Hotel internet wifi no login page not connecting

Hotel Internet WiFi No Login Page

Long story short, if you are trying to connect a laptop to the wifi at a hotel and the login page does not come, up:

Try downloading and installing the latest wifi driver from your computer vendors support web site.

If that fails then call the hotel reception and ask for the direct number to their IT support so you can work it out with a trained technician, as there are many other potential problem areas.

Background

There are plenty of articles explaining what do if you cannot connect your laptop to the hotel wifi, yet you can connect your laptop at home. Why is this?

In my case I had checked all sorts of configuration settings. Is the browser set to a proxy, or is your ipV4 ip address set manually in the wireless device, and so on. 

All my network settings were good yet I still could not connect. I ran the "ipconfig /all" command and the ip address was configured correctly to the hotels router yet I could not get an internet connection. Just an error from the browser saying no DNS connection, which wasn't really true strictly speaking.

I remembered that I had previously reinstalled windows on my laptop and when you do that windows installs all the default plug and play drivers. This is a problem really in that the vendor drivers are usually the best ones to use.

I have a few HP laptops and whenever I have weird problems I find that installing the vendor driver mysteriously fixes it. For example, I recently replaced a laptop battery with a new third party battery and not long after that the screen would remain blank after coming out of sleep mode. I then installed the vendors video driver and the problem went away.

I could not properly connect to the hotel wifi until I had downloaded and installed the HP driver for my wifi card, then like magic, I was able to connect without errors.

When doing diagnostics there is a general high level sequence to follow. First check your O/S version. Is it limited in some way, for example windows 8.1 has network limitations that windows 8.1 professional doesn't - the think tank at MS is amazing (...not...), then check your configuration, then check your drivers, and finally when all else fails, check the hardware. 

It took me a while to realize that my diagnostics was stuck in the configuration domain. It would have been far quicker to install the vendor wifi driver from the get go, but it is often a configuration issue that causes problems so its the usual place to start looking. Either way, its a process of elimination.

I think that next time if I spend more than 20 minutes checking configuration I am going to download the vendor driver. The moral of the story? If you reinstall windows always download and install the latest vendor drivers, lest you get bitten years later... 

Scrum Schedule

Scrum Schedule

The authority on this topic are the inventors and the authors of Scrum and the Scrum Guide (Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland).

These are the (immutable) Scrum events as defined in the Scrum Guide:

• The sprint
• Sprint Planning
• Daily Scrum
• Sprint Review
• Sprint Retrospective
• Product Backlog Refinement (technically not defined as an event)

So here is a 2 week schedule based on the Scrum Guide:

NOTES

1. The Daily Scrum isn't needed on the first day of the sprint and it's also not needed on the last day of the sprint, but should be a 15 minute stand-up for the days in-between.
2. By convention in the daily scrum each person should not talk for more than 2 minutes. The narrative should be "what I achieved yesterday",  "what I plan to do today", and  finish by a quick mention of any blocker's,  otherwise finish by saying "no blockers" to indicate you have considered if there are any impediments blocking your user stories.
3. The Scrum events are part of the sprint and they are immutable.
4. Typically the first day of the sprint begins with sprint planning, at the end of which, if a tool is being used, the "start sprint" button is pressed to lock in the selected user stories that make up the sprint backlog.
5. Not every day in a 10 day (2 week) sprint is a full development day. In fact the last day typically has no development work as this time slot is dedicated to the Sprint Review followed by the Sprint Retrospective.
6.  Backlog Refinement should constitute no more than 10% of the sprint time (which is a maximum of 1 day in a 10 day sprint). These are shown as 2 x 4 hour time slots above. You may not need all of this time depending on the maturity of the product backlog, so its okay to finish a session early.
7. You can of course vary this schedule as desired, for example, the sprint does not have to start on a Wednesday, or you could decide to have 4 x 2 hour backlog refinement sessions, or even just a 1 hour backlog refinement session over the whole sprint as determined by the needs and state of the product backlog.
8. Remember that the non development work (shown as meetings) are Scrum events that are immutable. So yes, these meetings are a crucial part of the sprint and the Scrum methodology. Failure to do them means you are not practicing Scrum (i.e. you can no longer call it Scrum).
9. Remember that there are only 3 roles in Scrum, the Product Owner, the Scrum Master and the Developer (and that Developer does not mean coder in Scrum and that it can include coders, testers, analysts, network technicians etc., whom are all assigned the role of "developer").
10. You need to find a Product Owner. Typically the product owner is a key stakeholder from the business that understands the business processes and business rules and their priorities within the scope of the project.
11. You do not need a project manager or a technical lead developer in Scrum, there are only 3 roles in Scrum (the Product Owner, the Scrum Master and the Developer). Scrum does not have autocratic hierarchies in the Scrum team on purpose. Scrum teams are supposed to be self managed and self organizing.
12. The Scrum Master is not to act as a project manager, but should be a mentor in the practice of Scrum. The Scrum Master should not tell the Developers what to do nor how to determine which stories go into the sprint, only the Developers can determine how best to achieve priorities set by the Product Owner and how to shape the sprint by considering all dependencies.
13. Developer in Scrum means anyone that brings a skill to contribute to the increment, it does not mean software developer or coder (repeat).
14. Don't forget the increment at the end of the sprint is a deliverable. You do not have to deploy it, but it should be saved somewhere.
15. Please read the Scrum Guide and also get familiar with the Agile manifesto. There is a philosophy behind Agile methodologies like Scrum. For example,  working code is more important than documentation.  

