Strong Signal, Low Quality?

Senna

Can you get a strong wifi signal but poor quality?
I can get a wifi signal in my bedroom (3/4 out of 5 bars) but although connected i cant connect to the internet. I can carry the laptop out to the hallway (where it router is) and get internet access no problem, but once i move into the bedroom the signal drops 1 maybe 2 bars and no access.
I thought it might be due to something electronic in the bedroom, but I've ruled everything else out.

TheChizler

Stands to reason. You can have a really strong signal but have a bad signal-to-noise ratio, i.e. there's a lot of noise on that frequency. Try changing the router channel, there might be someone around you on the same channel, or a cordless phone, or microwave...

Redisle

Yeah there are some good apps like Wifi Analyzer for android that will show you all the channels used by detectable access points on a nice graph. You are probably sharing the channel with neighbours.

The other thing maybe is antenna position. Try to point the antenna(s) vertically assuming standard router antennas and assuming the router is on the same floor as the bedroom.

Any metal in the walls? Insulated plasterboard with reflective material?

TheChizler

Or Kismac or Netstumbler for Mac or PC.