Added Long Range USB 2.0 Wireless Adapter...No Boost in RSSI?

[princetonshrink]

Added the Alfa AWUS036H 802.11b/g Long Range USB 2.0 Wireless Adapter to my PC (Vista) hoping to increase signal strength to my upstairs router.

Once hooked up I ran inSSIDer 2.1 and NO IMPROVEMENT in RSSI!!

What?!

Anyone have a clue about why?

Thanks!

[chris2]

Two things: 1) RSSI values are not calibrated among different manufacturers. There will always be a difference in values with two different cards regardless of what is actually received by the card. 2) That Alfa USB adapter probably isn't going to do much for you on the receive side. It should be able to transmit more but the antennas that are shipped with those adapters aren't any kind of high gain. You can purchase a higher gain antenna from an online retailer that will help with signal strength provided there isn't any interference nearby.

[jimmyd]

Added the Alfa AWUS036H 802.11b/g Long Range USB 2.0 Wireless Adapter to my PC (Vista) hoping to increase signal strength to my upstairs router.

Once hooked up I ran inSSIDer 2.1 and NO IMPROVEMENT in RSSI!!

Anyone have a clue about why?

Thanks!

It's important to know that in the 2.4 band RSSI is not all that important. Most of the time problems are related to link quality (LQ) and not signal strength. Second, there's a reason that the 36H is called "long range". It's true sensitivity doesn't show up until you are far away. I have one of those and for the router 50 feet away it shows the exact same RSSI as the built in crappy wifi on my modem. That's as it should be.