NETGEAR RangeMax™ NEXT Wireless Router WNR834B User Manual
5-14
Fine-Tuning Your Network
v2.1, July 2007
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Identify critical wireless links.
If your network has several wireless devices, decide which wireless devices need the highest
data rate, and locate the router near them. Many wireless products have automatic data-rate
fallback, which allows increased distances without losing connectivity. This also means that
devices that are further away may be slower. Therefore, the most critical links in your network
are those where the traffic is high and the distances are great. Optimize those first.
•
Choose placement carefully
.
For best results, place your router:
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Near the center of the area in which your computers will operate.
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In an elevated location such as a high shelf where the wirelessly connected computers
have line-of-sight access (even if through walls).
•
Avoid obstacles to wireless signals.
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Keep wireless devices at least two feet from large metal fixtures such as file cabinets,
refrigerators, pipes, metal ceilings, reinforced concrete, and metal partitions.
—
Keep away from large amounts of water such as fish tanks and water coolers.
•
Reduce interference.
Avoid windows unless communicating between buildings.
Place wireless devices away from various electromagnetic noise sources, especially those in
the 2400–2500 MHz frequency band. Common noise-creating sources are:
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Computers and fax machines (no closer than one foot)
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Copying machines, elevators, and cell phones (no closer than 6 feet)
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Microwave ovens (no closer than 10 feet)
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Choose your settings.
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Use a scanning utility to determine what other wireless networks are operating nearby, and
choose an unused channel.
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Turn off SSID Broadcast, and change the default SSID. Other nearby devices may
automatically try to connect to your network several times a second, which can cause
significant performance reduction.
•
Use WMM to improve the performance of voice and video traffic over the wireless link.
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