How to make wifi signal stronger?

[iEllix]

Hello everyone! I'm new to Linux, this is my first time using it. I currently have Linux Mint 15, and I've learned a tiny bit, but I'm having problems with my wifi.

At first I started out by trying to install a windows driver, but I needed to download ndiswrapper. Anyways I tried to install ndiswrapper, I tried several way, and couldn't do it. So in the mist of all this, I screwed up my wifi somehow and it didn't even give me the option for wifi. So after hours of looking for tutorials and advice, I jut said screw it and reinstalled Linux.

Now I'm back on at the original problem, and would like to take an alternative route. Which leads me to the question, is it possible to make my wifi signal stronger? I mean it's pretty bad compared to what I had with W7. When I'm upstairs the connection signal streght would at max be 70% and would periodically diconnect. Can anyone help me with my problem, any advice will help. Thank you.

[nomko]

Maybe with a range extender?? http://dx.com/s/wifi+range+extender

[iEllix]

Maybe with a range extender?? http://dx.com/s/wifi+range+extender

Thank you for the suggestion, but I was looking for a free alternative.

[nomko]

Could you tell us more about your network device?
Copy/paste the output of the following terminal command here:

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inxi -nN

[iEllix]

Could you tell us more about your network device?
Copy/paste the output of the following terminal command here:

Code: Select all

inxi -nN

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Network:   Card-1: Qualcomm Atheros AR8152 v2.0 Fast Ethernet driver: atl1c 
           IF: eth0 state: down mac: b8:70:f4:89:8a:7f
           Card-2: Atheros AR9285 Wireless Network Adapter (PCI-Express) driver: ath9k 
           IF: wlan0 state: up mac: 68:a3:c4:e4:f2:ab

[nomko]

Check here:
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=131270
[url]http://forum.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=138670&p=738095[/url]
[url]http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/installing-wireless-drivers-with-atheros-ar9285-wireless-network-adapter-855850/[/url]
[url]http://forum.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=133887[/url]

[iEllix]

Check here:
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=131270
[url]http://forum.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=138670&p=738095[/url]
[url]http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/installing-wireless-drivers-with-atheros-ar9285-wireless-network-adapter-855850/[/url]
[url]http://forum.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=133887[/url]

If I use a windows driver would it improve my connection?

[nomko]

If I use a windows driver would it improve my connection?

Yes you could try it! There's an option under Mint to install Windows drivers.

[iEllix]

If I use a windows driver would it improve my connection?

Yes you could try it! There's an option under Mint to install Windows drivers.

I installed one before with Windows Wireless Drivers, and it gave me an error saying something along the lines of "ndiswrapper module couldn't be found, is ndiswrapper installed?". The driver didn't work, any advice on what I can do about that?

[nomko]

I installed one before with Windows Wireless Drivers, and it gave me an error saying something along the lines of "ndiswrapper module couldn't be found, is ndiswrapper installed?". The driver didn't work, any advice on what I can do about that?

Did you installed the ndiswrapper as well?? Because that is it what it is saying.

[iEllix]

I installed one before with Windows Wireless Drivers, and it gave me an error saying something along the lines of "ndiswrapper module couldn't be found, is ndiswrapper installed?". The driver didn't work, any advice on what I can do about that?

Did you installed the ndiswrapper as well?? Because that is it what it is saying.

No, I don't know how. I've tried several times, different ways, and always encounter problems and can't get through the installation problem.

[nomko]

No, I don't know how. I've tried several times, different ways, and always encounter problems and can't get through the installation problem.

Open a terminal and type the following command:

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sudo apt-get install ndiswrapper-common

This should install the ndiswrapper driver and extra required packages .

[iEllix]

No, I don't know how. I've tried several times, different ways, and always encounter problems and can't get through the installation problem.

Open a terminal and type the following command:

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sudo apt-get install ndiswrapper-common

This should install the ndiswrapper driver and extra required packages .

Did it work? Just want to make sure.

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cole@cole-Aspire-5250 ~ $     sudo apt-get install ndiswrapper-common
[sudo] password for cole: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
ndiswrapper-common is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 109 not upgraded.
cole@cole-Aspire-5250 ~ $ 

[nomko]

Did it work? Just want to make sure.

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cole@cole-Aspire-5250 ~ $     sudo apt-get install ndiswrapper-common
[sudo] password for cole: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
ndiswrapper-common is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 109 not upgraded.
cole@cole-Aspire-5250 ~ $ 

It looks like you have the latest ndiswrapper installed.

Just 1 hint for you: there's no reason to quote everything before your last post. When it is just 1 topic (as it is in this case) it's good enough to reply on the last post instead of quoting the whole topic over and over again.

[iEllix]

It looks like you have the latest ndiswrapper installed.

Just 1 hint for you: there's no reason to quote everything before your last post. When it is just 1 topic (as it is in this case) it's good enough to reply on the last post instead of quoting the whole topic over and over again.

Thanks, and I just installed a windows driver and it gave me the same message. Not only that, but it messed up my current driver and I had to reinstall Linux to get back to my original driver. I'm stumped, and I may just stick with my original driver, seeing as I'm too unexperience with Linux to do something about it now.

[argon99]

I know you said you wanted a free answer but you can't always get what you want but wit a little help from your friends you can get what you need.

I have been using an Ubiquiti Bullet 2 hp for a long time now. No problems but I do have it indoors out of the rain. And by the way it has a one watt output. Any more then that and the FCC comes calling.

You could also try an Alfa AWUS036H but it's difficult to get it to be an access point under linux. If not impossible. But it will give a stronger signal if you don't need an access point.