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Wireless is not a
perfect technology. The following will help you make the
best decisions about when, where and how you use
wireless.
Are You Dropping Signal?
Some wireless chipsets need driver
updates. The predominant symptom is fluctuating signal
strength - one minute you'll get an excellent
connection, then the signal starts to fade and you're
unable to communicate. The signal strength may jump
back up and you may be able to reconnect, but it will
continue this connect-disconnect cycle indefinitely. If
this is what you're seeing, visit our
our Laptop Support Team or view the
Intel wireless chipset page for more details.
Location,
Location, Location!
Some locations have a stronger signal than others.
There are areas around the school where signal strength
will be weak, for example, if you sit behind a
steel/concrete elevator shaft on the 4th floor of the
library.
Speed? It's Who You Share With
Wireless uses a shared bandwidth. Our wireless network is properly configured on
each floor to handle "normal" types of activities (opening Word files, opening
web pages, etc.). Avoid bandwidth intensive activities such as
downloading large media files or playing bandwidth-intensive games when using
this shared resource - please use a wired Ethernet 100MB connection for these
activities instead.
Airspace Issues?
Problems may result from other devices using the same radio frequency. The
Business School Wireless LAN uses the FCC unlicensed 2.4 GHz
Industrial/Scientific/Medical (ISM) band. Wireless transmissions within that
band conform to the IEEE 802.11 DSSS (Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum) wireless
LAN specification. Certain other "wireless" devices exist in the market place
that also employ the same 2.4 GHz frequency band and can cause interference to
users of the wireless LAN service. These devices include, but are not limited to
other IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN devices, cordless telephones, cameras, and audio
speakers. Computing Services requests that use of all other 2.4 GHz devices
be discontinued in university-owned buildings. Please work with our staff
for cases where the device is being used for a specific teaching or research
application.
Still Think There is a Problem?
Most problems with accessing the wireless LAN are related to setup - 95% of
problems come from the client not being configured properly.
For further assistance with
troubleshooting, visit our Laptop Support Team.
The following information
will help the Laptop Support Team troubleshoot the
issues you are having:
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Your location |
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The date(s)
and time(s) you experienced the problem |
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Estimated
number of other users in your area |
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What task you
were attempting to perform |
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What symptoms
you experienced (no signal, etc.) |
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