Scrum Poker

Try this Fibonacci scale for Scrum poker to help with scrum estimates:

C# SharePoint Content Type Visible on New button

Problem

When using C# and the SOM API in SharePoint 2013 to add new content types to a list, you find that the new Content Types are not appearing in the "New Item" ribbon button:

 

You could go to the list settings and simply select the "visible" property for the new content types but if you are doing this as a SharePoint feature then using the UI is not an option.

 

You would expect that the SPConentType class would have a "visible in new item" property but it doesn't. There is a "hidden" property but this particular property doesn't make the new Content Types visible on the ribbon. And as they say "therein lies the problem".

 

Solution

The first thing you have to do is recover from the fact that the SharePoint 2013 SOM API does not have a "visible in new item" property (even though we know it should). So how then does the SharePoint UI do this?

 

Well I don't know because I do not have the source code to the SharePoint UI (rhetorical question).

 

After some searching I found a few articles on this topic and they suggested that "reordering the content types" would solve the problem.

I found that the UniqueContentTypeOrder collection must first be nulled then the desired content types added back into it (this isn't exactly reordering, but close enough). This is the collection in question:

 

SPList.RootFolder.UniqueContentTypeOrder

 

Doing this is effectively the equivalent of using the UI on the list settings to reorder the content types and set the Visible property: 

 

 

 So without further adieu some trial and error lead to this solution:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Powertech 5 in 1 manual

Powertech 5 in 1 manual

Seems like the manual for this powertech 5 in 1 power supply is hard to get on the internet as of March 2015, so here it is... the first online version:

Powertech 5 in 1 manual

Its handy for looking up the charge time which is 34 hours (or 48 hours if its the first charge).

The jump start instructions are also important as they remind you that the black negative cable must never be connected to the battery. Instead, first connect the red positive cable to the positive terminal on the car battery, then clamp the black negative cable to a non moving metal part of the vehicle. When disconnecting do it in the reverse order by disconnecting the black negative terminal first, and then disconnect the red negative terminal.

Its best to read the manual before you attempt any connections you are not sure about.

Dyson DC 44 Animal Trigger Problem Easily Fixed

Dyson DC 44 Animal Trigger Easily Fixed

The Dyson DC 44 Animal is in my opinion the best vacuum cleaner on the market.

It does however have one small design flaw that is easily fixed yourself.

Symptom

The power cuts out even when you are holding the trigger. Or, even worse, the power does not turn on even when you press the trigger hard.

Sometimes letting go of the trigger and pressing it again turns the power back on.

Easily Fixed

Simply wrap the battery with a zip tie. You will need a large zip tie like the one below (any colour you like). And the larger the better because you can snip the excess when tied:

 

 

 

 

Wrap the battery with the zip tie as shown in these pictures below:

 

 

Problem solved. You can vacuum to your hearts content and never worry about the trigger playing up again.

 

Well, as you can see, the trigger is not the problem.

 

Read on to find out why...

  

Background

When I first bought the Dyson DC  Animal, it worked fine. And I was so happy I actually enjoyed vacuuming with my new nifty Dyson. It is light, it doesn't have a cord to drag around, it is powerful, versatile, it does not need bags,  and it really cleans the carpet very well. The ultimate  vacuum cleaner!

