Ok I went to RadioShack today, looking for an internal wireless card, but they did not have any internal wireless cards, so I ended up getting a Netgear Wireless-G USB 2.0 Adapter. It is 54 Mbps, 2.4 GHz, and 802.11g. But it seems kind of slow and it shows my network signal strength as 90%. When I am downloading games on Steam they only download at 30-60 KB/S, and on my laptop they will download at 100-1000 KB/s. I do not use the Netgear wireless usb adapter on my laptop, is use an internal wirelesscard that came built into it. Is that because my network has WEP? I am using a 2WIRE router, is there any way I can boost my signal or make it faster?
Anpippin 0 Junior Poster
Xlphos 16 Veteran Poster
Have you tried Speedtest.net?
I don't think the security type would be a big influence on speed.
What speed is your router?
I think laptops may get a better reception because the aerial is bigger (usually in the laptop lid) - I could be wrong.
You could tried positioning the adapter in a different place. If I put my adapter near my PC I get a poor bit rate but next to my extension cord I get a much better bit rate and signal.
When you look at your wireless connection have a look at the bit rate as well as the signal strength. Its better to have a medium signal strength and high bit rate then an excellent signal but poor bit rate.
LaptopNomad 0 Newbie Poster
In my experience placement of the wireless WIFI antenna / adapter is crucial for a speedy connection. A tool like NetStumbler turns signal strength into an audio tone. The higher the better - great for finding a good spot.
Secondly, another WIFI router in the area on the same channel with a lot of wireless traffic can dramatically reduce overall performance. Try switching channels or place your router as far as possible from the other one.
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