Cooling Radiator effed up my wireless signal

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by Fozzy, 4 Apr 2006.

  1. Fozzy

    Fozzy What's a Dremel?

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    I recently installed 3 oil coolers into my new rig to act as 1/4inch radiators (work extremely well with a very high flow) The largest is about 4 120mm fans (square) and 2 inches thick which is on the side behind the motherboard, the smallest is about 3 80mm fans long and about .5 inches thick, and the mid sized one which is also the actively cooled one is about 2 inches wider than a 120mm fan and 2 120mm fans long which sits on the top of the case. (I'll have to get pictures up) Anyways with all that metal and wter added to my case (BTX so my Wireless card is directly undernear the actively cooled rad and directly across from the large passive on the side) I have gone from a low signal to absolutely no signal at all. Fortunately I had another linksys usb wireless adapter so I plugged her in and moved my pci to a different comp. At least now I can locate my adapter to a better signal but now I have those stupid wires. Ohh well it isnt all that bad. CS:S runs better which makes me happy. Just thought you guys would enjoy that story.
     
    Fozzy, 4 Apr 2006
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  2. Stuey

    Stuey You will be defenestrated!

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    The radiators theoretically shouldn't affect the wireless signal if the antenna is exposed externally from the case.
     
    Stuey, 4 Apr 2006
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  3. Fozzy

    Fozzy What's a Dremel?

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    the way my case is positioned the router would be in front and above it. (I cant reposition it) Meaning I just put the two most deadening materials in front of my signal (Metal and Water)
     
    Fozzy, 4 Apr 2006
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  4. perplekks45

    perplekks45 LIKE AN ANIMAL!

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    Turn around your case. :D
     
    perplekks45, 5 Apr 2006
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  5. Stuey

    Stuey You will be defenestrated!

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    It's not that metal and water are deadening materials; it's that an electric field cannot pass through conducting materials. In other words, the metal case is completely blocking any signal that intercepts it, leaving only the the ambient signal circumventing the case.

    But since you bought a USB adapter, rotating your case or getting around this issue is moot.
     
    Stuey, 5 Apr 2006
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  6. Atomic

    Atomic Gerwaff

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    Would it not just have been easy to buy and aerial on a lead so you could position it away from the radiators and get a better signal?
     
    Atomic, 5 Apr 2006
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  7. Cabe

    Cabe What's a Dremel?

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    2.4gig is attenuated by everything, water especially (its approximatly the same band as your microwave oven runs at for that reason).
     
    Cabe, 5 Apr 2006
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  8. Shpoon

    Shpoon What's a Dremel?

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    I have problems too, I just ignore them now ;)

    Most of the time I get a good signal, but whenever my microwave or wireless phone headset is in use, my signal just drops, sometimes completely.
     
    Shpoon, 5 Apr 2006
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