 

Then, slowly over a period of time I found that the trigger needed to be pressed a little harder. Then after a bit more time the power was shutting off intermittently and I had to press the trigger again to get the power back.

 

Initially I thought maybe it has a temperature sensor so it shuts off when the motor gets too hot. Not so, as I was soon to find out.

 

Eventually it got to the point where I was pressing the trigger all the time in order to reengage the power.

 

By this time I thought the trigger may be faulty. After some more thought I figured the trigger would be a very robust switch, that should last forever,  and is more than likely not the cause.

 

So what else could it be? Well, as they say in electronics, its an "open circuit". Fancy speak for saying something, somewhere, is not connecting to the power source, or the power source itself is not working.

 

The cause of an "open circuit" can be anything from a fried capacitor or resistor to a "short circuit". But it could also simply mean you have forgotten to plug the device into a power source, or the power switch is not turned on, or the battery is dead or faulty. All these possibilities create an "open circuit" i.e. no power.

 

As my Dyson was fairly new, and knowing Dyson is a high quality brand, I knew the cause of the power cutting out would not be due to a faulty switch, like the trigger, or not even due to a faulty battery, or even some other fried electronic component in the circuit. Quality parts simply last a very long time.

 

So the next obvious place to look was to see if the battery was connecting to the circuit properly i.e. do the battery terminals have a solid, clean connection to the circuit? This is an obvious place to look because the battery is a plug-in device and it needs to make a solid and firm contact to the circuit, or else no power.

 

So I pulled out the battery to check the contacts, and even cleaned them. Tried out the vacuum cleaner again, and still no remedy.

 

Then I thought maybe the battery simply isn't securely located in its socket, so as I vacuumed I decided to press the battery to its socket just by putting my hand under the battery and pushing up. Hallelujah!

 

My hand pressure on the battery allowed the Dyson to work without power interruption.

 

With closer examination I discovered that the weight of the battery causes it to "hang in mid air" while vacuuming. Yes, gravity is a powerful force.

 

And that hanging battery meant it lost partial or full contact with the circuit connector points.

 

Hence, the intermittent nature of the problem, because when you put the vacuum cleaner on another angle (like hanging it back on the wall caddy, or wrestling with it on the floor) the battery would fall back into place; and would stay in place for a little while until your vacuuming motion and/or gravity dislodged it again. 

 

Minor Design Defect That Anyone Can Fix

Well, far be it from me to critique the design of a brilliant Dyson, especially the DC 44 Animal, which is perfection itself in vacuum cleaning, so I won't.

 

The DC44 is the absolute best vacuum cleaner on the market in my humble opinion.

 

To the engineers at Dyson, perhaps I could suggest a new feature? Clips that lock the battery into place, or even a drawer style battery caddy...either would suffice.

 

Happy Dyson vacuuming!

Fisher & Paykel Washing Machine Smart Drive 701 Valve Replacement

How to replace the hot and cold water valves for a Fisher & Paykel Smart Drive 701 Washing Machine

Introduction

If you have an old Fisher and Paykel washing machine thats reads "Smart Drive 701" on the left side of the control panel (where all the buttons are located), and you are having problems with it, then this article may help you.

 

It may also help if you have a similar model.

 

Disclaimer

This is not an official publication, it is a blog, so that means it is my opinion, and only my opinion. I am not a qualified service technician (although I have a diploma in electronics engineering) and I am not advocating you try and make any repairs yourself unless you are a qualified technician.

 

Symtoms

The washing machine takes a long time to fill with water. After a while it pauses, beeps about 5 times in succession and repeats this beeping at regular intervals.

 

If you press the Start button, it will continue to fill, but may pause again after a while and start beeping again.

 

It is possible to get through the wash by pressing the start button every time the washing machine pauses and beeps. But this is a tedious process.

 

Cause

The hot and cold water valves (these valves are located where the hot and cold water hoses are connected at the back of the machine - see picture below) are electronic valves that vary the water flow and shut off the water when the water level reaches the desired/set level.

 

 

They are not mechanical valves such as those in normal hot and cold water taps around the house, they are electronic, which means they are controlled electronically by the built-in computer (which is the display module and the motor control module - see schematic below).

 

It also means these electronic valves wear out and break over a period of time, just like a light globe would, only they last a lot longer of course.

