Signal Strength (laptop problem)

So..
I have a Toshiba Satellite L750/l755. I recently bought it for cheap because it was a display model so it had a few scratches so they knocked £200 off the price.
Anyway..
My laptop is currently about 6 inches away from my wireless router and it is only at 3/5 bars strength. If I go down stairs I lose all signal and if I am on my bed about 6-8 feet away from the router It's at 1-2 bars and sometimes disconnects.

My old laptop, has great signal strength, next to and down stairs.
I've reset the router and done all the basic things for signal strength, I'm pretty sure it's my laptop. Any idea on what it is? and how can I fix it?

 

[liptun]

Is your isp TalkTalk?

 

[Soviet Union]

I think it is probably the wireless card in the new laptop. The one in your old laptop is probably better. Only way I would have thought to solve it would be to move you router or buy a better wireless card.

 

How/where do I buy a new wireless card? Also how much are they and can I install them myself?

Also, is my ISP my internet provider? If so, I'm with virgin media, they're excellent on my other laptop.

 

[Clashfan]

You can get a USB wireless adapter pretty cheap. You can't replace the one inside your laptop

 

[Laptop65]

Man your laptop hates you dude

Its not your ISP, and I doubt its your router as the routers Virgin Media give to customers are usually very good quality.

On some laptop's you can get a wireless card, or a USB adapter. I'd go for a wireless card personally, I did have the USB adapter at first back in early 2010 but as time went it on it become more and more bendy and faulty connection. A wireless card is what you want, N speed.

 

[Soviet Union]

You can get a USB wireless adapter pretty cheap. You can't replace the one inside your laptop

I thought you could but yeh as clashfan said probably best to get one if your looking at a cheap option, if you have enough USB ports as I know you said you had a keyboard and mouse connected to it :huh:

 

[Clashfan]

Hm my bad looks like you probably can replace the internal one. Seems to be under the keyboard in satellites.

 

[Laptop65]

Hm my bad looks like you probably can replace the internal one. Seems to be under the keyboard in satellites.

Most of them are. Although not everyone can / wants to open up their laptop if they don't know what they're doing, particularly if they're new.

I think you can get a wireless card to slot in the side? At least with my laptops you can.

 

So I can replace the card in my laptop? If so, how and how much will it cost?

Also, I'm not seeing a slot at the side/front/back of my laptop for any card? What does the slot look like?

 

[Laptop65]

Just looked at your model and it seems your one doesn't have it. Seems to be a thing for older laptops. The ones that have a slot for me I've got in 2007. So your laptop doesn't seem to do it.

So your best bet is to change the actual integrated one in the laptop. I've seen them in most of my laptops, you usually just need to take a small panel off.

 

What's the part itself called?

 

[Laptop65]

Oh by the way you do have the latest drivers for your laptop's WI-FI card yes?

What's your laptops EXACT model?

 

I'm sure I have up to date drivers, but last time i tried to update some, it said that Toshiba had edited some of the drivers so Microsoft themselves can not update them for me.

What driver should I be updating?
The exact model is posted above.

 

[n4n0]

Contact the manufacturer, I'm assuming the PC's still under warranty. See if you can get the wifi adapter replaced. If that fails, then get a USB stick.

 

[SASRT8]

You can get a USB wireless adapter pretty cheap. You can't replace the one inside your laptop

like hell you can't. Do research son. On most(about 90 percent, excluding some ultrabooks and a few netbooks) laptops the wireless card is completely replaceable. Sometimes...it's even very easy to access. I've ALWAYS upgraded my wifi cards to 3x3 cards so I can run an extra antenna, thus reducing my latency to levels you'd only see when running wired connections..and to improve my signal strength/distance aswell. This is very handy for smaller airports where wifi isn't found throughout the whole airport. With these...you WILL have wifi in places NOBODY else will be able to pick it up. I travel a lot, so its justifiable for me. but you can also upgrade to 2x2 units and also units with integrated bluetooth aswell from Intel or Killer Networking(broadcom's performance cards) that will FAR outperform any factory one you will get with a notebook by a long shot.

What it sounds like your problem is a loose or damaged antenna wire...which isn't hard to do(yet is still not very common) given how flimsy the wires are. Usually in my experience...when the wifi card goes bad they stop working altogether.

 

[SASRT8]

something to consider...perhaps your old laptop's wifi card uses the same interface (similar to an MSATA port usually)

if that be the case...take it out and swap em. Download the drivers for it beforehand and keep the file somewhere ready to be installed. Swap the cards and then install the drivers. If you still have the same problem, then it's your antennas...which you'll have to order direct from the manufacturer but they're usually very cheap.
A quick search online will almost ALWAYS find you the disassembly/repair manuals for any laptop in the event you have to tear down the laptop to get at the parts. Sometimes there will be a little removable cover on the bottom to access the wifi card. If not, don't be scared....laptops are easy to work on. You just gotta keep track of the screws and be gentle. You'll usually have to lift the keyboard to get to the final screws that allow the bottom cover to come off. just take it slow and easy and you won't damage anything. I've had MANY laptops apart to fix/replace things....and i'm not even a laptop tech; nor certified to work on them. Self-education is amazing!