Type J Wireless Adapter

[unisys12]

Since this is a Ricoh specific question, I am posting it here...

I installed one Savin 9050 and two Savin 9040's today with the Type J wireless adapters, at the same location, and noticed that even though my laptop would connect with one strength, and the MFP would connect at a fair different strength.

Ex. The 9050 connected at anywhere from 52% signal strength to 72%. Meanwhile, my laptop always detected a 75-85% signal strength. One of the 9040's, which I will admit was located a good distance away from the access point, would not detect more than a 64% signal strength, while my laptop detected 85%-90%.

Same with the other 9040, but I think you see where I'm going with this. Has anyone else noticed this? I mean, I can understand how a wireless signal can fluctuate in strength, but why the big reduction in strength between the laptop and the wireless adaptor on the MFP. This is given that I moved the two atennea's to different locations, to gain the best signal, before attaching them to the machine. And not just my laptop, but another laptop varifed my findings - A laptop would notice a better signal strength than the Type J wireless adapter at any point, time or position in the room.

Anyway, input would be greatly appreciated! restauant

[Captain Scott]

My experience!!

I have seen the same thing during a training course on a unrelated subject. Another tech questioned the accuracy of the display on the MFP as he had encountered similar results during an install in the field. We never followed it up as it worked and had to move on to a more important topic dithering. I would trust the laptops signal strength and treat the MFP's display as an indication that it has some form of connection.

[rthonpm]

Is the WAP broadcasting out in mixed mode? I've seen some models with the old B interface get confused and not pick up a strong signal from a perfectly functioning access point just because the signal was being broadcast out in both G and B configurations...

[cobiray]

I don't have much experience with the Ricoh wireless, but I've noticed that they seem to have much weaker signal than stand alone wireless access points. We've since switched to networked stand alone access points instead of the integrated Ricoh units. This also allows us to re use the access points with future models and multiple machines (if a switch is installed also). Something else I read about helping wireless signal strength are parabolic reflectors. www.freeantennas.com