My System: AMD 3600+ (2.5GHZ), 2GB RAM, ATI 3870 GPU, Windows 7 Ultimate

Since I've lost my internet at home (Finical Issues), i was able to connect to my GF's Router, which is like a block or two away. I get about a 20% Signal or 1 bar on her LinkSys WRT110. With my Rosewill RNX-N250PC , which has two antennas. My download rate is about 40 - 100 KB/ps. Now browsing the net, messenger and even wow seems to work fine, but when i start up Daoc, at the start up screen, where it says the patch number (1.103) and connecting to the server, it will load the bar all the way, except the very last bit. It will not finish and as soon as i start daoc, the connection to the router is lost and it cant even find that router, but it does see my own router in the house and can connect to it. But as soon as i close daoc (game.dll) , my NIC will find my GF router again and can connect.

I tried everything, like limiting bandwidth to the game, lowering and raising priority to the game, some windows settings. Router and my WiFi card settings, and tried moving my PC around to get a better connection, but i cant seem to find why it happens. Has anyone experienced this before ? I could understand if i didn't have enough bandwidth and got LDed, but it never even gets to the char screen, just loses connection with the Router and comes back, only if the game is closed. I can play on my GFs laptop at her house on her router, but prefer my own computer, as her system is slower and im not use to using it to play the game. But it works fine on hers.

Any suggestions to try, that doesn't involve money, or something illegal. Any router settings that would improve the connection over this kind of distance, or maybe why the game is causing my connection to drop and only comes back if it is closed. Even when the game says it can not connect and hit anything to close the game, at that point it still can not see my GF router, only and always only after the game closes. For now ill have to use her computer, when i want to play, unless i can figure this out, or can get my internet back.

*Update*

Strange .... i found an application that allows me to limit the amount of cpu usage a program uses. So i used it to limited Daoc (game.dll) to only use 25% of my cpu. This time when my game started up, my internet connection stayed up also and didnt lose connection with my GF router. I was able to get into game, but of course everything was very laggy, but the delay for the connection to the game server wasn't bad, just video lag from the lack of cpu allowed usage. So i turned up the usage from 25 to 50%. Now the game is getting less laggy (video), but now my response time with the game server has increases greatly and seems like my wireless connection to my GF router has gotten worse and if i raise the cpu use even higher, it will then lose connection to her router.

The strange thing is, my cpu is a dual core and when the game is running at 100% usage, it is only taking up 50% of my total cpu usage. It seems like my wireless card needs like 60+% of my cpu to maintain the long range connection. Since the more cpu i use, the worse the connection gets , then will disconnect if i use too much. WEIRD.

Any one know why this would do this and away to fix it from doing that.

Sorry no technical solutions as I really have no idea. But a simple one would be:

Move in with your GF

Possibly one day, but for now i may have to figure out how to boost my WiFi Signal, so that minor decrease in Range when im using my CPU, isn't the cut off point, like it is right now.

Eclipsed wrote:Possibly one day, but for now i may have to figure out how to boost my WiFi Signal, so that minor decrease in Range when im using my CPU, isn't the cut off point, like it is right now.

New more powerful router?

Well her router isn't too old and it would be a waste to replace it with another one, which may just have the same issue. I'm just surprised to have a connection all the way over here.

There is a few other routers in my neighborhood ..... if only one was unsecure lol. Most people around me are not that tech savoy, most are prob just old people lol. But the strange thing is, i have my computer up stairs by the wall. And i tried it in every spot i could think of and so far this is the only spot i can actually see her router. Even down stairs and all, it doesn't even show up. Right now i got my computer on its side and with one antenna up and the other down. Any other position, and it doesn't get a connection or its just worse.

Two things, if the Router has a built in Antenna your SOL. But if it has a external antenna port, say like a sma connector or some other type, ever you can get a external antenna with a higher gain. Keep in mind a higher gain antenna on your Router/AP will make your RX increase but it wont make your TX any better (client side). So you will be able to download better/faster with a higher RSSI (signal) but your upload to uthgard will still be bad. (sending packets back to uthgard) but again, uthgard back to you will be better.

One of these will do the trick from your router http://www.streakwave.com/Itemdesc.asp?ic=NS2L&eq=&Tp=

Two of them and your RF problems will be a thing of the past. (One at the PC the other at the router)

Builtin wifi or thumb drive wifi is not really that good compared to external equipment.

Crank up the TX power and you should be good. Tho to much TX power and you might be shooting blanks. (no kids for j00!) Joke...

I have found that, if i start any game or app , like video encoding. Anything that uses up alot of cpu, it will decrease my WiFi range, untill my cpu usage returns to normal. I found that when i start daoc and use that app to limit cpu usage, and only allow it to use up about 25% of my cpu (Considering both cores as 100%). If i use anything more then 25%, it seems to decrease my Wifi range, just enough where i fall too far away. I have plenty of CPU and i dont know why this card needs like 75% not used, to maintain the connection. Its like the PCI slot loses voltage or something, when the cpu uses more.

