Please help me improve my wifi range

Oh well I only noticed now that you still needed help but if you have lost all interest then I suppose nothing more I can add to this thread

terrorist96 said:

Even though it is a netbook, and it's expected to have an inferior WiFi range compared to full laptops, I wanna see if I can boost it a little, because it is very weak. If I'm more than like 30 or so feet away from the router, I can still pick up the signal, but can't connect to it.

I also have a netbook, which is not as powerful as yours, but I still get an amazing signal (which was only made possible after purchasing a wi-fi extender).

Your netbook's wi-fi is B/G/N, unlike mine B/G (see pic).

I'm willing to bet there is some sort if interference, which is hampering the potential of a decent wi-fi signal.
Hope this helps:)

terrorist96 said:

How much are WiFi extenders and what would you recommend?

If you have a Linksys, D-Link, etc.. router try to stick with the same brand, and the price range differs everywhere you go (retail store, online, classifieds).
I'd say between $50-$80+

I have a D-Link DIR-655 router and my extender is a D-Link DAP-1360, both works hand in hand great.

Of course you should convert to a N router but with yours some of the routers made (depending on the manufacturer and model) and all of the N routers are able to do this (in their configuration system built in to them) will allow you to use two frequencies, switch the configuration to use both but be sure the computers you are using on the router are all set for N routers or just the 2.8 ghz freq. range.
Now that all that is set here is a few things to know,
1) are you using any cordless phones in your home that are in the 2.8 ghz range?
2) are you using any audio video extenders that are in the 2.8 ghz range?
3) are you using any other "Transmitters" that use the 2.8 ghz range (ie: walkie talkie, cordless remote controls {not the infra red type but the RF type as used with newer satellite and cable systems}, network extenders, or anything that transmit any radio frequencies, even a microwave oven can be in that freq. range.)?

Any of these things will affect your router and how well it will perform as well as it's range. Most of the time they may not cause problems but you may want to unplug all of them and try your connection again, and if it improves, then plug each one back in checking each device to see if it affected your routers performance. If you find one that reduces it then stop using that device. Also if you live in town your neighbors might have something that is causing the degradation of your signal. When you have eliminated all causes of interference you will have a great connection. In my case, I had a neighbor who had a cordless phone they got at wal-mart that brought my signal to the 50mbps range so I simply went out and bought them a new nicer phone that was on a much higher freq. and traded it for the one that was causing the problem, they liked the trade and I am now liking my 155mbps connection and almost 2 city blocks of great range, and four of moderate range.
Now after a few weeks with a great working router, my speed and range dropped back to 50mbps and about a half block of shaky range just out of the blue, after tracking that problem down I found that a neighbor discovered that my router had a "guest" channel and when they linked up with G speed cards my speed and range fell, I fixed that by going back to the router and turning off the "guest" feature. (and likely pissed off my neighbor, heh! heh!)
Finally I also discovered that if you are using the hibernate feature on one or more of your computers, some routers (like Belkin and LinkSys) will get your IP addresses confused and you can tell this has happened when one or more of the computers give you an error that says there is a IP address conflict on your network. To fix this problem, both Belkin and LinkSys has a updated firmware download you can apply to your router or you can get arround this problem by not using the hibernate feature and do a complete new boot when you turn your computers on. You really should only use hibernate when you have to save what and where your at in a hurry, because if you use hibernate exclusively, many many problems pop up and multiply every time you shut down using the hibernate feature I always tell my students and clients to only use the hibernate feature when you need to othe wise always shut your computer down completely.
Many network users never think about the interference caused by other non-computer radio devices, not just phones and communications, but wireless remotes, door bells, garage door openers, and microwave ovens, and in my case, my house has a wireless security system with dozens of sensors and several cameras which also caused problems, would you have thought of that one? I didn't at first either, I also heard from a friend who had a problem with his older 55" plasma TV (before the 120mhz newer models) that also caused a problem with his router.
The FCC is going to have to open up a bigger range of frequencies for home electronics because the 2 to 3 ghz band is filling up fast and problems are just now surfacing with it.
Let me know if any of this helps, many times wireless gives most a headache because the stay focused only on the device they are having a problem with, good luck.

Additional information: If you or any friend you may have might have made a printed circuit board (used in electronics like the mother board in your computer) Radio Shack has the materials you need to make one (they are not very hard to make if you would like to try.) I have a vector graphic print of a "antenna" you can use on your router (you need to open and remove the one on the router and solder a coax wire to the router {yes it will void your guarantee} then solder it to the etched board you will make from the print I can supply you, that will triple your range. However you should know that if your home has aluminum siding or foil backed insulation, even metallic coating on your E-windows, this will lower your signal strength outside your home, the antenna you can make with a circuit board etched to this configuration that you can tape to a window will help your signal greatly outside.