Subj : Re: Works here but not th
To   : Barry Martin
From : Ky Moffet
Date : Fri Aug 27 2021 16:15:00

BARRY MARTIN wrote:
> Hi Ky!
> 
>   > So any ideas/suggestions as to why the connection issues?  TIA!
> 
>   KM> Probably just not very good wifi chips (which I vaguely recall
>   KM> hearing is a known RPi problem). Try a known-good USB wifi dongle
>   KM> and see if you get different results.
>   
> OK, thanks.  I don't recall the WiFi chip issue but then I don't follow
> that kind of stuff too closely.  OTOH could see one or the other RPi not
> working but not both (RPi 3B and 4B) -- such is my luck sometimes!

Also try different dongles -- at a couple bucks for older tech or maybe 
15 bucks for the latest and greatest, cheap enough to experiment with.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=wireless+network+usb&_sacat=175673&_sop=15

Some with external antennas, which might be helpful.

I've had better luck with the very cheapest ones, and with 802.11n 
rather than with 802.11ac -- the latter will hog the entire connection 
for internet, but don't seem to have quite the speed or the range on the 
local network. Still, might be try whatever is cheap and handy...

As to the different chips -- IIRC RPi has native Broadcom support, but 
might need a driver for RealTek. OTOH RealTek chips generally cause less 
trouble; at least on Windows they Just Work. Most of the cheapies are 
RealTek chips. I don't bother installing wireless cards anymore, cuz 
these do the job well enough.

Here's one with antenna and US seller with good feedback:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303586835852?hash=item46af2f7d8c:g:6cQAAOSwPqpeAYf1

I actually have one of that model, works fine.

I've bought a few small items from China but some arrive literally the 
next day and others two months later. China Post shippers are usually 
good, tho. And the US subsidizes China Post, so might as well use it.


> ..I'm going to have to look around later: I've got an RPi 4 running
> MythTV connected wirelessly on the other side of the same room I had the
> problem.  It has a utility with the header "Network Connection" and
> gives a bar graph with signal strength (~82%).  Trouble is, I don't
> remember installing it and couldn't find in a quick search!

That's not very good considering it's probably <25 feet from the router. 
On the laptop that went painting with me, I got two bars clear over to 
the other house, through three layers of Faraday cage, er, I mean metal 
stucco backing, plus it's about 120 feet.
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