Interference - too many 2.4 Ghz devices?

ambro25

Hi,

Bit of a very long shot, but I haven't the foggiest, so here goes:

I'm with NTL, base 1MB BB package, desktop connected through wired Cat5 to wireless hub/router & lappie (Centrino) through Intel MiniPCI, all standard-plug-and-play-working-secured-good.

I'm also running a baby monitor setup at 2.4 Ghz, no probs. And since last night, added TV/NTL digisenders also at 2.4 Ghz - and now getting interference on the receiving TV. No interference when the baby monitor is on or off AND the router is switched off, so the diagnostic is pretty simple.

So, now, I'm under the impression that (i) 802.11b/g operates at 2.4 Ghz, with several channels available/used (concurrently?) - does anyone here knows if/when/what/how to avoid the problem, or whether WiFi routers can be instructed to not broadcast across certain channels? I'll post the make/model later tonight when I get home, if i makes any difference.

Please Help - Mrs wants to watch LivingTV in bed + keep tabs on baby, while I WiFi with lappie downstairs

Snaga

Your wirelass AP should allow you the change the channel that it uses to operate on. Channels 1-13 should be available though they do overlap with each other.

Best bet is to try 1, 7 and 13 and find one that doesnt interfere with your digisender.

Gone West

aye, snaga is dead right.
Find the exact frequency of the other devices.
If theyre on the low end (2.412, 2.417, etc) use a high channel, ie-13
If theyre on the higher end, 2.484, etc then use a low channel like 1.
IIRC you need a difference of about 20.5mHz of the band for your wifi to work 100% fine.

ambro25

Thanks Lads - sorry I couldn't get back to you earlier, was down all night with that tummy bug doing the rounds in Dub at the mo'.

I'll try that tonight & let you know how it went. I take it that the Wireless AP to which you refer is the router control panel accessible through the IP number (192.168.0.1 etc.)?

ai ing

Yep, that would be the one.

ambro25

I had to do some serious Googling to find the Digisender's frequencies, and thought posting the 802.11b/g channel freq's would make a useful reference if anybody with the same problem reads the thread (might even be worth a sticky within the 'wireless' Forum, no?)

Router's a D-Link DI-524 (g), btw.

802.11
Channel GHz
1 2.412
2 2.417
3 2.422
4 2.427
5 2.432
6 2.437
7 2.442
8 2.447
9 2.452
10 2.457
11 2.462
12 2.467
13 2.472
14 2.484

The Digisenders are the €74.99 ones (NTL-compatible) in the latest ARGOS, top left of the page, alien-looking things... 3 channels for these, freq's are:
Channel GHz
1 2.434
2 2.453
3 2.473

Gone West

Well, setting your channel to either 1 or 13 (both being as far away from the digisender as possible) should sort your problems out.
The fact that they use 3 channels complcated things a little ;S

ambro25

Not had a chance to change my router channel yet (I think it's the default ch.11), but the Digisenders don't use all 3 channels, these are individually selectable via a switch, in case there is interference. I have tried each one, and interference each time, so I'll try the ch.1/Router + ch.3/Digisender tonight

Dr_Colossus

Hi Ambro. Just a note on your wireless router. You mentioned you have the D-Link DI-524 (g). Apart from the possible interference with your other wireless products have you ever had any problems with this router? I'm currently looking to buy a wireless router and this seems to be a decent one but have read a few bad reviews. Would you recommend it and can I ask where you bought it and for how much?
Many thanks

ambro25

Well, tried both - Ch1 WiFi & Ch3 Digisender, Ch11 WiFi & Ch1 Digisender, in both cases with freqs as far apart as possible. Still getting interferences (though TV's not quite 'unwatchable')

Dr_Colossus wrote:

Hi Ambro. Just a note on your wireless router. (etc.)Would you recommend it and can I ask where you bought it and for how much?

I'd be interested in hearing about those neg reports, tbh. I bought it as a refurbished product off eBay yonks ago (a good 9 months+) for about £25, & never had any bother - and it's saved my skin from a couple of MAC-spoofing attacks as well. In so far as I'm concerned, yeah, I'd recommend it (I'm tending to think the intereference thing is more to do with the Digisenders than the router).

setanta

On a kind of related note - is it possible to use a wireless network INSTEAD of two digisenders ?

ie run the TV signal through a wifi router instead of using the digisenders

ambro25

setanta wrote:

On a kind of related note - is it possible to use a wireless network INSTEAD of two digisenders ?

ie run the TV signal through a wifi router instead of using the digisenders

Complicated and much more expensive, I think. At a guess, you'd need to interface constantly a lappy with a TV card (config'd to operate as a TiVO of sorts) with the NTL digibox, then interface another lappy with a TV-Out to the other TV, or use that other lappy to watch whatever... and you wouldn't have a remote extender either, so you'd have to go back to the NTL digibox to switch channels anyway... More hassle than it's worth, methinks.

However, if you're looking to do the reverse, say you *cough* *aherm* have access to the entire Lost series 1 on your HDD but can't lug your desktop near enough to your TV or haven't got a spare lappy with a TV out to do the WiFi interface, I think there's some WiFi (Belkin?) wireless gizmo that does just that - picks up media played on your (upstairs) PC via WiFi and feeds it into your Stereo/TV via composites... saying that, a Digisender would do the same thing anyhow (if your PC has a composite-out), so you wouldn't need a WiFi network... Endless permutations