever, you might have heard people saying using Bit Torrent might hurt your hard disk or damage your company. So, is it real? The truth is, of course it will hurt somehow.
Although BT download is popular on the Internet, and there are also many resources, it seems that more and more people think BT download could hurt the hard drive a lot. Hard life expectancy will lead to an early hard disk termination, and some people had claimed to have the same experience. Let’s not discuss about whether it hurts hard disk, but how to protect our hard disk. Below are some tips for heavy bit torrent users:
1. Use a dedicated hard disk/ partitionIf you have an extra hard disk or partition, such as those left from upgrading, devote it as the storage of downloaded BT documents. Thus, if Bit Torrent is eating your hard disk resources, it would only be the unused seperated partition.
2. Try to avoid download files for too longBT download lunatics often drove all night the day the station and it is in fact the download. This situation has led to hard disk temperature is too high, accelerated aging and its fatigue. Now that the 7200 high-speed hard disk to the heat is great. Chassis to the heat conditions are not good, then the worse plight. So I usually do not exceed 12 hours for any bt download. You can also consider adding a a better fan for your hard disk to keep off the fan.
3. Miminise the number of opened windowsMany people like to do other task while letting bit torrent downloading file. It could be harmful and cause hard disk more resources. If the bandwidth is fixed, several more open mandate would bring each task assigned to the average bandwidth reduction, thus speed will not go faster anyhow.
4. Optimal allocation of hardwareOn the hardware side, I believe that increased memory may be a good idea to approach. BT recently conducted in the download time, my machines only 128MB of RAM, hard disk download process lights blinking incessantly. After I added 512MB RAM, I do not see the hard drive light blinking as often.
On the software side, it is necessary to the main board on the driver’s disk drive installed. The author of machines installed the latest version of the IAA, is the frequent use of the hard disk voice obviously not as significant.
5. Larger Cache SpaceWindows default is only 512 KB Cache obviously enough, and if more than 256MB in memory. Cache opened bigger hard disk should be able to reduce literacy and improve performance. 8MB~16MB general in the best effect, I set up the 32MB. Use “regedit” find [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SYSTEM\CurrentCont rolSet\Control\SessionManager\MemoryMana gement\IoPageLockLimit] the pair. If you cannot find IoPageLockLimit, it is necessary to build or type DWord. According to your memory modify its hexadecimal values : 8000 to 32MB,4000 to 16MB. other values so on the values you want to set the number of KB of cache to the hexadecimal value. Of course, do not forget to restart your computer.
6. Lower priority to BTAs BT occupies more resources, the use of the system may have certain properties. Management tasks can be used for BT to reduce the priority, then even if it is to occupy resources nor have other applications have a significant impact. Selection process label, right click on the BT software process, set priorities menu choose low or below standards.
It was pointed out that because BT repeat of the hard drive read and write action will have high temperatures, so the hard drive temperature increases, directly affect life on the hard drive. When the greater the number of people downloading the same time to read your hard disk is also more, large hard disk duplication literacy movements, accelerating consumption. Download the same time because too many things and the presentation of each sector of confusion, to read and write data in different Sector Gets to increase the number of reading and writing, accelerate hard disk consumption.
You cannot say that these allegations are wrong, but there is no operation of any kind is not to hurt the hard drive? In fact, any of the hard disk operation will be expendable, unless you do not have to seal it up hard disk. Otherwise, there will always be hard to fatigue, so you can say BT may exacerbate such exertion. However, whether such allegations can be substantiated?
In fact, high-temperature hard drive is because high-speed rotating disk, with the friction from the air, the literacy movement heat actually very minor. Even without the use of BT, as a long-term drive computers, music, play 3D games, the same hard disk will cause high temperatures. And the hard disk speed more quickly, the higher the temperature, which is the operation of the hardware itself, has nothing to do with the software. Therefore, rather than BT not to protect the hard disk, it is better to improve the ventilation state Chassis also more practical.
As for the duplication of reading problems do exist. Some people describe it is like unilateral BT burning match opened two packs, with three of combustion, a lot of reading and writing will greatly speed up action on the hard drive consumption, burning hard life. Although this view is justified, but would be too exaggerated. In fact, resulted in increase in the number of repeat literacy is not only BT, bad habits of consumption of the hard drive will not be less than BT. BT procedures through increased write buffer, which can greatly reduce the number of BT literacy, reduce disk consumption. And the correct use of the hard disk of bad habits can be hard to increase the life expectancy. Hence, if properly regulated, BT duplication of writing and reading and not significantly deplete the hard life.
Sector block the situation is similar. Admittedly, BT will download a lot of block, but any operation of a computer for some time, will be large block. Block itself is a portion of the records would not cause any impact on your hard disk. More block will cause damage to the hard drive, every time a particular procedure or files, to constantly search for a different block to the implementation, slow down the speed of operation, it would also increase the CPU’s workload and head, indirect consumption hard life. However, this situation through regular reorganization hard way to repair, it is a hard life depends on habits not one, two software will be affected.
