wi fi problems

[ureout]

i have an older Toshiba laptop that runs windows vista....if i hardwire to the router my speeds are about 40 mbps but as soon as i unplug and go wireless speeds drop considerably to about 15 mbps....any ideas on how to fix this...my wife also has a newer version Toshiba that runs windows 7 and her speeds are about 40 mbps both hardwired and wireless

[kansasr]

If you have an older laptop it likely only has 802.11b which has a maximum speed of 11Mbps or so. Or it has 802.111a/g with a max of 54Mbps but is very susceptible to speed drop-off because of distance. Sounds like it has 802.11b.

[champion6]

IF kansasr has correctly diagnosed your problem, the solution is simple. Just buy a USB WiFi adapter. It will run about $10-$30 and should give you speeds comparable to the other laptop. Good luck!