The IR receiver integrated circuits used are normal receivers you might expect to find in a DVD or set top box. They work best at the sort of distances you would use a remote control, typically between about 2 and 5 metres. Consequently, to get the best results when learning, the remote should be positioned between 2 and 5 metres from the IRAnywhere receiver module.
If you are sitting next to the module try bouncing the remote signal off the ceiling. i.e. point the remote control upwards.

The timings for remote controls are quite lax and 2 remote controls controlling the same device will often vary in the figures produced.
These figures can be as much as 10% out and still work in most cases. If learning a complete remote control it is a good idea to spend a few minutes just getting familiar with the IR code produced. Turn on code logging, start learning - press a couple of buttons for about 3 seconds each - stop the learning Look at the log file with notepad or similar text viewer. It is easy to see the general format of the code produced and to spot any short or malformed codes.
For some IR codes the code length will be the same regardless of which button is pressed while for others the length will change from one button to another (UK SKY is an example of this).