2.4 gigahertz interference

Polk user
Polk user Posts: 311
edited February 2010 in The Clubhouse
My sister is (all of a sudden) having interference with her wireless setup. Works, doesn't work, works doesn't work.

Is there any software I can download that will detect a 2.4 ghtz signals other than computer networks(house phone,webcam etc) ?
Post edited by Polk user on
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  • Pauly
    Pauly Posts: 4,519
    edited February 2010
    PC? Mac?

    Whats her setup?

    Working before then all of a sudden?

    Any changes?



    Pauly
    Life without music would♭
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  • Polk user
    Polk user Posts: 311
    edited February 2010
    Pauly wrote: »
    PC? Mac?

    Whats her setup?

    Working before then all of a sudden?

    Any changes?



    Pauly

    Both pc (2)and mac(all laptops). Tried multiple routers. Worked fine forever now it is very flaky. Wired works fine. Using DHCP. Possibly a neighbor is running something so I want to see if I can detect any other 2.4 ghz. I might try to install DDWRT firmware on a router.
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  • Pauly
    Pauly Posts: 4,519
    edited February 2010
    Might want to also try and Signal booster


    Pauly
    Life without music would♭
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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited February 2010
    My father-in-laws Ham radio just fried his optical mouse. Does she have any Ham operator neighbors? :)
    Jake
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  • John30_30
    John30_30 Posts: 1,024
    edited February 2010
    Polk user wrote: »
    My sister is (all of a sudden) having interference with her wireless setup. Works, doesn't work, works doesn't work.

    Is there any software I can download that will detect a 2.4 ghtz signals other than computer networks(house phone,webcam etc) ?

    Try one of the computers via ethernet to the router and see if it's flaky. If so, it's not a wireless issue.
    There's a great freeware ( windows) called Netstumbler that I use for wireless scanning and signal mapping. ( has to be on a pre-Vista install) You can use it for SNR readings by refreshing from different spots.
    Another freeby is by Ekahau, which has a GUI, but I haven't used that freeby version. The paid version is fantastic, but out of reach.
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  • fatchowmein
    fatchowmein Posts: 2,637
    edited February 2010
    You said you tried multiple routers. Has it been flaky on all of them or just the current one she's using? If it's just the current wireless router acting flaky, it may be overheating. I had that issue with a Linksys wireless router.

    Any chance both macs are infected with virus and spyware? How do they behave when you plug a network cable from the laptop directly into the router instead of using the wireless? Just a thought...

    If she's in an apartment, someone else's wireless network *might* be interfering. My Netgear wireless router had a warning about boosting the signal and interfering with other local networks. To test, you could try Netstumbler as John30_30 mentioned or Backtrack 3.0 image burned to a bootable DVD. It should work on the mac laptops by booting directly to the image on the DVD (does not affect your hard drive). It's a bit complicated so you'll need to read up on the wiki.

    As for a software to help you detect non computer related 2.4ghz signals, I have no idea.

    Good luck.
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  • sucks2beme
    sucks2beme Posts: 5,601
    edited February 2010
    Check to see which channel you're using (1-11).
    Default is 6. Use 1 or 11 if it's open. NEVER use 6, since that's
    about what 90% of eveything's on. Around me wireless is just about
    useless, since houses are so close together, and everyone is wireless
    everything. We really need some more bandwidth for this stuff.
    "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson
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  • bruss
    bruss Posts: 1,039
    edited February 2010
    Netstumbler

    I use to have this radio shack thingie that beamed a tv signal from one room to the next and it always screwed up my wifi
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  • bruss
    bruss Posts: 1,039
    edited February 2010
    sucks2beme wrote: »
    Check to see which channel you're using (1-11).
    Default is 6. Use 1 or 11 if it's open. NEVER use 6, since that's
    about what 90% of eveything's on. Around me wireless is just about
    useless, since houses are so close together, and everyone is wireless
    everything. We really need some more bandwidth for this stuff.

    LOL.. come on.. Just change the SSID and it doesnt matter
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  • jmwest1970
    jmwest1970 Posts: 846
    edited February 2010
    bruss wrote: »
    LOL.. come on.. Just change the SSID and it doesnt matter

    Changing the SSID has nothing to do with frequency interference.
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  • bruss
    bruss Posts: 1,039
    edited February 2010
    jmwest1970 wrote: »
    Changing the SSID has nothing to do with frequency interference.

    Never said it did..
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  • sucks2beme
    sucks2beme Posts: 5,601
    edited February 2010
    bruss wrote: »
    Never said it did..



    So WHAT DID YOU SAY? If there's a ton of stuff up on the same frequency
    It's going to cause problems, as in spotty, low throughput connections.
    Hence the word CHANNELS in the reply. LOL indeed.
    "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson
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  • Fongolio
    Fongolio Posts: 3,516
    edited February 2010
    sucks2beme wrote: »
    Check to see which channel you're using (1-11).
    Default is 6. Use 1 or 11 if it's open. NEVER use 6, since that's
    about what 90% of eveything's on. Around me wireless is just about
    useless, since houses are so close together, and everyone is wireless
    everything. We really need some more bandwidth for this stuff.

    I had this problem as well. Turned out everytime I used my cordless phone around the house, internet went out. Changed the channel on the wireless router and everything is good.
    SDA-1C (full mods)
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    The Clamp
    Revox A77 Mk IV Dolby reel to reel
    Thorens TD160/Mission 774 arm/Stanton 881S Shibata
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    Rotel RCD-855 with modified tube output stage
    Cambridge Audio DACmagic Plus
    ADC Soundshaper 3 EQ
    Ben's IC's
    Nitty Gritty 1.5FI RCM
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  • Polk user
    Polk user Posts: 311
    edited February 2010
    She doesn't have a home phone. Perhaps a neighbor does, that's why I was wondering if there is any software to detect 2,4 ghz stuff like phones webcams doorbells. I will install dd-wrt on a router and up the power a bit and change the channel.
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  • bruss
    bruss Posts: 1,039
    edited February 2010
    sucks2beme wrote: »
    So WHAT DID YOU SAY? If there's a ton of stuff up on the same frequency
    It's going to cause problems, as in spotty, low throughput connections.
    Hence the word CHANNELS in the reply. LOL indeed.

    lol indeed

    You are right i dont know what the hell i was thinking. I have a billion people around me running channel 6 and have just never had any problems.
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