Computer Geniuses: Please Help

[The Sum of Awe]

So on my Apple Laptop, which is limited by control of the school, since they gave them out for the four years, I get full bars on internet connection, runs pretty smooth.

I recently got a Windows 7 laptop so I can use it for... a lot of things I can't do on my school's laptop. But it occasionally only has full bars, usually only has 3-4 bars. It makes me internet run slower, and I really just want to know what's up with it only having 3-4 bars, not the full 5 bars.

My internet connection is two rooms away, I use the Apple Laptop in this same area, so why would it have to do with the connection being bad?

 

[Iti oj]

give the specs

 

[The Sum of Awe]

give the specs

What is that?

-I'm not smart with computers, sorry -

 

[Koldo]

So on my Apple Laptop, which is limited by control of the school, since they gave them out for the four years, I get full bars on internet connection, runs pretty smooth.

I recently got a Windows 7 laptop so I can use it for... a lot of things I can't do on my school's laptop. But it occasionally only has full bars, usually only has 3-4 bars. It makes me internet run slower, and I really just want to know what's up with it only having 3-4 bars, not the full 5 bars.

My internet connection is two rooms away, I use the Apple Laptop in this same area, so why would it have to do with the connection being bad?

Can you try using your new laptop close to your "internet connection" ( it is probably a router, i guess ) when your connection is at 3-4 bars? Do you notice a increase on the bars? And more importantly, do you notice an increase on speed?

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Can you try using your new laptop close to your "internet connection" ( it is probably a router, i guess ) when your connection is at 3-4 bars? Do you notice a increase on the bars? And more importantly, do you notice an increase on speed?

I tried, and yes I did notice it went full bars, and it does run a very slight little faster, still doing it even in my room.

So, does my Apple Laptop somehow better connection receiving or why does that get full bars far away but my Windows only gets full bars when closer?

 

[freethinker44]

So on my Apple Laptop, which is limited by control of the school, since they gave them out for the four years, I get full bars on internet connection, runs pretty smooth.

I recently got a Windows 7 laptop so I can use it for... a lot of things I can't do on my school's laptop. But it occasionally only has full bars, usually only has 3-4 bars. It makes me internet run slower, and I really just want to know what's up with it only having 3-4 bars, not the full 5 bars.

My internet connection is two rooms away, I use the Apple Laptop in this same area, so why would it have to do with the connection being bad?

Yup, there's your problem...

... it's an Apple product.

 

[silvermoon383]

It's possible that the wifi antenna in the new laptop isn't as good as the one in the Apple laptop. It might also be a power issue. I know my battery life on my computer is less when I run Windows XP (I'm on a several-year old Intel MacBook that has dual-boot capabilities so that I can have both MacOS and Windows on it) and while I can't say for sure I wouldn't be surprised if a greater power use would impinge on Internet signal strength.

 

[Koldo]

I tried, and yes I did notice it went full bars, and it does run a very slight little faster, still doing it even in my room.

So, does my Apple Laptop somehow better connection receiving or why does that get full bars far away but my Windows only gets full bars when closer?

Not sure, but let's try a couple more things.

First, check if there is anything that could be interfering with your connection like wireless telephones, tvs, or anything like this. Unplug it all from the eletricity for a moment ( unless someone is going to die in the process ) and verify your connection.

Second, is your laptop able to find other networks ( other than the internet connection you are using) ?

Third, is it a new laptop?

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Yup, there's your problem...

... it's an Apple product.

Surprisingly, the Apple one is working better.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Not sure, but let's try a couple more things.

First, check if there is anything that could be interfering with your connection like wireless telephones, tvs, or anything like this. Unplug it all from the eletricity for a moment ( unless someone is going to die in the process ) and verify your connection.

Second, is your laptop able to find other networks ( other than the internet connection you are using) ?

Third, is it a new laptop?

First question, heh if it IS that, then I'll just have to live with three bars, and it probably is we use a lot of that stuff in a day.

Second, no, but occasionally my neighbor's pops up on it.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

It's possible that the wifi antenna in the new laptop isn't as good as the one in the Apple laptop. It might also be a power issue. I know my battery life on my computer is less when I run Windows XP (I'm on a several-year old Intel MacBook that has dual-boot capabilities so that I can have both MacOS and Windows on it) and while I can't say for sure I wouldn't be surprised if a greater power use would impinge on Internet signal strength.

My battery life as well goes down fast. I do think it's probably a power issue or something with the wifi antenna not as good, like you said.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Thank you all for your help!

 

[Koldo]

First question, heh if it IS that, then I'll just have to live with three bars, and it probably is we use a lot of that stuff in a day.

