Wi-Fi Problems

[Kaliska]

I have been using a remote(ish) setup with the scope and mini pc in the garden and connecting to it over Wi-Fi (BT router) via Remote Desktop Connection. Its been running fine over the last few years, but I've taken a little time away from astro recently. I come back now with a new Sky Router (after having a fall out with BT) and the mini pc doesnt find the new Sky signal. If I bring it inside it finds it and works perfectly, but outside (say 7-8m away) nothing. 

Any ideas as to why a pretty much brand new router would have less signal strength than my old one?

[Padraic M]

The usual stupid questions - Is the new router in the same place as the old one? Does it have external antennae? etc. wifi is sensitive to stone walls and metal obstructions.

Does your new router support 5GHz and is that what you're attempting to connect to? 5GHz has higher bandwidth but a shorter range than 2.4GHz.

I use an Android app called Wifi Analyzer to check out signal strengths and obstructions (I'm sure there are others too). It will also help you check if your neighbours' networks are on the same channel as yours.

I've had to take my mini PC off the OTA and place it on the mount, because at ~4m from the router it would lose signal as soon as the OTA slewed the wrong way! Probably not your issue as you say it's been working fine for years.

[Spile]

If you need to extend your wireless coverage you can repurpose an old router as a wireless point. You connect to it, turn off DHCP and give it a static IP address. You would need to connect it to your network and you can give it a different ssid.

[Kaliska]

23 hours ago, Padraic M said:

Is the new router in the same place as the old one? Does it have external antennae?

Yes, same place as its always been and neither the old router or the new one has/had an antenna.

23 hours ago, Padraic M said:

Does your new router support 5GHz and is that what you're attempting to connect to? 5GHz has higher bandwidth but a shorter range than 2.4GHz.

Yes, but unsure how to tell if the connection I'm using is 5 or 2.4Ghz, or if i can set the router to just 2.4Ghz (but by doing that, would i jeopardise performance of other equipment connected to it?).

Well, for now I've bought a Netgear A6100 wireless adaptor (plugged in to the scope pc) and put one of my mains plug power line wifi extenders as near to the scope as my house allows. It's working for now, but a little iffy as it can lose connection every now and then. This is more like a band aid and certainly something I'm not going to give up on. I really wanted to keep the number of wires and leads coming off the scope to an absolute minimum on this setup, so only have the dc power cable that hangs from it. I'm now considering just pluigging in an eithernet cable from the scope pc in to the wifi plug adaptor (3m away). And now i come to think of it, that's probably cheaper than spending 20 quid on the adaptor... 🙄