I'm the only one in the house having problems with the new internet

[TorchTheWitch]

I haven't had internet now for two weeks since my landlord (who I live in the same house with) couldn't afford to pay the outrageously expensive Verizon bill (with all the cable tv boxes and hundreds of channels other tenants were putting on themselves it was about $450 a month!). This weekend we got Xfinity internet for the whole house and basic cable for everyone but me (I don't watch tv, so I didn't want it).

The router is upstairs in our resident tech geek's room, and for some reason my signal is always low (although even when it's "good" it still craps out all the time or is so slow as to be fairly worthless). No one else in the house is having this problem but me, yet I'm not the furthest computer from the router.

The resident tech geek fiddled with my computer most of the day today and can't figure out what the problem is. He's still not back from work (he had a few haircuts to do tonight) but I know he didn't get this problem fixed.

Anyone have any idea why this is happening? I've never had to use network internet at home before, and when we had it here with Verizon it was fine for me. After the Xfinity was hooked up Saturday it worked for me until about 8:30 last night when it first crapped out and hasn't worked right since. Right now is the first time I was able to get on any site at all (and I'm sure it will crap out again at some point... I hope I can get back to this post).

I know nothing at all about how a home network works, so I'm at a total loss. I'm absolutely frantic since I have to have the internet to find a better and permanent job, do skills assessments, put in my time for my temp jobs so I can get paid, etc... even if I need to call out sick, I have to do it by email to the temp agency (I don't have enough minutes left on my welfare phone).

What I don't get is that it worked fine after the guy from Xfinity hooked it up Saturday afternoon, and the problem didn't start until around 8:30 Saturday night. I so appreciate any advise or suggestions, and I hope I can get back in here to see any!

[Egnever]

1. Assuming everyone else is fine in the house

Then you have to look at you.

My questions would be how far from the router are you? do you have anything near your computer like a cell phone or large speakers?

Have you checked for infections?

Have you restarted the router?

What kind of wifi do you have? is it built in or a usb adapter?

[earthshine]

2. Similar kind of problem occurred at a friend's house.

The problem was discovered to be an object near the router in the "line of sight" to the destination.

The solution may be simple as moving the router a little bit from it's present location.

My favorite tech guy, Leo Laporte (twit.tv) was raving yesterday about powerline networking, which is an alternative to wireless transmissions.

If you are on the same AC circuit as the router, this may be your best bet. Leo recommends the brand TP-Link.

Good luck!

[Sentath]

3. And they have a new trick that regenerates the wifi at the far end of the powerline

I'm ordering one as soon as the current crisis passes ( :

[TorchTheWitch]

4. I have no idea what an AC circuit is or what it does

Last edited Mon Mar 14, 2016, 05:56 PM - Edit history (1)

and no idea if I'm on the same one as the router or what. I can't even call Xfinity because it's my landlord's account and his house... even if I could afford to get my own personal internet I still can't because it's his house. This new internet doesn't hardly work for me and that it is costing me money and jobs. I can't see why he's paying for this service when it doesn't bloody WORK for everyone in the house.

Can you explain to me what TP-Link is and what powerline networking is? I'm totally clueless about this stuff.

There are a LOT of people living in this house all of whom have computers and smartphones that are all going through the house system. I only have my desktop because it's all I can afford. Is it possible that all these other devices are hogging the network or something, and since I'm the furthest away from the router that I'm the one getting tossed out?

I'm completely at my wit's end here. The router is in the room of the tenant that lives upstairs and on the opposite side of the house. He's tried to find out what's wrong with my not getting even decent service and can't figure it out. He's barely ever at home anyway.

Isn't this something Xfinity needs to fix? My landlord is paying for this service, and it's not bloody working as it's supposed to. And it isn't as if this is a huge house either - it's really pretty small.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

[earthshine]

5. Here are some possibilities.

1) Get an external wireless adapter for your computer, thus bypassing any internal Wi-Fi transceivers. Get a long USB extension cord (maybe 10'). Hang the wireless adapter near the section of the ceiling closest to the router. I do this in my house.

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WN722N-Wireless-Adapter-External/dp/B002SZEOLG

2) AC = alternating current. This comprises your normal electrical outlets and the in-wall wiring going to and from the circuit breakers.

Powerline networking can give you a direct "wired" feed to the router. If you're on the same circuit as the router (maybe yes, maybe no), this will definitely work. If it's a different circuit, it might work.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833704165

Again, the powerline-type connection is wired.

... it worked fine after the guy from Xfinity hooked it up Saturday afternoon, and the problem didn't start until around 8:30 Saturday night.

3) There may be a limit to the number of wireless connected devices that can be supported by that router. Get the model number of the router and use Google to to obtain information (in lieu of the instructions manual). It's possible that you are the proverbial low man on the totem pole for wireless connections.

... the aerial pointed out the window ... What is the aerial on the router for? Is it to pick up the Xfinity signal floating through the air or is it to pick up the other computers in the house?

4) The aerial is used to communicate to the computers/phones in the house. It is possible that just by moving the router to a different location in the room, your problem will be ameliorated.

If the router can accommodate the requisite number of wireless connections, then your problem is a matter of signal strength. A wireless signal amplifier (called a "repeater&quot might do the trick.

http://www.newegg.com/Wireless-Range-Extender-Media-Bridge/SubCategory/ID-2948?Tpk=wireless%20repeater

Good luck!

[TorchTheWitch]

6. thank you soooo much for all this info!

I've definitely noticed that the worst connection problems I'm having are when we have a lot of wind/rain/clouds. Today has been terrible with the connection problems, and low and behold we've got wind, rain and heavy cloud cover going on that's supposed to go on all week. Why on earth has he got the aerial pointed out the window in the opposite direction of where I am in the house? I swear I think he believes that the aerial is to pick up Xfinity's signal that's floating through the air out there or something. He does know a lot of computer stuff but it's mostly Windows based, and stuff like how to find movies for free on the internet, etc.

I'm going to bookmark this and have him and the landlord see it.

Thanks so much! I hope I can hang onto my connection right now to get this posted!

[earthshine]

7. Here's some more useful links. There's a good chance your answer is here.

The position of the router in the house is paramount!

http://corporate.comcast.com/comcast-voices/10-ways-you-might-be-killing-your-home-wi-fi-signal


http://www.custompcguide.net/5-tips-how-to-increase-the-range-of-weak-wireless-signal/

[-none]

8. I didn't see this posted here, but...

I'm assuming your wifi antenna is on the back of your desk top computer?
Is your computer by any chance between the antenna and the wifi modem? If so reorienting your computer to bring the antenna to be in sight of the signal source should help. Also, if your computer is on the floor, that is not helping any either.

The best bet is to lay your computer on its side so at least part for the antenna is not shielded by the metal case.
Or maybe set the back of the computer a little over the edge of the table so you can point the antenna down, giving it a clearer view.