Poor Wireless Performance

[Brandon]

My Vista (ultimate) laptop sits right next to the wireless router, but shows
a "good" wireless connection strength, while a XP laptop in another part of
the building has "excellent" connection strength. This Vista laptop used to
have a much stronger connection when it was running XP. Is this a known
issue in Vista? Any fixes?

 

[Malke]

My Vista (ultimate) laptop sits right next to the wireless router, but
shows a "good" wireless connection strength, while a XP laptop in
another part of the building has "excellent" connection strength. This
Vista laptop used to have a much stronger connection when it was running
XP. Is this a known issue in Vista? Any fixes?

Since you mentioned that the laptop used to run XP, did you install
Vista drivers for all your hardware - including the wireless adapter? If
not, you need to do so. Get your drivers (and other laptop-related
software such as power management, hotkeys, etc.) from the laptop
mftr.'s tech support website for your specific model laptop. If the
wireless adapter isn't built in, get the drivers from the adapter
mftr.'s website.


Malke

 

[John]

My Vista (ultimate) laptop sits right next to the wireless router, but
shows a "good" wireless connection strength, while a XP laptop in another
part of the building has "excellent" connection strength. This Vista
laptop used to have a much stronger connection when it was running XP. Is
this a known issue in Vista? Any fixes?

Have you looked for patches and updated drivers?

 

[Brandon]

Yes, I have installed updated patches/drivers ... but no change in
performance (and my laptop is less than 1 year old).

 

[R. McCarty]

Don't think it's an unusual condition. My Sony notebook sits less
than 2' from my Wireless access point. I've never seen the signal
strength meter indicate anything more than 3 of 5 bars (Good).

 

[Mike Benton]

I have a brand new laptop, about 2 weeks old, with the same issue. It has
never displayed more than 3 bars.

 

[Malke]

Yes, I have installed updated patches/drivers ... but no change in
performance (and my laptop is less than 1 year old).

It could also be that your wireless router/access point needs to have
its firmware updated. I've read about connectivity issues with some
wireless routers - haven't seen any here in the wild with clients, but
it's a thought for you.


Malke

 

[Brandon]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I wouldn't think that routers should have to
be updated for Vista to connect with a strong signal. These are "standards
based" technologies (802.11), not OS based technologies. It must be some
way that Vista is managing the wireless connection that is causing the
trouble.

 

[MattersNot]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I wouldn't think that routers should have
to be updated for Vista to connect with a strong signal. These are
"standards based" technologies (802.11), not OS based technologies. It
must be some way that Vista is managing the wireless connection that is
causing the trouble.

Just some things to consider-

What is the actual data transfer rate shown by the Vista
machine as compared to the XP machine? Is there a
significant difference? It's possible that the signal
strength indicator doesn't really mean a great deal and is
just an approximation showing that the signal being received
is at an adequate strength and, since both OSs are
different, one may approach the displaying of signal
strength differently. Remember, it's only a display and the
real world test is 'do they both transfer data at the same
or similar rate when they are both the same distances away'?

 

[Plato]

My Vista (ultimate) laptop sits right next to the wireless router, but shows
a "good" wireless connection strength, while a XP laptop in another part of
the building has "excellent" connection strength. This Vista laptop used to
have a much stronger connection when it was running XP. Is this a known
issue in Vista? Any fixes?

NO, its NOT a Vista issue.

As as aside, I have a boombox in Kentucky. It plays WKYR just fine when
I am 10 miles away on a boat but when I go to town where the
transmitter/WKYR trailer sits I just get garbled static for the most
part

 

[Brandon]

OK, that's why my XP OS on the same machine with the same hardware used to
have a MUCH stronger signal in the same physical location BEFORE installing
Vista . . . YES, it is a Vista issue.