Although BT download is popular on the Internet, and there are also many resources, it seems that more and more people think BT download could hurt the hard drive a lot. Hard life expectancy will lead to an early hard disk termination, and some people had claimed to have the same experience. Let’s not discuss about whether it hurts hard disk, but how to protect our hard disk. Below are some tips for heavy bit torrent users:
1. Use a dedicated hard disk/ partitionIf you have an extra hard disk or partition, such as those left from upgrading, devote it as the storage of downloaded BT documents. Thus, if Bit Torrent is eating your hard disk resources, it would only be the unused seperated partition.
2. Try to avoid download files for too longBT download lunatics often drove all night the day the station and it is in fact the download. This situation has led to hard disk temperature is too high, accelerated aging and its fatigue. Now that the 7200 high-speed hard disk to the heat is great. Chassis to the heat conditions are not good, then the worse plight. So I usually do not exceed 12 hours for any bt download. You can also consider adding a a better fan for your hard disk to keep off the fan.
3. Miminise the number of opened windowsMany people like to do other task while letting bit torrent downloading file. It could be harmful and cause hard disk more resources. If the bandwidth is fixed, several more open mandate would bring each task assigned to the average bandwidth reduction, thus speed will not go faster anyhow.
4. Optimal allocation of hardwareOn the hardware side, I believe that increased memory may be a good idea to approach. BT recently conducted in the download time, my machines only 128MB of RAM, hard disk download process lights blinking incessantly. After I added 512MB RAM, I do not see the hard drive light blinking as often.
On the software side, it is necessary to the main board on the driver’s disk drive installed. The author of machines installed the latest version of the IAA, is the frequent use of the hard disk voice obviously not as significant.
5. Larger Cache SpaceWindows default is only 512 KB Cache obviously enough, and if more than 256MB in memory. Cache opened bigger hard disk should be able to reduce literacy and improve performance. 8MB~16MB general in the best effect, I set up the 32MB. Use “regedit” find [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SYSTEM\CurrentCont rolSet\Control\SessionManager\MemoryMana gement\IoPageLockLimit] the pair. If you cannot find IoPageLockLimit, it is necessary to build or type DWord. According to your memory modify its hexadecimal values : 8000 to 32MB,4000 to 16MB. other values so on the values you want to set the number of KB of cache to the hexadecimal value. Of course, do not forget to restart your computer.
6. Lower priority to BTAs BT occupies more resources, the use of the system may have certain properties. Management tasks can be used for BT to reduce the priority, then even if it is to occupy resources nor have other applications have a significant impact. Selection process label, right click on the BT software process, set priorities menu choose low or below standards.
It was pointed out that because BT repeat of the hard drive read and write action will have high temperatures, so the hard drive temperature increases, directly affect life on the hard drive. When the greater the number of people downloading the same time to read your hard disk is also more, large hard disk duplication literacy movements, accelerating consumption. Download the same time because too many things and the presentation of each sector of confusion, to read and write data in different Sector Gets to increase the number of reading and writing, accelerate hard disk consumption.
You cannot say that these allegations are wrong, but there is no operation of any kind is not to hurt the hard drive? In fact, any of the hard disk operation will be expendable, unless you do not have to seal it up hard disk. Otherwise, there will always be hard to fatigue, so you can say BT may exacerbate such exertion. However, whether such allegations can be substantiated?
In fact, high-temperature hard drive is because high-speed rotating disk, with the friction from the air, the literacy movement heat actually very minor. Even without the use of BT, as a long-term drive computers, music, play 3D games, the same hard disk will cause high temperatures. And the hard disk speed more quickly, the higher the temperature, which is the operation of the hardware itself, has nothing to do with the software. Therefore, rather than BT not to protect the hard disk, it is better to improve the ventilation state Chassis also more practical.
As for the duplication of reading problems do exist. Some people describe it is like unilateral BT burning match opened two packs, with three of combustion, a lot of reading and writing will greatly speed up action on the hard drive consumption, burning hard life. Although this view is justified, but would be too exaggerated. In fact, resulted in increase in the number of repeat literacy is not only BT, bad habits of consumption of the hard drive will not be less than BT. BT procedures through increased write buffer, which can greatly reduce the number of BT literacy, reduce disk consumption. And the correct use of the hard disk of bad habits can be hard to increase the life expectancy. Hence, if properly regulated, BT duplication of writing and reading and not significantly deplete the hard life.
Sector block the situation is similar. Admittedly, BT will download a lot of block, but any operation of a computer for some time, will be large block. Block itself is a portion of the records would not cause any impact on your hard disk. More block will cause damage to the hard drive, every time a particular procedure or files, to constantly search for a different block to the implementation, slow down the speed of operation, it would also increase the CPU’s workload and head, indirect consumption hard life. However, this situation through regular reorganization hard way to repair, it is a hard life depends on habits not one, two software will be affected.
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