 

These valves are usually one of the first parts to need replacement. When this happens they still may work by allowing water to flow, but the rate at which the water flows will be greatly reduced, and too slow for the washing machine.

 

The built-in computer computer checks the water flow rate and expects it to flow at a minimum of 3 litres per minute. If the water valves are worn such that the water flow rate is less than 3 litres per minute, then the computer (smart drive) in the washing machine will detect this and eventually pause the machine and start to beep.

 

Schematic

Steps to Repair 

• Completely disconnect from the power supply by turning off at the power outlet and removing the plug from the socket.
• Turn off the hot and cold water taps and disconnect the hoses from the washing machine. Dry up any water that may spill in the process.
• Open the lid of the washing machine and when the lid is vertical at 90 degrees simply lift it out of the sockets with a gentle pull.
• Locate 2 screws at the back of the control panel (the control panel is shown as the "console" in the schematic above) on both ends and uncrew them with a phillips head screw driver:

 

 

• Locate the hot and cold water valves and unscrew the 2 screws at the back of the machine:

• Lift the control panel ("console" in the schematic above), flip it and rest it nearby:

• Now lift the plastic holding braket that sits behind the "mixing chamber" from its socket and rest it nearby:

 

• Disconnect the 2 plugs from both of the hot and cold water valves:

• Clasp one of the hot and cold water valves from the top and simply pull out in an upward motion. The valve should simply pull out as it is held in by a rubber boot that is easily dislodged when pulling in an upward motion:

• Repeat the previous step for the other valve.
• Simply plug in 2 new hot and cold water replacement valves into the mixing chamber.
• Replace the plastic holding bracket back over the hot and cold water valves behind the mixing chamber, and replace the 2 screws at the back of the washing machine where the hot and cold water valves are located.
• Reconnect the control panel (console) replacing the 2 screws on each end at the back.
• Reconnect the lid.
• Reconnect the hot and cold water hoses and turn on the taps.
• Plug the washing machine back into the power outlet socket and turn on the power switch.
• Turn on the washing machine and start a wash cycle to test that water flow is now at a reasonably fast rate (minimum of 3 litres per minute).  

Steps to Repair if Fully Dislodging the Mixing Chamber

You only need follow the steps below if you need to fully dislodge the mixing chamber. Otherwise the steps above should be adequate.

 

So you should not need to do this, but should you encounter problems these steps will assist in fully dislodging the mixing chamber:

1. Completely disconnect from the power supply by turning off at the power outlet and removing the plug from the socket.
2. Turn off the hot and cold water taps and disconnect the hoses from the washing machine. Dry up any water that may spill in the process.
3. Open the lid of the washing machine and when the lid is vertical at 90 degrees simply lift it out of the sockets with a gentle pull.
4. Locate 2 screws at the back of the control panel (the control panel is the panel with all the buttons on it that sits above the lid) on both ends and uncrew them with a phillips head screw driver.
5. Lift the control panel, flip it and rest it nearby.
6. Locate the hot and cold water valves and unscrew the 2 screws at the back of the machine. Now lift the plastic bracket from behind the valves and rest it nearby.
7. Locate the motor control module, (see schematic), and unscrew the big screw in the centre.
8. Disconnect the earth plug from the control module.
9. Check for any other plugs that are connected to the control module that would prevent you from slightly dislodging the control module, and unplug.
10. Dislodge the control module enough such that you can unplug and detach it from the mixing chamber, and rest the control module nearby.
11. Unsrew any remianing screws that are holding in the mixing chamber.
12. Disconnect the 2 plugs that are connected to each of the hot and cold water valves.
13. Gently pull out the mixing chamber ensuring it is not secured to anything.
14. Clasp the mixing chamber in one hand and with the other hand clasp one of the hot and cold water valves from the top and simply pull out in an upward motion.
15. Repeat the previous step for the other valve.
16. Simply plug in 2 new hot and cold water replacement valves into the mixing chamber.
17. Now plug the mixing chamber back into the control module and replace the control module and the mixing chamber back to their original location.
18. Reconnect the mixing chamber and the control module as per the disconnecting steps above.
19. Replace the plastic bracket over the mixing chamber, and repalce the 2 screws at the back of the washing machine where the hot and cold water valves are located.
20. Reconnect the control panel replacing the 2 screws on each end at the back.
21. Reconnect the lid.
22. Reconnect the hot and cold water hoses and turn on the taps.
23. Plug the washing machine back into the power outlet socket and turn on the power switch.
24. Turn on the washing machine and start a wash cycle to test that water flow is now at a reasonably fast rate (minimum of 3 litres per minute).

