increasing range for wireless antenna?

[El Pollo Guerrera]

My sister wants to use her laptop, it can find the wireless signal but she can't connect. Her iPhone receives the signal just fine from the same spot.

Simple things I can do to help?

[PepperElf]

If this is at home, you might want to consider a wifi-extender. There's a couple of ways to do this.

cheapest method - a wifi extender kit
more reliable method - a second wifi router that's linked to the same signal. i did this with my spare router (both were the same brand tho) and found out it could not only boost/repeat the signal, but I could also plug non-wifi computers into it and get online that way too.

[lordlundar]

Another option is also a larger antenna, possibly with an external power source. When it comes to signal strength, bigger is better.

(yes, I know what I said, get your minds out of the gutter)

[Moirae]

Best Buy has wifi extenders for anout $30. We had to buy one for our house.

[PepperElf]

Another option is also a larger antenna, possibly with an external power source. When it comes to signal strength, bigger is better.

(yes, I know what I said, get your minds out of the gutter)

that can be an option, but remember it can't make a signal stronger - it can only make your computer more receptive. sometimes it can work (say if a laptop has a metal case vs a plastic one) but if the signal is very weak to begin with, you may still be stuck with a good antenna and a crap signal

[TheSHAD0W]

Actually, it sounds like the laptop's wifi antenna is crappy or has a bad connection. The easiest and cheapest fix would be to get a USB wifi adapter and plug it in, and disable the laptop's internal wifi.

[csquared]

I am thinking that if you are getting a signal, but not an IP address, there may be something else wrong. Does the laptop work if you get closer to the router?

[El Pollo Guerrera]

I checked and her IP address was 0.0.0.0

That's not very helpful, right?

EDIT: renewing doesn't help, it keeps trying to renew and gets nowhere.

[Lachrymose]

I use this to extend my range:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o01_s00_i00

Obviously doesn't help if it's not actually a range problem, though.

[csquared]

I checked and her IP address was 0.0.0.0

That's not very helpful, right?

EDIT: renewing doesn't help, it keeps trying to renew and gets nowhere.

I am wondering if it is something in the DHCP and not the signal strength. Do you have enough IPs defined?

Of course if the signal is so week that you are losing packet, the DHCP handshake will fail.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

I'm (reasonably) sure that it's not the signal strength... it says that it's getting a strong signal. There is a screen that tells me that 'packets' are being sent but none are being received.

[sms001]

I checked and her IP address was 0.0.0.0
That's not very helpful, right?

lol. That's extremely helpful. Means one or both of the devices aren't talking to each other. Either the router hears the laptop and says "You aren't authorized" (for whatever reason - encryption, no more addresses to give out, whatever.) or the laptop is getting the signal but doesn't know what to do with it. The first is far more common, so tackle that first. Is the router protected by WEP or WAP or some such? Run through the laptop's "Connect to the Internet" wizard and enter it. Log into your router and make sure that it accepts unknown machines (or make the laptop know to it) and has an address to give them.
Writing this quickly, as I see you're online.

darn. missed ya. let us know if you need more help.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

Using the Connect Wizard just stalls at the 'renewing IP address'.

EDIT: I'll have to check the router in a little while, my computer is running virus checker right now.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

OK, figured out how to log on to my router... now, what am I looking for?

(Please note: I am dumb)

[lordlundar]

Each router has their own interface but you're looking for a wireless security option.

Now befor you go any further, do you know what signal the card is set for (a, b, g, n) and what type the router is?