Wireless problem (Long)

[J57ltr]

So for the last few months I have had some problems getting my laptop to connect or even see my wireless network. Sometimes it will see it for a few minutes then I will get disconnected. If I refresh I might be able to see my network but if I refresh again it might disappear then come back. Sometimes it works for days other days like last night it would show connected at 54mbps then I would notice it get slower to load a page and it would drop to 36 then 24 then 5.5.

It all started several months ago when my wireless B router started to go out. Even with my tower plugged in I would lose connection and I would have to cycle power to get it working again. I was talking to a neighbor who is an IT guy and he gave me a BNIB Netgear wireless G router. I installed it and had no problems, it was directly connected. I was able to connect the laptop wirelessly and everything was all good.

I left to go out of town for several days and used the laptop with no issues while out of town. When I get back I was not able to connect. I thought that I had changed a setting or something. Went through everything on the laptop and the settings on the router with no luck. My neighbor came over and tried it with no luck. At this point I had a wireless USB and connected it to the main computer installed the driver and disconnected the cable from the router. I was able to connect it so I figured it might be a range problem. I brought the laptop upstairs and still could not connect (nor did it see the network). My neighbor gave me another BNIB Netgear router same model and version. I tried it and no dice, so then he brought me a D-link wireless router. This time he came over and got it going and we had some problems still getting to connect.

This time I went through the same process to see what the problem was and I connected the wireless USB (disconnected the cable) to the tower this time I was still unable to connect. I installed the driver onto the laptop and disabled the internal wireless card setup the USB wireless and was unable to connect. I took the laptop to work and was easily able to connect. I went out of town and have stayed at more than 7 hotels (3 in 1 week) and have never had a problem. About 3 weeks ago I removed the modem and router from upstairs on the computer desk to downstairs to downstairs where I use the laptop. It worked fine for about a week and I just decided I would just connect the tower to the USB wireless and deal with it. Here the last few days it started doing it again except this time the tower drops out as well. Sometimes if I lay the laptop on the coffee table it will start to pick up a stronger signal. I feel like its some sort of interference but I think I have tried everything. Here is a list of other things I have tried:

Moved router and modem
Tried laptop other places
Disconnected the 5.8 cordless phone
Tried 3 different routers
Had no problems in this house for over 2 years


Sorry so long but I figured the more info the better.

Jeff

[J57ltr]

Anybody?

Is your equipment hooked up to a quality surge protector/battery backup? It doesn't take much of a surge or sag in power to damage delicate electronics and make them behave in strange ways as you are describing. The fact that you also have been swapping in and out a USB wireless device may have messed up Windows networking settings *not hard to do* in your tower.

Who is also your ISP and what modem/equipment did they provide for you? Is your wireless also encrypted and locked out? You may also be a victim of someone leeching your bandwith and possibly may have taken control of the first router if you did not change the default login credentials. The fact that the laptop works on various wireless signals beyond the house indicates that the problem lies somewhere there and the fustrating part is to determine what is the variable that has changed to cause this odd wireless behavior. Have you also tried hooking up your computers via standard ethernet on the routers? What if someone else brings their laptop and attempts to connect wirelessly? What happens if you take the "bad" routers and hook them up and your laptop via your neighboors internet?

In problems like this or with any IT issue for that matter, its best to start process of elimination.

[What's_nitro?]

Is the tower hard-wired? Have you tried plugging it directly into the modem? Even then it's strange that the laptop would "see" the network sometimes, then not.

[J57ltr]

Freeze:

I did have it connected (upstairs) to the APC backup with built in surge suppressor, but have since brought the router and modem down stairs where it seems to be Ok for the last few days.

The USB wireless device works on the tower and doesn't seem to be a problem. I had it connected directly to the router up until I moved them downstairs. When connected directly to the router via a cable I have not had a problem with the tower or laptop. It is entirely possible that I have not set something correctly but what I don't know.

My ISP is SBC the router I am using now is a D-link with a built in 4 port switch. The Modem is a Speedstream have to get the models for both. They provided the Modem. It is WEP encrypted. I did change the password and the username on the router. I have not tried other peoples computers at my house but I did try an old laptop with the spotty results as well.

Nitro:

I had the tower hard wired and never had a problem. I also have never been able to connect to the internet when going straight to the modem. I have to have a router or it will not work. It did the same thing when I tried to connect to Xbox live on the 360 meaning I had to have the 360 connected through the router in order for it to work. It's really strange it's like there is some sort of interference going on it just seems to knock the wireless signal (direct con. works) out completely. When I move the router around just a few feet it seems to help, other times I have to reset power. It’s been working like a champ since Monday I couldn’t get it to display less that 54mbps.

Jeff

WEP useless for protecting wireless, switch to WPA2.