And my GF router does not have a spot for an external Antenna. And my Wifi is a PCI card.

If her wifi router does not have a external antenna port you still can plug in another AP into one of the 4 router ports. With Wifi, if the signal is too weak, with a high data demand (daoc say vs internet browser) , the wifi card will work harder to understand and re-transmit packets that are being dropped/missing. This can create lag in the network even the CPU if its constantly having to chew on packets and re-read that are not complete.



Same thing can be said with 2 or more wifi devices that have to much transmit power with too much of a good rssi. The equipment screams the RF to loud to point that the other side of the link does not understand what is being shouted. (Similar to everyone screaming at the uthgard staff for bugs not being fixed, after awhile they burn out and ignore you)

If you have the money, get 2 external wifi radios, this will increase the signal and off load any cpu usage back to the equipment.

UBNT is currently the cheapest out there. Easy to use with a web gui.

find an old sattelite television dish and follow a crafting guide on how to turn it into a wifi antenna. it will boost your reception ten fold to your girlfriend's home.

post on craigslist looking for an old directv or dish network dish i bet you get some reply.

http://www.engadget.com/2005/11/15/how- ... h-antenna/

in fact i know that if you live in a suburban or urban area you can very likely use a dish hack like this to get free internet from multiple sources.

And if you REALLY want to go old skewl get a pringels can and go to radio shack or what have you and turn it into a yagi but you still need a external antenna port, which you dont have.

OR


If your feeling ballzy go open the bebox cabnet down your street and find the pairs from your house to your GF house and splice a point to point via the copper. Then get a cheap VDSL modem pair and you can push about 15 megs up and down cheap 18megs and up for the higher pricey models. Tho the phone company might get bent for you touching there equipment, what they don't know wont hurt them. Besides your not breaking the law until you get caught!

16 years as a Wireless/Copper Broadband Engineer you think of crazy $hit

i guarantee you get better reception with a directv dish than a pringles can, and you can get pci wireless nic with external antenna port for very cheap xD

pretty nice investment. if you build it nice enough its years of legal free internet for maybe $100, less or free if you got most of the supplies.

plus u can take it with you around town if u get an external antenna card for your laptop or take the keyboard off and patch it into your internal nic. drive around and find all the unsecured routers with default login and mac filter a whole neighborhood as nonsesne mac addresses then change the router login password to pantsontheground as a maximum troll maneuver.

well you can do that without a long range antenna too...

Did you try tieing DAoC to CPU1 (or 0, if that works better)?

If i had the money to go buy a dish or other things, i would just use that to pay the bill. And i tried the WiFi boosters, with cans and all that kind of stuff you can find on the net. Not one helps, it actualy makes it worse. The signal is coming in very bazzar. I get a better connection, with my computer on its side and with one antenna up and the other down, any other position or locations will ether lose connection or worse connection. I got about 20% signal strength, 70% Line quality with many many errors. Download speeds are about 200 KB/ps and doesnt loose connection or anything. Its just if i use to much cpu, it will cause it to lose connection. Even running a app that uses up CPU , like video converting software. Use up like 40% cpu and the wireless starts to drop. I suspected it had something to do with all the errors.

I did get a free laptop from my aunt just yesterday. She got it from a friend at work, to look at it and try and fix it. Windows would load, then crash after trying to load for a few seconds. But she suspected it was a bad hard drive and couldnt fix it. But her friend didnt want it and my aunt didnt want it. So she gave it too me, and if i could fix it i could keep it or use it for parts if i couldnt. So i loaded a windows CD, tryed some things to fiqure out whats wrong. Then just did a normal fresh install, format and all and its up and working fine now. Its a 1.7GHz, 2GB RAM Toshiba M45 **** . Its not the greatest thing, but its better then my old crappy one and it was free. But anyway, it had built in WiFi and it also could reach my GF house, so i was thinking, maybe i could set it up somewhere, i get best signal and then use it as a router, most likly with a second WiFi adapter (usb), and just connect my desktop PC to that, so i dont lose connection when using too much cpu on my computer , since the laptop will be the one taking in the internet connection.

Havent tried it yet, but will give it a shot when im done finding the dang drivers and configuring it.

@Ezek - Yep, one of the first things i tried, but it made no difference.

If the old Lap top gets a good strong signal, could you not just use cat5 cable from the laptop to desktop should be easy network to set up. I mention this because you said somthing about a usb adaptor or did you mean a usb wirelss adaptor for the wifi ?

I plan on making the bowtie wifi antenna trying it with a dish and without dish. I have a old dish collecting dust too.
I live on the largest hill for about 50 miles I am sure I could get a strong wifi connection.(assuming the diy websites are correct)
There is a few towns within LOS from 10 miles to 45 miles.

If this works its so long satalite hello wifi.