Lose signal to Airport Base Station when Phone rings???

[MBHockey]

I have noticed that when my house phone rings, i lose my signal to the airport base station. I have the $250 base station, with the built in modem, but i don't have a telephone line plugged into it. I am usingn Verizon DSL, and i don't know why this is happening.




Ok so i don't know what made me check this, but it only happens when my cordless phone is plugged in in my room AND my Dr. Bott antenna is connected to the base station. I guess they both operate at the same frequency??? The cordless phone operates on a 2.4 GHz frequency, i am goign to check the Dr.Bott Extend Air frequency.

If this is the case, can i change the frequency of either of them??

[robophilosopher]

Yes, that is the frequency your airport broadcasts on. I would suggest trying to change the channel of your airport (or your phone, if possible). Also, checking the "Use Interface Robustness" checkbox may help.

But yeah, it's definitely wireless interference.

[MBHockey]

heh, i figured as much. Well, all is well. I moved that phone to a different part of the house and now am using a 900 MHz cordless phone, and haven't experienced the problem.

But, it didn't seem to be happening without the External Extend Direct antenna attached to the base station, which led me to believe that the frequency of the base station was different than the frequency of the base station + antenna.

Does that make any sense?

[robophilosopher]

If I'm clear on my electromagnetic physics and wireless engineering, the antenna shouldn't change the frequency of the base station signal. Otherwise, you would have to set up your computer differently depending on whether you had an antenna or not. It'll change the amplitude of the signal, but not the frequency.

So yeah, it makes great sense that a 900 MHz phone wouldn't interfere. It doesn't make quite so much sense that the antenna would cause the phone to interfere with the airport... If anything, you would think it would make the airport more apt to interfere with the phone. One possibillity is that due to FCC goons (kidding, I like the FCC :) ) the airport is set up to shut its signal down for a second if it thinks it's interfering, and the antenna lets it detect the phone better? Don't know..

(I know what I'm talking about, but not nearly so much as my pompus attitude would have you think ;) )

[anthlover]

Cordless Phones, Microwave Ovans, even your Neighbor with the same can cause grief....

First, make sure that you have all the Airport Updates. These are supposed to increase the Automatic Compensation for all of the above problems.

Two as the other poster indicated you cange change the default #11 channal to another one (you have to change it on basestation and Computer).

Three you can get one of those fancy 5ghz Phones if you are so inclined. Or at the other end of the spectrum pricewise a 900mhz also mentioned elsewhere.

To the other poster with then Attenna: It would not change the frequency but would increase the strength of the signal. Perhpas in error in prior airport software, there was a new release recently (caused the grief, instead of avoiding the conflicting channel sticking with it).

[MBHockey]

I was running all the latest updates (actually ran system update this morning to get 10.2.8) so maybe it is a problem they haven't fixed. No matter, i'm using a 900 MHz cordless phone now. Just found it rather interesting.

To the other poster, I figured (based on fundamental physics equations dealing with waves) that the antenna would not change the frequency. But I couldn't (still cannot) figure out why with the antenna connected i got the interference, and without the antenna connected i didn't get the interference. I could see if the base station was far from the phone, but it is not. In both scenarios the 2.4 GHz phone was approximately 6 feet from the base station.

I do have the channel set to automatic, so shouldn't it switch channels if it detects interference?

Don't know much about AirPort, but thanks for all your helpful insight.

Mike

[MBHockey]

Ahh, just pulled this from Apple's Site about AirPort. Apparently it is a known conflict and the only fix is to move it out of range.

3. If you are unable to use AirPort to access another AirPort-equipped computer, check to be sure that:
The TCP/IP and AppleTalk control panels on both computers are set to AirPort.
The target computer has started a Computer-to-Compter network, as illustrated in the AirPort application and Control Strip.
The computers are within range of each other (typically up to 50 m).
There are no sources of interference within range, such as a microwave oven or 2.4GHz cordless phone

[hayne]

Originally posted by MBHockey
I couldn't (still cannot) figure out why with the antenna connected i got the interference, and without the antenna connected i didn't get the interference. The antenna works both ways. It makes the signal from the basestation stronger but it also makes the basestation more effective at receiving incoming signals - including extraneous signals like those from the phone.

[anthlover]

Yes:) Atennas do that.

You stated more clearly then I did:)

To return to the question about Automatic and all the airport Updates. All Devices (phone too)and Airport software have some abilty to look for a clear channal.

Obvioulsy if you are up to date and you are still having problems Automatic is not cutting it. You can try manually setting channel 6 os some other channal then the default (think of it like when youe walking down the street and someone is in your way and you each keep trying to move out of each others way and for what seems like forever you only suceed in making moves where neither of you can pass by the other).

Or you can do as you did and use a Phone that operates on antoher frequnecy. Or move the base station of the one Phone that was causing the problem.

But what ever you do not make pop corn:) in the Micro. Seriously Microwaves sometimes mess up Cordless phones and Aiport networks while nuking.

[MBHockey]

The antenna works both ways. It makes the signal from the basestation stronger but it also makes the basestation more effective at receiving incoming signals - including extraneous signals like those from the phone.



Thanks. That makes sense.