PCTV w-lanTV Settings and Configuration

Settings and Tips for PCTV w-lantv

If you have just purchased the PCTV w-lantv wireless TV solution from PCTV Systems and would like some tips about how to get perfect wireless digital TV reception on your computer for every channel, then this blog may be helpful to you.

PCTV Systems make a number of products for digital TV on a computer, so if your product does not look like the one in the picture above then this blog may not be what you are looking for, although you may find some useful tips if you have a related product.

By the way, if you live in Australia, Britain or Europe check out PCTV System's latest offering for digital TV, the PCTV Broadway 2T. This is, in my opinion, a better option than the PCTV w-lantv simply because it is newer with a better design and more hardware features like live video camera streaming and 2 USB ports for connecting devices (in future).

NOTE: These products are for digital TV and require a digital TV signal. So if you are still on an analog TV signal, then this product/blog does not apply to you.

 

PCTV w-lantv Components

Before you look at the "setup steps and tips" below you should pause for a moment and look at the bullet list below to ensure you are aware of the main hardware and software parts that come with PCTV w-lantv:

The Hardware

• w-lantv Wirless Access Point - AP 50n (the big box in the picture above)
• w-lantv USB dongle (just below the AP 50n)
• nanoStick Solo DVB-T USB receiver (top right in the picture above)

The Software (all on one CD)

• w-lantv software
• TV Center software

You should also read this bit to find out what the above parts all do before reading the setup steps below:

w-lantv Wirless Access Point

If you have a wireless network at home with internet access your DSL modem/router is probably also a Wireless Access Point (WAP), or you may have a combination of a separate DSL modem connected to a WAP.

The w-lantv is just a WAP, nothing more except that it also has a coaxial cable socket that connects to your coaxial cable in order to receive your TV signal for transmission wirelessly to your computer.

The w-lantv WAP can be used as a separate (and second) wireless network in your home dedicated to transmitting your TV signal wirelessly (which is what I recommend in this blog); or you could use an ethernet cable and connect it to your DSL modem/router if you want to run the internet and the TV off your internet wireless network (which I do not advise as this will result in slower performance).

 w-lantv USB Dongle

This device connects your computer to the w-lantv WAP by wireless transmission. It is a USB dongle that is essentially the same as the wireless network card you have inside your computer for wireless access. This dongle is really only needed if your computer does not already have a wireless network card, although you can still use it even if you have a wireless network card.

nanoStick Solo DVB-T USB receiver

This device connects the w-lantv WAP to your TV's coaxial ariel cable so that it can receive the TV signal for wireless transmission.

w-lanTV software

This software is simply called "w-lanTV" and apprears in your system tray as a red or green icon on the bottom right of your screen. Green when it is connected and red when it is not connected. It is the middleware (or middleman) that connects the TV Center software to the w-lanTV WAP. It needs an active wireless connection in order to connect.

Once you have installed the TV Centre software you will find w-lanTV in the "Tools" menu.

This should be the first software you run or the TV Center software will not be able to connect and display TV.

TV Center Software

This is the TV viewing software that runs on your computer. It allows you to select and view your TV stations. So you run this software to watch TV on your computer.
The TV Center software needs the w-lanTV software to be running and connected in order to work.

Setup Steps and Tips
The steps below are pretty much described in the PCTV documentation but this will give you an overview and advice in what you can do for the perfect TV reception.

STEP 1 - Install the TV Center Softwware

Check that the version of your TV Center sotware is 6.4.1.858 or higher.

You should be able to see the version number on the PCTV CD itself (not the paper cover/sleeve, the CD itself). If you have installed the TV Center software already you can find the version number by selecting "Information" from the "TVCenter Settings"  menu item from the "PCTV systems" Windows menu.

If it is an older version, simply uninstall it, now.

You can download version 6.4.1.858 from here: TVCenter 6.4.1.858

Should the link above fail then go to the PCTV Systems web site (PCTV Systems) and press the Support menu item and look for Downloads for the TVCenter software.

Once you know you have the lastest version of TV Center go ahead and install it (be sure to uninstall the previous version first, if applicable).

