[kwlug-disc] Tip: USB WiFi dongles

[B.S.]

You switched adapters, and therefore, by definition, antennas. (Thus Bob
& Charles point.)

I get that you didn't need an additional external antenna. And not to
say the antenna in the dongle is all that big.

I wonder, given Charles & Bob's points, and AFAIK electronics like
internal Wi-Fi chips don't degrade, they either fail or haven't yet,
whether the connection between your internal Wi-Fi adapter and internal
antenna degraded from laptop lid opens and closes over time.

Given Bob's point, you might see if your router is set to auto-channel
select. I can't speak to the efficacy of such, but I have seen where the
number of routers and channels in the neighbourhood changes over time,
and years later I've had to switch to a (now) less congested channel
than the least congested channel I choose at time of installation.

Mayhap a bit of Velcro on the dongle to the top of the laptop near the
hinge would improve reception while tucking the 'tail' out of the way.


On 08/30/2017 01:33 PM, Khalid Baheyeldin wrote:
> On 8/30/17, Charles M <chaslinux at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Khalid we've noticed this with different laptops on the same shelf - some
>> get a stronger signal than others. Whether it's how they implement the
>> antenna (usually around the screen) or the wireless chip itself, we haven't
>> investigated yet. As you've pointed out we've had better success with
>> external Wi-Fi+an antenna.
> 
> I did not need an antenna at all.
> 
> Just the $2.20 USB dongle and things are back to good speeds and good
> range.
> 
> Only drawback is that you have to wait for a month to get it.
> 
> And nothing outside the ordinary to fiddle with.
> 
> Just go into the Network Manager icon and disable the built in adapter,
> and then configure the USB one (which SSID to connect to, password,
> then make it the default). That is it. No drivers, no settings, ...etc.