I'm having a very similar problem -- worked fine for a while, then
started having problems.  Problems include stuttering, jerky display,
very slow response to the remote control, and occasionally the music
stops completely and the display goes black.  

In my case I am located in a dense urban area and I can see 3-7 WiFi
networks from different parts of my house.  I have changed my network
to channel 1, which is well away from any of them, but the problem
persists. 

The problem is intermittent.  The player may work fine for hours and
hours, then suddenly buffer fullness goes to zero and the Squeezebox
starts stuttering and jerking.  This persists for minutes or hours and
then stops as suddenly and thoroughly as it began.

The problem is not weak signal strength -- the Squeezebox is only about
6 feet from my wireless router (with one wood-framed wall in between)
and reports 98% signal strength.  The problem is definitely
WiFi-related and not a server problem, because when it is occurring I
can eliminate it completely by connecting the player via an Ethernet
cable (this isn't a viable long-term solution because of the players'
locations).  

After trying a wide variety of diagnostics and alternatives I believe I
am seeing non-WiFi interference from a phone or microwave oven belonging
to a neighbor.  Because it doesn't use the WiFi protocol this
interference is invisible to iStumbler.  I have been able to replicate
the symptoms by firing up my own microwave oven.

I have considered buying a '_Wi-Spy_' (http://www.metageek.net/) signal
analyzer to confirm this diagnosis, but I'm reluctant to spend $100 on a
piece of hardware I'm unlikely to use more than once and which won't
necessarily solve the problem.  (If it's a microwave oven or
frequency-hopping phone there's no channel that will be free of the
interference.)

What I want to do next is to try a better wireless router.  My current
router is a cheap piece of garbage from Actiontec (I got it from my
ISP), which has very limited configuration options and a permanently
attached antenna.  I would like to try something from a reputable
manufacturer, and if that doesn't work I might add a
'_RadioLabs_range_extender_'
(http://www.radiolabs.com/products/wireless/wireless-range-extender.php)
which is a an amplified antenna.  That would increase the signal
strength, which I'm hoping would bull through the interference.

Can anyone recommend a wireless router/AP that is better than most at
overcoming interference from phones and microwaves?  '_RadioLabs_'
(http://www.radiolabs.com/products/wireless/networking/high-power-access-point.php)
and '_Buffalo_'
(http://www.buffalotech.com/products/wireless/wireless-g-mimo-performance/wireless-g-mimo-performance-broadband-router-and-access-point-with-high-gain-antenna/)
both make "high-power" routers, but I don't know if more power will
really help.


-- 
dlevine
------------------------------------------------------------------------
dlevine's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3432
View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=31330

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