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iMac G5 Wireless Trouble
We've got a G5 iMac, 20 inch, with an internal AirPort Extreme card. We keep this computer on the second floor, and the router in the basement (one floor separating them). Normally, everything works fine and the iMac usually gets 3 bars of signal (out of 4, almost full). When it shows this good signal, the computer connects fine to the internet. The iMac will also work fine like this for over a month. Then, seemingly without any cause, the iMac will lose the signal, or show it as very weak, and can't connect to the internet. When the happens, the laptop right next to iMac can still (meaning it can all the time, not just when the iMac doesn't work) connect easily with a strong signal.
Since we've had the iMac this has happened twice. The first time, we tried a lot of troubleshooting, but we couldn't seem to figure out what was the problem. Finally we decided to take the iMac to the basement to see if it would see the signal from right next to the router. Took it down, boot it up, and it works fine. Connects to the network as soon as it's turned on. I browse the net and download a couple things I needed, then decide to take it back upstairs. Put it where it normally is, boot it up. And it works fine!
It continued to work fine for over a month. Then the exact same thing happened. I quickly took it downstairs to see if perhaps last time I had lucked out and fixed the problem just before I moved the computer. Boot up next to the router. Fine. Take it upstairs. Fine again!
I hoped that was the last time but just today the problem occured again. Exact same thing as the other two times. Either sees a very weak signal, or doesn't see it at all. Every half an hour or so (I'm making an estimate), it can connect very slowly for a min or two, then loses the signal again. I'm typing this from the laptop that is currently sitting maybe half a metre from the iMac, and like the previous times, still works fine.
I haven't moved the iMac downstairs yet this time because I don't want that to be the solution every time this happens. Does anyone have any idea what's wrong? Or perhaps more importantly, how to fix it?
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