Weird Wi-Fi reception issues

So, here’s the situation: I’m currently renting a place where the landlords live right next door, and since they have wireless internet, they were kind enough to share the password with me. However, there's a bit of a catch... the signal is only strong enough to be usable in one specific corner of the apartment—specifically in the bathroom 😁. In an attempt to actually get some work done on my laptop in the living room, I decided to set up a bit of a workaround by leaving my phone in the bathroom to catch the signal and then using USB tethering to pass it along to my laptop, which required me to buy a 10-meter USB cable. The issue, however, is that my laptop (a Dell Inspiron 15, to be precise) keeps dropping the connection constantly, forcing me to physically get up, walk over to the phone, and manually reactivate the tethering every single time. Sometimes it happens every few minutes, other times it lingers for a while... but it’s incredibly frustrating. Interestingly, this doesn't happen at all when I use a standard short USB cable to connect the phone directly to the laptop. To make matters even more confusing, I happen to have two older laptops lying around (an HP and a Dell), and both of them can pick up the signal in the living room just fine—even if it isn't particularly strong—and when I plug them into that same 10-meter USB cable, the tethering remains perfectly stable without any interruptions whatsoever.

What I am trying to figure out is this... First, why on earth is my newer Dell Inspiron 15 constantly dropping the connection during USB tethering? And second, does this imply that its internal antenna is simply inferior to the older models, and would it actually be worth my while to go out and purchase some sort of external antenna?

It’s totally possible that Windows 10 is just acting up on you. If nothing else works, maybe try picking up a USB Wi-Fi adapter? Also, definitely try reinstalling those network card drivers. Might just do the trick!

The USB spec technically caps cable length at about 16 feet, so that’s likely where things are falling apart...

ironcyclist58 said:The USB specification technically limits cable length to about 5 meters, so that’s likely where the issue lies.

That was my initial assumption as well, however, if that were truly the case, why does it function perfectly on two of my older laptops without a single moment of interruption...

Maybe they’ve got better USB controllers under the hood. Or maybe you just haven't used them long enough for things to actually start breaking down on you...

...maybe it’s just that "n" mode which supports smartphones and newer laptops, but the range isn't nearly as good as "g" mode, which I'm guessing is what those older laptops are running on....plus, if you're using a long USB cable, the extra length can actually tank your speeds and cause drops.
Try borrowing a USB Wi-Fi adapter that has an external antenna—something like a Netgear adapter—then plug it into a USB extension cord (up to about 15 feet) so you can move it around to a spot where the signal is actually strong.

I guess you could probably just grab a cheap plug-in signal extender. Not like it’s breaking the bank or anything.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...ender&_sacat=0

mistybear522 said:I used to think the same thing, but if that's true, why does it work perfectly fine on two older laptops without any drops?

Why does stuff work or fail outside the "standard" rules? That’s a question for Milan Vidović: a cheap USB cable can cause headaches even at under 5m, while some other gear works just fine over longer distances. Plus, you've got to consider how much power the user draws, which specific wireless chip is in the model, the antenna design... in the world of wireless, there are a hundred different factors at play. Nobody can tell you for sure that something *will* work under specific conditions; it usually just comes down to trial and error.

The best advice actually came from G/Duki: borrow a USB adapter with an antenna and test out a few different spots. Or, just download an app like WiFi Analyzer on your phone to scan your apartment—check the signal strength and the channels...
One of the cleaner fixes would be to grab an old router that one of your friends or relatives got from their ISP and isn't using anymore. You could set it up as a repeater (if it lets you configure it that way). That way, you'd have solid signal throughout the whole place without being tied down by adapters, cables, and all that extra junk...

Paul Fox62 said:you probably just need a plug-in signal extender. they aren't even that pricey.

... but honestly, you can get something like this for free...