When Wi-Fi goes away
By Charles Miller

Wi-Fi internet access has become almost ubiquitous in San Miguel. The technology is new and has not been around long enough yet for every computer user to have a good understanding of its limitations.

Some time ago I received a call from a woman distressed that her wireless internet was no longer working. She had already (incorrectly) diagnosed the problem to be that her wireless router was at fault. When I arrived she showed me the wireless equipment at the front of the house, then conducted me through the living room, past the dining room, through the kitchen, across the patio, into the casita, down a hall and finally to a rear bedroom where her laptop computer was sitting.

I checked her wireless access, and found that the transmitter in the front of her house had no chance of putting out a usable signal from that far away. Her laptop had previously been logged onto a wireless access point with the station identifier (SSID) of “Smith” (not the real name). I could tell that “Smith” had been there and “Smith” was no longer broadcasting.

I explained to the woman that we had just walked perhaps fifty meters and past about eight thick masonry walls and that was too far for the wireless signal to reach and too many walls to penetrate.

She rudely responded “It used to work just fine! You obviously don’t know anything about computers!” I realized this was one of those occasions when you just have to hold your tongue and move on.

Still stinging from the verbal assault and to satisfy my own curiosity, I walked around the block to the house on the next street that was back-to-back with the first house. I rang the timble and asked the housekeeper if someone named Smith lived there. “Los Smith” had been next door, she told me, and they had moved out two days ago.


Mystery solved! The pugnacious woman on the other street had been poaching her neighbor’s wireless internet signal, and when “Los Smith” moved out they took their wireless with them.

The next wireless internet problem I encountered was with the nicest and most courteous lady you would ever want to meet. She had (incorrectly) assumed that wireless internet and other wireless devices in her home would never interfere with each other.

I quickly spotted the problem when I saw her cordless telephone. My suspicions were verified when I picked up the phone and the computer’s internet connection immediately died.

Most Wi-Fi computer connections use the 801.11g standard, which specifies that all the frequencies be in the 2.4 gigahertz range. A lot of popular cordless telephones also use the 2.4 GHz range, and these phones interfere with the computers.

Nothing can be done to change the computer, but the problem can be fixed by purchasing new cordless phones in the 5.8 GHz frequency range. The lady was not keen on having to replace several cordless phones, but at least she did not try to blame it on me.

Blame the International Frequency Registration Board of the (ITU) for assigning the same frequency ranges for use by two devices likely to be found in the same home.

Both of these situations could have been avoided had the people involved consulted a qualified professional early on, and before they (incorrectly) assumed they knew what was going on.

Charles Miller is a freelance computer consultant, a frequent visitor to San Miguel since 1981 and now practically a full-time resident. He may be contacted at 044-415-101-8528 or email FAQ@SMAguru.com.