What antivirus/spyware firewall software are you running on your laptop if any? That stuff can really cause havoc with internet connections. What versions of windows are we running here? Have you updated the windows with current service packs and patches? Are you using Windows built in wireless connection or the software that came with the wireless cards? I"ve had machine that just refused to to run on windows wireless setup and only worked with their software and vice versa.

I would really like to know if someone OUTSIDE of the house can connect with their laptop with or without issues.

[J57ltr]

Ill see if I can switch it but I think there were 3 options and 1 of them was unprotected.

I use AVG for antivirus and Malewarebytes anti maleware for the laptop and Mcafee and Maleware bytes for the tower.

Both use XP service pack 2. I use the Linksys for the tower and the built in card on the Dell laptop and the dell software manages the laptop. I have connected right outside the house in the garage and in the driveway but haven't seen how far it goes. I did have my nieghbor 1 house down from me that said he can see my wireless but not good enough to make a connection (1 bar).

[suicideneil]

From what I understand about wireless, G has the poorest range, N is currently the best, so perhaps thats worth investigating..

[J57ltr]

I can understand that, but this worked for several months without a single issue and before that I had wireless B and that was for 2 years. I am only about 12-15 feet away from the router and before it was directly above me on our desk and I always had an excellent connection. One other thing I didn't mention is that on the laptop sometimes it showed that the connection had all the bars but the speed was 5.5. I have also used the site monitor and all of a sudden it would completely drop out with any of the routers I have used. I have been thinking of getting an N but every time I mentioned it my friend said “Here try this one”.

Originally Posted by suicideneil

From what I understand about wireless, G has the poorest range, N is currently the best, so perhaps thats worth investigating..

This has nothing to do with the specced wireless network

[eovnu87435ds]

EDIT: try this with the built in card on the laptop, and disabling the dell software.

whats the make and model of the laptop? What Operating system? and what is the brand of the USB wireless card?

I assume you are using whatever program came with the wireless card to connect to the network. With my experience, that's where all my problems have been. The shitty software that comes with the wireless adapter. Ironically, one of the things that windows XP is rather good at is connecting to wireless networks(ironically, because it works, period). I forget where the exact setting is, but if you open up

Start > Control Panel > (switch to classic view if you haven't) Network Connections.

Look for your wireless network adaptor. If you have problems identiying which one is which, it is not one named 1934, it usually wont have the words gigabit or LAN, and oftentimes it has 802.11 in the name.

Anyways, right click it, and click properties. Somewhere in one of the tabs closer to the right, there should be a setting 3/4 of the way down the page saying "Use Wireless Zero for Configuration" or something similar to that. Check that box, and close the program that you currently use for connecting. You should see a new wireless icon down in the taskbar. right click it, then click connect to network



If any of tht gives you an error along the way, open up
Start > control Panel > Administrative tools > Services.

scroll down to Wieless zero configuration, right click it, set it to automatic, and then click the start button. click OK to close that window. then try the above steps again

[eovnu87435ds]

Originally Posted by Freezebyte

WEP useless for protecting wireless, switch to WPA2.

They are only useless if there is someone you know is very clever at computers, and feels your internet is superior than others. WEP is easily crackable and can be done with no prior information about the network in under 4 minutes with an average computer. WPA can be cracked just as fast if your password is something that you could find in a dictionary. It takes considerably longer to hack if it is a non-dictionary word. In the real world, any password will stop your average internet leechers from getting some free internet access, but it will always be able to be broken into if someone with the knowhow really really wanted to(example: to steal secret plans, or credit card info)

[J57ltr]

The laptop is a Dell Inspiron 2200 with a Dell wireless 1370 WLAN mini PCI. It is running XP SP2 as stated previously.

It's not a laptop problem or a problem with the wireless on either device (the laptop or the tower). Now that they are both connected wirelessly if I am losing the signal for 1 I lose the signal for both. It has to be some kind of interference. I still have yet to have a problem since Monday this week. This week no matter what I do I can't shake the signal. I can walk out to the end of the driveway or anywhere in the house or backyard and I still have 5 bars and it's connected at 54 mbps. What's weird is that this problem seems to happen from time to time then goes away for some time.

It seems I tried all 4 routers during this time of affected signal. The next time I have this problem I will get my buddy to bring his laptop and try to connect. With me having trouble with my tower an old laptop and my newer laptop I think I can rule out settings in the computers.

Jeff

[J57ltr]

Well it's doing it again, but this time after messing with the router moving it here and there a few feet it starts working again. What could cause interference with the wireless router?

Jeff

Originally Posted by J57ltr

Well it's doing it again, but this time after messing with the router moving it here and there a few feet it starts working again. What could cause interference with the wireless router?

Jeff

Anything and everything. Everything from the radio waves bouncing around in your neighborhood to the type of wood in your walls and everything in between can effect RF wireless signals