TIP 1 - Click the locality icon when you visit PCTV Systems web site
When you go to the PCTV Systems web site make sure you first click on the locality icon otherwise you may not find your product as certain products are country specific. At the time of this blog the locality symbol for Europe/Pacific Asia is the symbol of the British flag (i.e. the union jack).

TIP 2 - Ensure you have the latest version of TV Center installed
Ensure you install TVCenter 6.4.1.858 or higher, make sure this is the first thing you check.

You can now simply follow the instuctions in the the PCTV documentation knowing you have the right version of the TVCenter software, and/or continue to read on for more tips and follow my recommended sequence of setup steps.

STEP 2 - Splitting the coaxial cable

Now that you have the correct version of the TV Center software installed (as per step 1) you are ready to proceed by installing the hardware.

Do not worry about loading the TV Center software just yet.

Skip to step 3 now if you have a spare TV coaxial socket in your home which you want to dedicate to the PCTV w-lantv system. 

If you only have one coaxial ariel TV socket the simplest thing to do is buy a coaxial splitter.

There are various styles so just pick one you like the best:

The 2 coaxial splitters on the left are pretty cheap at around $5 Australian and all they do is split the TV signal 2 ways.

Splittling the coaxial cable can degrade the signal slighty so you might want to consider something like the Kingray 2 Port Splitter Amplifier, pictured on the right, which compensates for the slight loss. This option will cost around $50 Australian.

A splitter amplifier is not really necessary unless your TV signal is already quite weak. In my case I had trouble with some channels (SBS, C31 and GO!) and the splitter amplifer did seem to resolve the issue.

But if you have a poor signal to begin with, a splitter amplifier may not help. The problem is most likely to be your external antenna. It may not be high enough or adjusted properly or have some other technical issue. However, before you worry about your external antenna, read on, as there are other things that I will cover that affect the quality of your TV reception other than your TV aerial.

STEP 3 - Configuration

Okay, I was planning on having a quite a few more steps about exactly how to setup the w-lantv for best results but have decided to just provide the tips below. Should I get some feedback requesting more detail  then I may add more steps later.

So, before you continue, simply read the "w-lantv manual" accessible from the "Documentation" menu item in the "PCTV Systems" windows menu (or on the CD itself). This provides a step by step guide for setting up. And yes, you need to actually read it all.

Follow the instructions and see how you go.

Once you have finished with the "w-lantv manual" try the tips below if you are still having problems.

NOTE: The below only applies to  version 6.4.1.858 or less of the PCTV software. A later release may make some of these tips redundant. 

TIP 1 - Have 2 wireless networks, one for w-lantv and the other for the internet

The w-lantv manual suggests you can use your internal network card for watching wireless TV instead of the supplied w-lantv USB dongle. This is good advice as you will not need to worry about finding or losing the USB dongle.

The w-lantv manual also suggests you can connect your w-lantv WAP to your DSL modem/router with an ethernet cable in order to use just one wireless transmitter. I found this approach to be slower in performance than running your normal wireless internet and the w-lantv WAP as 2 separate wirless networks.


So I recommend you do not use an ethernet cable to connect the w-lantv to your DSL modem/router.

You should instead run two independant wireless networks at home, your normal internet wireless and the w-lantv wireless. And you should also just use your internal wireless network card to connect to either wireless network.

You can then simply connect to your w-lantv wireless when you want to watch TV, and then connect to your normal internet wireless when you want to surf the internet (note you cannot be connected to both wireless networks at the same time as you are only using one wireless network card i.e. your internal wireless network card). This is the best option for performance.

In short, two wireless networks will give you better performance as you will have one wireless transmitter dedicated to the internet and the other transmitter dedicated to the wireless TV.

With this option you use the same wireless network card in your computer to switch between the two wireless networks. Tips 2 and 3 below tell you how to configure your w-lantv WAP and your DSL router so that they run as two separate wireless networks for better performance.

TIP 2 - Setup your DSL modem to use the 192.168.2.n IP address range

The w-lantv software that appears as a green or red icon in your system tray (at the bottom right of your Windows screen) only seems to connect if the IP address of the w-lantv WAP is 192.168.2.1. It does not seem to matter how you configure the w-lantv WAP (and I have tried all the options).


So in order to avoid network routing problems when you switch between your internet wireless and your w-lantv wireless, (as I recommend in this blog),  it is better to configure your internet DSL modem/router/WAP to use the same IP address range of 192.168.2.n that w-lantv needs in order to work. 


