Weak WiFi reception on HP 15 AC042tu

[bShuvam]

Hi and thanks for your time.
I have the laptop mentioned above and the router I have access to is a DLink DIR 600 M.
The two are literally a couple of metres apart (approx. 3 metres) and yet I am able to only receive a very weak signal, just 5 grey bars of the WiFi icon at times and no signal dominantly. Getting right next to the router gives me 4 white bars at best.
I have another Lenovo laptop and it gets a good 4 white bars at a larger distance. So I guess the router isn't faulty.

Please advise.

 

[hydranix]

Your wireless cards antennas may have come loose. You can check by opening up the laptop and looking at the card.

They should look like this:



If either is disconnected, just press it down onto the circular connector, it doesn't take much force so don't crush it, you could bend the little "flaps" on the coaxial cable end.

 

[broe23]

I really doubt the OP antenna leads came loose. Some Gateways with Wireless are just crappy Gateways. We had that issue up at my in-laws, while I was working on their new desktop with wifi. Before Frontier had swapped out the old gateway for the new one. We could get full strength for them, anywhere in the house. The new one is a rebadged Netgear loaded with Frontier's custom Firmware. Total crap.

Next time I go up there, I have to install a Access Point that plugs into the wall outlet. Too much of a PITA to pull Cat-5e.

 

[broe23]

Hi and thanks for your time.
I have the laptop mentioned above and the router I have access to is a DLink DIR 600 M.
The two are literally a couple of metres apart (approx. 3 metres) and yet I am able to only receive a very weak signal, just 5 grey bars of the WiFi icon at times and no signal dominantly. Getting right next to the router gives me 4 white bars at best.
I have another Lenovo laptop and it gets a good 4 white bars at a larger distance. So I guess the router isn't faulty.

Please advise.

That one should be hitting End of Life pretty soon. Personally I would get a better unit than that one. I use for my main Access Point the Engenious ECB-350. If you only need Wifi, it will act as a Wireless Gateway only. It has enough power for me to go at least 100' in any direction from my house and still have access to the Internet.

 

[hydranix]

I really doubt the OP antenna leads came loose. Some Gateways with Wireless are just crappy Gateways. We had that issue up at my in-laws, while I was working on their new desktop with wifi. Before Frontier had swapped out the old gateway for the new one. We could get full strength for them, anywhere in the house. The new one is a rebadged Netgear loaded with Frontier's custom Firmware. Total crap.

OP says another computer doesn't have the problem, so probably not the AP.

Next time I go up there, I have to install a Access Point that plugs into the wall outlet. Too much of a PITA to pull Cat-5e.

I've never seen 1901 go over painlessly. That's just my experience though. Plus the opto-isolator lags and limitations. I never trusted it.

 

[broe23]

I only used it at my in-laws, because there is no way to pull Ethernet between the two areas.

It is sufficient for allowing them to stream Netflix on their Smart TV, is what they were concerned about.