You should really try to turn off things around your house to check your connection. Perhaps it is just one thing getting in the way, and it could be really really simple to fix your problem. So please, do not skip this step.

Second, no, but occasionally my neighbor's pops up on it.

You forgot to answer the third question : Is it a new laptop?

After checking for possible interferences, the next step would be to call the customer service ( if it is a new laptop ) to have your hardware checked. The antenna could not be working properly therefore causing this problem.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

You should really try to turn off things around your house to check your connection. Perhaps it is just one thing getting in the way, and it could be really really simple to fix your problem. So please, do not skip this step.



You forgot to answer the third question : Is it a new laptop?

After checking for possible interferences, the next step would be to call the customer service ( if it is a new laptop ) to have your hardware checked. The antenna could not be working properly therefore causing this problem.

Yes it is a new laptop.

 

[wubs23]

This should be easy enough to solve.

Okay. Lets start with the basics. A wireless network is nothing else then a network via radio waves.

Radio waves have a certain frequency. By default, most devices use the same channel (or frequency). Per example, channel 11.

If you go to your modem through the internet, or download a program such as netstumbler, you can do a scan of other wireless networks in your neighbourhood.

Probably, you will see almost all of them are on the same 'channel'. This causes interference, and jams your connection.

Then simply pick a channel that is not used a lot by the other computers, and voila!

your internet should be faster and you should have no more connection issues.

 

[cablescavenger]

So on my Apple Laptop, which is limited by control of the school, since they gave them out for the four years, I get full bars on internet connection, runs pretty smooth.

I recently got a Windows 7 laptop so I can use it for... a lot of things I can't do on my school's laptop. But it occasionally only has full bars, usually only has 3-4 bars. It makes me internet run slower, and I really just want to know what's up with it only having 3-4 bars, not the full 5 bars.

My internet connection is two rooms away, I use the Apple Laptop in this same area, so why would it have to do with the connection being bad?

The graphics on Apple are usually stronger than your average windows PC, and that would make a difference to speed because it would resolve images quicker.

The other thing you should do is make sure you are comparing the same browsers. If you are using Safari on the Apple and comparfing it to ie, then ie will lose every time.

As for the bar readings, I am not aware of a standard that all PC's go by, so again you might not be comparing like with like.

 

[FlyingTeaPot]

So on my Apple Laptop, which is limited by control of the school, since they gave them out for the four years, I get full bars on internet connection, runs pretty smooth.

I recently got a Windows 7 laptop so I can use it for... a lot of things I can't do on my school's laptop. But it occasionally only has full bars, usually only has 3-4 bars. It makes me internet run slower, and I really just want to know what's up with it only having 3-4 bars, not the full 5 bars.

My internet connection is two rooms away, I use the Apple Laptop in this same area, so why would it have to do with the connection being bad?

Four things
1) What is the wireless adapter on your windows PC?
2) Is the wireless adapter on your Apple laptop wireless-N or wireless-G?
3) Are you running your wifi in wireless-N mode?
4) Is the Windows PC significantly slower than your Apple laptop when browsing the internet?

 

[FlyingTeaPot]

This should be easy enough to solve.

Okay. Lets start with the basics. A wireless network is nothing else then a network via radio waves.

Radio waves have a certain frequency. By default, most devices use the same channel (or frequency). Per example, channel 11.

If you go to your modem through the internet, or download a program such as netstumbler, you can do a scan of other wireless networks in your neighbourhood.

Probably, you will see almost all of them are on the same 'channel'. This causes interference, and jams your connection.

Then simply pick a channel that is not used a lot by the other computers, and voila!

your internet should be faster and you should have no more connection issues.

That is not the case here, since one laptop is faster than the other. This means that there is no interference on the channel that the router is using,

 

[FlyingTeaPot]

Looks to me like your Windows laptop's adapter is running in the wireless -N mode whereas both your apple laptop and the router are wireless - G.

If this is the case, go to Network and Connections in your windows PC and click on change adapter settings. Right click on your wireless adapter and click properties. In the general tab, click configure next to your wireless adapter, and change the mode to something like wireless-G only. I need screenshots of your PC to give you a better diagnosis.

 

[FlyingTeaPot]

It's possible that the wifi antenna in the new laptop isn't as good as the one in the Apple laptop. It might also be a power issue. I know my battery life on my computer is less when I run Windows XP (I'm on a several-year old Intel MacBook that has dual-boot capabilities so that I can have both MacOS and Windows on it) and while I can't say for sure I wouldn't be surprised if a greater power use would impinge on Internet signal strength.

No... just no.
Sorry, I don't mean to be mean. Guess I'm just taking out my frustration with computer illiterate people on you