Wireless Routers Signal Strength With The Fire

[deannah]

Originally Posted by sparklemotion

Thank you.

I can connect to both of my laptops with a full signal in my yard, but my kindle fire I cannot connect at all. I'm disappointed that I can't connect outside as I do a lot of reading outside in the summer and it would be nice to have use of the net as well. I assumed before I got it that it would connect fine since my laptops do.

I definitely believe the Fire has a much weaker antennae than laptops. I can get a weak signal on my patio which is right outside the slider door, but further out into the yard and the signal drops rapidly till there is none.

My router is located in the front part of the house, however and further away from the backyard.

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by deannah

I definitely believe the Fire has a much weaker antennae than laptops.

I think so too.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by sparklemotion

I can connect to both of my laptops with a full signal in my yard, but my kindle fire I cannot connect at all. I'm disappointed that I can't connect outside as I do a lot of reading outside in the summer and it would be nice to have use of the net as well. I assumed before I got it that it would connect fine since my laptops do.

I agree that the Fire's WiFi is relatively weak, so your only option is to improve the WiFi signal. There are several ways to do this

1. Move your WiFi router
2. Change to a different channel
3. Add a better antenna to the router
4. Add a WiFi booster
5. Add a WiFi repeater
6. Add a 2nd WiFi router

These are listed in order of complexity and/or cost. You could also replace your existing router with a more powerful one, but I don't know what to recommend.

See How Can the Range of a Wi-Fi Network Be Boosted?

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

I agree that the Fire's WiFi is relatively weak, so your only option is to improve the WiFi signal. There are several ways to do this

1. Move your WiFi router
2. Change to a different channel
3. Add a better antenna to the router
4. Add a WiFi booster
5. Add a WiFi repeater
6. Add a 2nd WiFi router

These are listed in order of complexity and/or cost. You could also replace your existing router with a more powerful one, but I don't know what to recommend.

See How Can the Range of a Wi-Fi Network Be Boosted?

Thank you for the suggestions, wallcraft. I'll try them. While I don't feel we should have to buy new devices to get a better signal when my other devices work fine outside, I may just end up doing it as a last resort anyway. I'd really like to be able to use my fire with the net outside in my yard. If the first options don't work, I'll try a new antenna first, then a booster. I'll get a stronger router if I have to, but I'd really rather not.

[nickredding]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

I agree that the Fire's WiFi is relatively weak ...

I don't agree. Right now I have an HP Laptop, HTC Inspire smartphone, Ipad2, Kindle K3 and Kindle Fire all sitting on the same table connected to a Linksys E2000 router running DD-WRT software, and the router status page shows virtually the same SNR for all these devices.

It is more likely that perceived differences in wifi performance are due to antenna orientation relative to the line-of-sight to the router, and obstacles between the device and the router. For example, wifi signals passing through a wall or floor at an angle will be attenuated much more than signals passing through at a right-angle. At an angle, the wall looks like it is several feet thick to the signal. Also, my router has three antennas to account for the fact that wifi signals are highly directional. I don't know how many antennas your router has, and I suspect the Fire only has one (maybe two).

[DaveSp]

I have the following running off of my wireless network - 2 Fires, 2 Kindle K3s, a Motorola Xoom tablet, a Samsung Galaxy 10.1 tablet, an HTC EVO 4G phone, a Samsung netbook, a Dell laptop, and a Samsung TV (and then one laptop and one desktop hardwired). All things equal - primarily, location - I can't say that the Fires are any less capable than any of the other devices.

Dave

[Athens80]

Originally Posted by deannah

I definitely believe the Fire has a much weaker antennae than laptops....

I find this also. We have nine WiFi devices in the household from five different brands and the Kindle Fire is the only device that does not get a strong signal everywhere in the house. Often the Fire has no connection at all at the most distant part of the house.

[Athens80]

Originally Posted by nickredding

Right now I have an HP Laptop, HTC Inspire smartphone, Ipad2, Kindle K3 and Kindle Fire all sitting on the same table connected to a Linksys E2000 router running DD-WRT software, and the router status page shows virtually the same SNR for all these devices.

I have an iPhone and the Kindle Fire at the same spot in the house, a spot where the Fire often registers no connection, and the Fire actually shows an equal or stronger signal at the router. Yet the iPhone never loses the WiFi connection there, but the Fire does.

I have just turned up the transmit power on the router slightly, from the default to a little higher, to experiment whether this improves the reliability of the Fire's connectivity in the house. I'm pleased with the Fire; the WiFi issue has been the biggest drawback.

[nickredding]

Originally Posted by Athens80

I have an iPhone and the Kindle Fire at the same spot in the house, a spot where the Fire often registers no connection, and the Fire actually shows an equal or stronger signal at the router.

Odd that your router would claim to be connected to a Fire that claims it has no connection. Did you double-check the MAC address of the Fire to make sure that is what your router is showing the SNR for?

[Athens80]

Originally Posted by nickredding

Odd that your router would claim to be connected to a Fire that claims it has no connection. Did you double-check the MAC address of the Fire to make sure that is what your router is showing the SNR for?

At the time I checked, both the Fire and the router showed the connection.

It's been just a few hours' experiment, but so far, while increasing the transmit power of the router a bit higher than the default, the Fire has remained connected on WiFi.

[salsaguy]

You can connect to any channel number that your router settings allow.

[salsaguy]

You might as well stop there. As the Fire wont be an ideal device for reading outside. Best to get an e-Ink kindle instead due to the glare issue.

Originally Posted by sparklemotion

Thank you.

I can connect to both of my laptops with a full signal in my yard, but my kindle fire I cannot connect at all. I'm disappointed that I can't connect outside as I do a lot of reading outside in the summer and it would be nice to have use of the net as well. I assumed before I got it that it would connect fine since my laptops do.

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by salsaguy

You might as well stop there. As the Fire wont be an ideal device for reading outside. Best to get an e-Ink kindle instead due to the glare issue.

Oh, yes, I know that. I have a place in the shade where it should be fine though. I use my lap top out there and that has a shiny screen as well. (I also have an e-ink kindle)

[salsaguy]

But as long as you preloaded you books on the device when inside you don't need wifi outside to read.
You can also use a usb to micro usb cable to transfer files from Pc yo device instead of wifi

[sparklemotion]

Originally Posted by salsaguy

But as long as you preloaded you books on the device when inside you don't need wifi outside to read.
You can also use a usb to micro usb cable to transfer files from Pc yo device instead of wifi

I also wanted to be able to browse the net too if I wanted which is why I wanted the wifi to work in my yard.