L33T Squad

[AFK]

I thought we needed one of these threads.  This is where an old fart like me asks one of you younger spags how to work his technology or make it work better.

So, I have broadband internet at home which I have going through a wireless router which services the family laptop and also my Wii.  (yes, my Wii, get yer giggles out!)  In case this helps, both the broadband internet box and router are in the basement and the laptop and Wii are on the ground floor. 

Like most civilized, yet antiquated households, we have a cordless land-line phone.  It isn't digital phone service, it's the regular, old-fashioned big Telecom phone service.  Whenever we get a phone call, or make a phone call, it seems to disrupt the internet signal going to the laptop and Wii. 

Sometimes the laptop will get the signal back, the Wii hardly ever does, and so I have to go disconnect the power from each box to reset the signal, and then it works.

So my question is "what the hell man?"  Should I have to be going through this rigamarol?  Is there something else I can do to not have this inconvenience to my life?  Is there some setting or switch or something on the router I can play with to make it better?  What gives man? 

[Jasper]

The phone is cordless you say.

Can you find out what wavelength it works on?

It'll look like X.XGhz, I anticipate.  It should say on the phone cradle somewhere. 

[Elder Iptuous]

get a newer phone, with frequency in the 5.8 GHz range.
wifi is in the 2.4, as is your phone...
it's crowded

[Jasper]

From Wiki

Electromagnetic interference at 2.4 GHz can be caused by 802.11b and 802.11g wireless devices, Bluetooth devices, baby monitors and cordless telephones, video senders, and microwave ovens.

:. I anticipate that your phone is 2.4Ghz. 

[AFK]

Oh yeah, we are currently using a baby monitor too.  We leave the part that picks up the sound on pretty much 24/7 and just turn on the receiver at night.  I suppose that is adding some competition for the signal as well? 

[Jasper]

My best advice is to try to get wireless devices that work on different freqs. 

[AFK]

Sounds like the right way to go.  Time to go phone shoppin.  Thanks L33T Squad!

[Bruno]

Not sure if it will make a difference, but can you change channels on the phone?

What model phone do you have?

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

Instead of buying a new (insert product here), you could try changing the channel that your WiFi router is on. It may (or may not) fix your problem, but since this is free, I would recommend trying to do that first.

It depends on the model of your router, but there's an IP you can go to (for Linksys routers I think it's like 192.168.0.1 or something, gooogle it) to get to your router's web interface. Log in and look for the channel it broadcasts on. Google will be your friend in this endeavor. You may also be able to change settings on your phone and other wireless devices. Change them around and test them.

[AFK]

Thanks.  I'll look into that.