Subj : Works here but not th
To   : Ky Moffet
From : Barry Martin
Date : Sat Aug 28 2021 07:40:00


Hi Ky!

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

Right, plus having a spare isn't a bad thing.


 KM> https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=wireless+network+us
 KM> b&_sacat=1756
 KM> 3&_sop=15
 KM> Some with external antennas, which might be helpful.

Easier to line up/orientate.  And I should look up to see what position 
the four antennae on my access point should be.  Right now straight up, 
which probably is good for everything up here but not necessarily down- 
stairs, especially as one moves away from underneth -- I half-remember a
radiation pattern like an ice cream cone: rounded at the top and 
extending to a point at the bottom.


 KM> I've had better luck with the very cheapest ones, and with
 KM> 802.11n rather than with 802.11ac -- the latter will hog the
 KM> entire connection for internet, but don't seem to have quite the
 KM> speed or the range on the local network. Still, might be try
 KM> whatever is cheap and handy...  
 
I'll have to refresh my brain on the various 802.11 protocols. I'll 
admit my thinking is "get the newest proven" (bleeding edge isn't bad, 
just sometimes doesn't work as expected in real life -- let others take 
the chance).   


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

Around here I use wireless where required so not as experienced.  The 
wired distribution was done years ago and works, plus originally at 1 
GHz was a lot faster then the wireless back then.



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

I also order occasionaly from China (AliExpress, occasionally AliBaba); 
miss the old postage prices, though shipping three ELP (brand) cameras 
for $18.13 ay around the world isn't bad!  The overall cost was much less
than what I could find for domestic purchase,

As for subsidizing China Post, originally interpreted that as meaning the
US Postal Service, later thinking maybe US Government.  Read where the 
various postal authorities get together, determine pricings, and so 
agree to deliver one another's parcels at no additional charge.  ...Bet 
the final carriers love delivering boxes marked with less postage than 
for a post card!


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

Right -- it didn't make sense.  OTOH there is a dead zone: pull the car 
in the driveway to beside the house and the FM station I'm listening to 
in the car fades out.  Isn't a local station, but does happen with 
several.  Haven't experimented if the same effect with a portable radio.
Anyway, the location of the RPi (the original 3B and 4B) were 
potentially in this zone.  The other RPi (the one running MythTV) is 
roughly on the edge of the Dead Zone -- I've never really defined it.

Did find the "Network Connection" utility I have installed on the MythTV
RPi: it's a built-in utility loaded by various clickings of the top menu
bar.  Gives a nice GUI; found a command line version also.  Will have to
experiment again -- this time seeing what the RPi sees the app on the 
cell phone doesn't.


 
                         ¯    BarryMartin3@    ®
                         ¯   @MyMetronet.NET   ®

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