Varied wireless speeds

[Rinar]

I'm currently using Windows XP on a Acer Aspire 5000 laptop with a built-in 802.11b/g wireless card. I have a cable internet connection with a Linksys WRT54G wireless router. Everything runs fine, but my connection speed seems to be off. When I'm about 10 feet away from the router in another room, I get a connection speed to the router of 54.0 Mbps, but only download things at 30-40 k/sec. When I'm about 40 or so feet away my connection varies from 18.0-24.0 Mbps, but will download up to 200 k/sec at a 'low' signal strength. If I go even farther away from the router my speed will go up to around 350 k/sec, but will disconnect if I do too many things with it at once. Is there a reason as to why this is happening, and is there a way to get up to 350 k/sec next to the router?

[G_Dem]

Your wireless signal might be dropping when you are getting the low download speeds. Have you tried changing the wireless channel to see if that helps? If its on 6 change it to 1 or 11. If its on 1 change it to 11 and vice versa.

[cramer]

wireless speed always depends on the clarity of the signal. g dem is right, try playing around with the wireless channels. also for other radio frequency interruption like any cordless phone that runs on 2.4, baby monitors, or satellite box/dish.

switching to G mode will also enhance the broadcast of your modem. but this will disable all capacity of the B mode card to connect to it. so check your card if its running on B mode or on G mode.

check your walls. if its meshed or not. meshed walls are also causing interruptions from radio signals.

if you have another wireless user on your location, try to ask what channel they're on. by default, routers are on channel 6, and the only channels that does not overlap is 1, 6 and 11. so make sure you avoid using the same channel that they are using.

hope this helps...

cramer

[Rinar]

Well, the problem isnt the fact that my download speed is slow. The problem is that it's slower the closer to the router it is, so things getting in the way arent in the way. I went to go change channels to see if it helps, but found one "slight" problem. The person who set up the router (aka, my dad) forgot what the password and username to get into it were. Is there anyway to reset this so I can access my router and change the settings?

[oracle128]

There should be a reset button on the router (one of those ones that needs a paperclip to be able to push it). Do so, and the router should be reset to the default login (probably "admin":"password", depending on the brand/model, it should be mentioned in the manual). Doing this will also reset any other router settings you had.

[G_Dem]

Also try "admin" "admin" as well as "admin" "password"