So set your DSL router to an IP address of 192.168.2.1 with a range of 192.168.2.2 to 192.168.2.254:

The picture above is of my DSL router/WAP, yours may look a little different but somewhere in your DSL router will be a "LAN Settings" menu item which will have a screen that looks very similar to the above. Also note that changing the LAN settings will not affect your DSL router, that's why you can change them. Mine had a default of 10.1.1.1 and a range of 10.1.1.2 to 10.1.1.254, but these are just defaults and can and should be changed to a more unconventional range for greater security. 

TIP 3 - Setup your w-lantv WAP to use the 192.168.2.n IP address range

Also set the IP address of your w-lantv WAP to 192.168.2.1. This will avoid IP address routing problems as your computer will always be in the correct IP address range (192.168.2.n) regardless of which wireless access point is connected at any given time:

Leave the DHCP Server enabled and use the same IP range of 192.168.2.2 to 192.168.2.254 as in the picture above.

Now both your internet wireless and your w-lantv wireless transmitters are configured to use the same IP addresses so switching between them should be less problematic.


TIP 4 - Set your Channel Width to 20MHz on the w-lantv WAP
Change your "Channel Width" from "Dynamic" to "20MHz":

In my tests doing this resulted in less pixelation and faster overall performance.

TIP 5 - Lower your encryption on the w-lantv WAP
Change the "Encryption Type" to "WEP (54M only) and enter a 14 digit password in key 1:

This will give you faster performance and as you are not going to be on the internet when watching TV having stronger encryption is not really that important. So what if someone sniff's your line, if they manage to decrypt it all they will see is the TV program you are watching.

TIP 6 - Test your old computer with a faster network card

If you are using an old computer your wireless network card may be too slow, so you may want to consider trying an external network card or even a new computer.

The simplest and cheapest test to do is to borrow a decent USB network card and see if that does the trick.

I have an old laptop at home with a maximum of 2GB RAM and could not get decent performance with it. The picture was pixelated and the viewing software hung after a few minutes of viewing.

My testing was not conclusive so I cannot be sure if the issue was processor speed, the amount of RAM or the speed of the internal wireless network card.

My best guess would be the speed of the network card (if you have tried all the other tips above).

So before you "rush out" and buy a new computer, first test the network card. Also, see if you can borrow a newer computer that has 4GB RAM and a fairly new network card. The last thing you want to do is buy a new computer and find out it was just the network card.

TIP 7 - Uninstall unnecessary software

This is a wierd one. My particular computer came with a whole bunch of proprietry software installed courtesy of the computer manufacturer.

For example, I had a "Backup" utility installed as a windows service, and a "Blue Tooth to Wireless Conflict Manager" and a bunch of other mostly useless windows services.

So always check what is installed on your computer, especially when it is new, and make sure you uninstall software that does not serve any useful purpose, other than to wear out your CPU and slow down your overall computer performance.

Be careful as you may need one or two of these software applications but most of them are unnecessary, so get rid of them. If you are unsure, google the name of the software and read up on it. You should be able to work out if you need it or not.

In my case, the so called  "Blue Tooth to Wireless Conflict Manager" was actually interfering with my wireless card performance causing pixelation on the TV signal at regular intervals. As soon as I uninstalled this service the wireless card started performing perfectly. So this computer vendor installed software was actually causing performance problems.

I also uninstalled any software I thought I did not need or would not use. You will be suprised how much performance improvement you get by doing this.

And I also uninstalled my bluetooth software as I have no need for it.

So watch out for software that you did not install and that does not need to be there.

 

TIP 8 - Put the w-lantv WAP up High on a Wall or Shelf

 

As simple as this may sound the most important thing you can do is to place the WAP up high on a shelf or wall for the best transmission results, and therefore most stable reception:

 

 

 



You can see my WAP mounted high on the wall. I used a 3M sticker (typically used for sticking hooks on walls) to stick it on the wall. As I have used a 3M sticker I can easily remove the sticker without making a mark on the paintwork.

 

If you have a set of shelves, put it on the highest shelf and see how you go.If not a 3M sticker works really well and you can stick it anywhere up high.

Final Word

I cannot remember anymore tips for now but if I do I will add them here later.

I can say that following the above tips has given me perfect wireless TV reception on my computer on every channel, so I am very happy with my w-lantv.