Check for New Obstacles

Check for New Obstacles
Wireless technologies are very susceptible to physical obstacles . . . some
more than others. In Chapter 4, we show a Relative Attenuation of RF Obstacles
table that tells you the relative attenuation of your wireless signals (radio frequency;
RF) as they move through your house. One person in our neighborhood
noticed a gradual degradation of his wireless signal outside his house,
where he regularly sits and surfs the Net (by his pool). The culprit turned out
to be a growing pile of newspapers for recycling. Wireless signals don’t like
such masses of paper.
Move around your house and think about it from the eyes of Superman,
using his X-ray vision to see your access point. If you have a bad signal, think
about what’s in the way. If the obstacles are permanent, think about using a
HomePlug wireless access point (which we discuss in Chapter 3) to go around
the obstacle by putting an access point on either side of the obstacle.
Another way to get around problems with obstacles is to switch technologies.
In some instances, 802.11g could provide better throughput and reach
than 802.11a when it comes to obstacles. 802.11g operates at a lower frequency,
which does better moving through and around things. If you’re in a
dense environment with a lot of clutter and you’re using 802.11a, switching to
g might provide some relief.