Wireless Strength: Windows vs Linux

[lug at the-leveys.us (Don Levey)]

I'm noticing something odd on my wife'a laptop.  I put a DLink wireless card
in it so we can move it around the house; in Windows XP the reported signal
strength (per the OS itself) is always very strong.  However, in Linux
(Fedora 4), the reported strength is mediocre at best.  The antenna is
perhaps as much as 20-30 feet from the laptop, and even moving the thing
into the same root 3' away brings me only to about 50% signal strength when
in Linux.  Is this just a function of the reporting tools I'm using
(wlassistant, KDE panel applet), or is there truly some sort of signal
enhancement going on in Windows?

 -Don