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Networking & wireless: Home wireless network connection getting intermittent connections, help!
- 9/4/09 2:43 PM
EASY ACCESS TO INTERNET ANYWHERE IN YOUR WORKPLACE/HOUSE
by dev jhugaroo - 9/5/09 3:44 AM In reply to: New Hardware Device? by mkhedmondyes i agree .for me the DLan Duo by DEVOLO DOES THE JOB VERY WELL ..YOU ARE PROVIDED BY 2 ADAPTERS ..1 PLUGS INTO MAINS NR YOUR PC ...CONNECTED WITH ETHERNET CABLE TO YOR LIVEBOX ..ROUTER
THE OTHER 1 PLUGS WHEREVER YOU LIKE PROVIDED IT SHARES THE SAME ELECTRIC CIRCUIT AS THE ROUTER/AND YOUR ADAPTER NO 1 YOU R DONE
DEV
Some power companies are contemplating...
by JCitizen - 9/5/09 10:04 PM In reply to: EASY ACCESS TO INTERNET ANYWHERE IN YOUR WORKPLACE/HOUSE by dev jhugaroodoing this over power lines. The only thing stopping them is market saturation. The cost of putting in all the router/switches, service centers, is holding them up, I imagine.
In markets where their is no service, this is a no-brainer.
viable alternatives
by LionsMike - 9/6/09 1:18 PM In reply to: Well said... by obersturmfuhrerI have tweo to offer you.
1. Have your ISP or the Geek Squad send a tech in set up your network for you. First be sure that they know that you have a network set up already but have connectivity problems. There me a service charge or you may be able to negotiate a free service to stop you from changing your ISP. Many problems are caused by simple stupid little details that a knowledgabe tech can work around.
2. There a few posts here about Internet over your 117 volt house wiring. try that alternative.
Home Wireless Problems
by RonPal - 8/28/09 8:53 PM In reply to: Home wireless network connection getting intermittent connections, help! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Well Cory, there are a lot of variables here that would take forever to go through, but I'll try to shoot off a checklist as a start, and let others add on. The 1st thing I have to ask is "Has ANYTHING changed just before the problem started?".
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT ANYTHING YOU CAN THING OF THAT CORRESPONDS WITH THE PROBLEM START DATE MAY BE HELPFUL. YOU CAN LOOK AT YOUR EVENT LOGS ALSO, IF THEY HAVEN'T BEEN OVERWRITTEN FROM THAT DATE.
1. Did you pull down any MS updates for your USB adapter? They should help, but may not be configured right. Right click on the wireless adapter and look at the properties/driver and see if the date corresponds. (If it is real old, when you're done troubleshooting, you'll probably want to pull the current version)
2. Did you update your router firmware? (This is another update you'll want to do after everything is working well)
3. Have you changed your computer at all or moved the adapter to a different USB slot? Did you add a VPN for your company, or install software that may affect it? Think along those lines.
4. Does it happen at a certain time or during an event? For instance, I don't think you mentioned what level of 802.11 your are running which will correspond with the frequency. Judging by the age, you are probably running 802.11b and/or g which runs at 2.4Mhz. Frequency use is government controlled, but that frequency is known as the "dirty" frequency, because it wasn't really locked down. Because of this, a small list of SOME of the products that may interfere are 2.4mhz cordless phones, microwave ovens, baby monitors, etc. Have you bought any of these, or does the problem occur maybe while someone is using the microwave? Believe me, this happens a lot.
5. Did a neighbor put up a wireless network on the same channel as yours, or that is competing with your router? There are tons of utilities out there (your adapter vendor probably has them as well). You could possibly just change the channel and and make your access point the preferred one and tell your card not to use any other. (I'm a little rusty in XP, but I think you can do that).
6. Are there any electronic devices or power supplies close to your router or card?
7. Is your router and network secure and locked down? Maybe someone is hacking into your router, or riding your connection to the Internet and taking up bandwidth. Depending on the router and card, try to run at WPA2-AES (WEP is virtually useless, and WPA with TKIP was just been hacked in under a minute), but if WPA2 isn't there take WPA. Make sure you changed the default admin passwords on the router on both the Internet side and the Wireless side. Implement MAC filtering so only the adapters with the proper MAC addresses can get on (this is an excellent way of securing, and it should be documented).
