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[Wireless] Extremely slow Internet Connection

"Another level of the house" sounds fishy. The WRT54G2 uses internal antennas. Take a look at the FCC pics of the inside of the WRT54G2:

»fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/oet/forms···_pdf=pdf

Looks kind of skimpy in the antenna department, doesn't it?

Antennas for routers work in a "pancake" method. More distance as long as you're on the same level as the router. Perhaps you are having problems because your laptop is on a different "level" of the house as you put it and the antenna's in the WRT54G2 aren't setup for that. On older routers, I tell people to turn 1 or 2 of the antenna's from a straight up position to either 45 degrees or 90 degree (from normal). But you can't do that with your sleek little router.

Take a look at this post for more criticism of the antennas in your router:

»New Linksys MODEL WRT54G2 v1

When you purchase one of these stylish internal antenna routers, there is often a performance hit. If you are technical, you might experiment (I call it play time) with opening that sucker up and doing some soldering. However, the sensible solution would be to buy a similar router with external antennas: like the D-Link wireless N routers

»www.dlink.com/products/?pid=530

The 3 antennas can be pointed in various configurations. Leave 1 antenna straight up if you have other wireless devices on the same floor of the house. Turn the other 2 antennas either horizontal to the floor or 45 degrees from normal. Play around with the antenna configuration bearing in mind where the laptop is.

Good luck.

Thank you for the response, but will the antenna situation have anything to do with the fact that the desktop computer also looses most of the internet signal when hooked up to the router, as opposed to the modem (Which works fine). BTWthe router is hooked up right next the the desktop with the modem along side.

reply to uncmarts
You know, I bought one of those new Linksys routers and my experience was that they were absolute crap. I didn't say so in my earlier post because these things happen. Defective routers happen to every manufacturer.

Maybe you just bought a dud, like I did when I purchased a new Linksys router a while back.

If you have the packaging, take it back as "defective" and exchange it for something else. Get another Linksys router or an alternate model like the D-Link gaming wireless N routers.

Regardless of whether you have a dud router or not, if you plan to use your router to service multiple floors in a home, buying a router with internal antennas is not a good idea. I'd suggest you get a wireless N router with a minimum of 3 external antennas.

Good luck.