OT: Wireless Network Strength Dependent On Wired Network?

Sat Jun 20 15:33:47 UTC 2009

Neil wrote:
> Okay, a small, offtopic question. (I figured you guys were a far more
> reliable source than my local ${electronics_store} salesperson...)
> 
> Consider the following setup:
> internet pipe -> wired network -> (wireless router) wireless network ->
> computer1, computer2
> 
> Suppose the signal coming in on the pipe is good, but the signal
> deteriorates rapidly in wired network (old & bad wiring). Now, the two
> computers are connected via the wireless network only. computer1 has a great
> connection (it's in the same room as the wireless router), but computer2 is
> far away and drops the wireless connection frequently.
> 
> Now, a former electrical engineer is claiming that if we improve the wired
> network so that the signal comes across better, then computer2 won't drop
> the wireless connection so frequently. (He says that the signal emitted by
> the wireless router will be improved by feeding it a better source signal.)
> 
> I argue that there are two separate signals: the internet connection signal
> coming in on the pipe, and then the wireless network signal being emitted
> from the wireless router; and their strengths are independent. In other
> words, if we improve the wiring, the wireless signal will not get any
> stronger.
> 

The source signal is the device itself, not the wired portion. To prove
it unplug the wired Ethernet and the signal will still be there (unless
the radio goes down with loss of link).

~Seth