Losing Signal With Airport Express

[webby]

My AE is in the corner of my room and approximately 15ft away from my mac.

Here's a pic:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_J7HU2sJiE_Y/THPCYATXhCI/AAAAAAAAATQ/0riH1-dxmIU/s640/DSC04415.JPG

I sometimes lose signal, not enough to give up with it, but enough for it to bother me.

Considering it's placement, should I really be losing signal?

[Alex_UK]

I may be wrong, but of more importance is where your router is Lee - I believe the AE will connect to the router, not the mac directly? (Only guessing as I have no mac knowledge, but that's how it works with my SoundBridge which is basically doing the same job on a PC network.)

[Codifus]

Unfoturnately the AE's wireless capabilities are not its best quality. You can try changing its orientation to see if signal reliability improves.

CD

[webby]

I may be wrong, but of more importance is where your router is Lee - I believe the AE will connect to the router, not the mac directly? (Only guessing as I have no mac knowledge, but that's how it works with my SoundBridge which is basically doing the same job on a PC network.)
I actually thought I was connected to the mac's wifi device. Maybe I'm not. I'll check that (not sure how).


Unfoturnately the AE's wireless capabilities are not its best quality. You can try changing its orientation to see if signal reliability improves.
CD

It's a wireless device, surely that's the least it should do. To be fair, I don't lose signal while it's connected, it sometimes doesn't reconnect after the mac has gone to sleep and been woken.

[Codifus]

I actually thought I was connected to the mac's wifi device. Maybe I'm not. I'll check that (not sure how).

Point to Point means that your Mac's WIFI signals are going directly to the AE's Wifi.


It's a wireless device, surely that's the least it should do. To be fair, I don't lose signal while it's connected, it sometimes doesn't reconnect after the mac has gone to sleep and been woken.

The reason the Airports wifi access is so iffy is because Apple engineers had to somehow shove a broadcasting antenna into the space the size of a toothpick. There had to be a compromise. The AE is still an amazing device, though.

CD

[SteveW]

I've been suffering from the same issues.
My AE connects to the router, not the mac.

Been doing some digging, and the conclusion I have reached for my issues (even my ipod touch is getting worse connection strengths), is to connect the router up to a switching device for the Ethernet connections, and connecting a WAP (Wireless Access Point) up to the router. Netgear WAP54 or WAP200 seem to be suited for getting better signal coverage and strengths.

Or am I wrong?

[SteveW]

I actually thought I was connected to the mac's wifi device. Maybe I'm not. I'll check that (not sure how).

OK...Go to Finder--->Applications--->Utilities --->Airport Utility.

If you open this and run it, it should find your AE.

You can then alter the settings actually on the AE through this menu. You might find a better combination of settings by doing this.

I've done this, re-naming the AE, getting rid of the printer facility etc...or you can re-set to factory settings in case its been fiddled with (matron) and needs putting back.

[twelvebears]

I may be wrong, but of more importance is where your router is Lee - I believe the AE will connect to the router, not the mac directly? (Only guessing as I have no mac knowledge, but that's how it works with my SoundBridge which is basically doing the same job on a PC network.)

Indeed. Wireless networks work in 'loops' all of which go back to the wireless router, so it's the distance (and any obstructions) between the AE and the router that is the issue.

Only way to change this is to use a wireless extender which extends the wireless coverage by acting as a 'repeater' for the router's signal.

[trailer]

You could always try a different channel.