101
Troubleshooting
section
•
My wireless network performance is inconsistent.
•
Data transfer is sometimes slow.
•
Signal strength is poor.
•
Difficulty establishing and/or maintaining a Virtual Private
Network (VPN) connection.
Wireless technology is radio-based, which means connectivity 
and the throughput performance between devices decreases 
when the distance between devices increases° Other factors that 
will cause signal degradation (metal is generally the worst culprit) 
are obstructions such as walls and metal appliances° Note also 
that connection speed may decrease as you move farther away from 
the Router°
In order to determine if wireless issues are related to range, we 
suggest temporarily moving the computer, if possible, five to 10 feet 
from the Router° 
Changing the wireless channel
—Depending on local wireless traffic 
and interference, switching the wireless channel of your network can 
improve performance and reliability° The default channel the Router 
is shipped with is channel 11; you may choose from several other 
channels depending on your region° See the section on page 52 
entitled “Changing the Wireless Channel” for instructions on how to 
choose other channels° 
Limiting the wireless transmit rate
—Limiting the wireless transmit 
rate can help improve the maximum wireless range and connection 
stability° Most wireless cards have the ability to limit the transmission 
rate° To change this property, go to the Windows Control Panel, open 
“Network Connections” and double-click on your wireless card’s 
connection° In the properties dialog, select the “Configure” button on 
the “General” tab (Windows 98 users will have to select the wireless 
card in the list box and then click “Properties”), then choose the 
“Advanced” tab and select the rate property°
Wireless client cards are usually set to automatically adjust the 
wireless transmit rate for you, but doing so can cause periodic 
disconnects when the wireless signal is too weak; as a rule, slower 
transmission rates are more stable° Experiment with different 
connection rates until you find the best one for your environment° 
Note that all available transmission rates should be acceptable for 
browsing the Internet° For more assistance, see your wireless card’s 
user manual°