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Message-Id: <2888707.GY08rM8NcX@alexd.mine.nu>
From: alexd <l...@my.sig>
Subject: Re: Wi-Fi periodically disconnecting
Newsgroups: uk.comp.os.linux
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Date: Wed, 01 Dec 2004 22:44:16 GMT
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NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 01 Dec 2004 22:44:16 GMT

Gadget Man wrote:

> Most of the time everything behaves as expected (iwconfig reports back
> Link quality of 88/92, -16dbm signal type figures), but occasionally the
> connection dies and iwconfig reports 0/92 link quality and shows
> something like 107/153 for signal level. It normally connects again
> within a minute or so.

I think I've already said this in this august forum, but here it is again...

WiFi is free of license fees because nobody else wants to use the 2.4ghz
band, being as it is, full of interference from microwave ovens. So if one
of your neighbours has a faulty microwave oven, your connection will die
whenever they microwave something. 

Which tallies with what you've said - high link quality when it's working,
so that's not a problem - but when somebody powers up their microwave, the
band is flooded with noise, and you get a relatively strong signal level,
and 0 quality. 
It could be that your wifi kit isn't capable of rejecting out-of-band
signals, ie you're using 2.437ghz, and the neighbour's microwave is
radiating strongly on 2.40ghz, and this makes your kit 'deaf' when it's
happening. Try tuning an AM radio to a faint station directly adjacent to
BBC 5 Live to see what I mean. I guess certain chipsets/firmware are more
susceptible to this than others.
You could try different channels [you've got >10 to pick from] and see if
that helps. Also, you can get directional antennae if you're really that
bothered about it.

Of course if this is happening regularly at 3am, then either you have
nocturnal neighbours, or I'm just making this all up...

alexd
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