8. Listen to the other posts that come out because I'm sure you'll get a lot more good info. I tried to cover the easier pieces 1st. But if you can't figure it out, you may want to download the latest drivers for your card and router and just reset and reconfigure everything from scratch with the tips you learn from this forum.
9. Lastly, 2 years is not bad for a USB adapter (or even router in some cases), and the older ones are dirt cheap. Just a thought, and if you do get to that point, but an adapter that is the same brand as the router (so you MIGHT be able to get tech support without finger pointing).
Good luck Cory and sorry for such a long post.
Ron Pall CISSP,CISM,CISA,CGEIT
Sorry, but!
by msgale - 9/4/09 8:12 PM In reply to: Home Wireless Problems by RonPalWireless is not flawed. Consider, there is more than 200 million cell phones in the country, and but a handful of frequencies, yet the system works, Why is that? Each wireless must be as is manufactured to exacting standards, or interoperability would be a dream not a fact. Think about all the "hotspots" in McDonald's, Starbucks, they work, don't they? Many colleges and universities are going wireless, how would that be possible if they were flawed.
Some Technically Accurate but Misleading Information
by Flatworm - 9/5/09 6:10 AM In reply to: Home Wireless Problems by RonPalRonPal wrote: "Depending on the router and card, try to run at WPA2-AES (WEP is virtually useless, and WPA with TKIP was just been hacked in under a minute), but if WPA2 isn't there take WPA."
This is unduly alarmist. WEP is not "virtually useless." Yes, it CAN be hacked, but unless there's some reason to suspect that someone would have some incentive to take the trouble to do so and is one of the relatively few people with the ability to do so, then it will work to keep the neighbors from leeching off your connection.
WPA/TKIP has, only within the past couple of weeks, been hacked by some top-level mathematicians/cryptologists and a proof of concept has been demonstrated, but the hacking of a real-world system protected by WPA/TKIP has never yet been experienced "in the wild," so to speak.
There is a mindset going around that home wireless networks need military-level protection. This is patently absurd. Somebody has to want to get onto your network pretty badly to hack even WEP, and this is so unlikely that you can more safely disregard it as a possibility than you can cross the street in front of your home.
I agree...
by JCitizen - 9/5/09 10:10 PM In reply to: Some Technically Accurate but Misleading Information by Flatwormand if there aren't a lot of SSIDs in the neighborhood, then reducing encryption strength is the first thing a lot of manuals suggest.
Besides, If you have nothing of worth to hide, who cares? People put their dirty laundry all over Facebook and no one seems to care, who would really benefit, unless you do online shopping and could lose your credit card info?
Even then a good blended defense could thwart any snooping.
How can I change 802.1 setting for my Lenovo T500 laptop?
by yinghuaz - 10/16/09 8:32 PM In reply to: Home Wireless Problems by RonPalRon,
How can I change 802.1 setting for my Lenovo T500 laptop with OS = XP? uses " THINK VANTAGE".
I have U verse. 3 gig ram.
I have same problem with internal wifi.
Robert
CHANGING WIFI A,B,G.N.
by GEO2003 - 10/17/09 2:27 PM In reply to: How can I change 802.1 setting for my Lenovo T500 laptop? by yinghuaz@YING,
Usually most manufacturers have a Wireless Manager program that runs at start up when windlows loads and that is the unitlity that controls how yor wifi card connects to th router. In most cases, the card autosenses how the router is configured, meaning what signal the router is sending out a,b,g,n and your card addapts to the appropiate specification but since it may be able to handle at leas a,b,g it could drop to any of those at any time. To fix the wireless card to a specific signal type, you have to find the wifi manager on your folders of install programs or on the taskbar where there should be a quick access icon to make changes and then set the utility to received only g, or n. signals which gives you better speeds.
If you are not using a manufacturer design wifi utility, the only other choice is to see if your wifi drivers support making changes via the Control Panel.
Open Control Panel Select System, Device Manager (bit rustu on XP on this) click on Device manager look up your NETWORK ADAPTER, double click it to open the properties.
Under the Advance Tab - There should be a list of all the times your driver supports and possible one also to select a,b.g.n.
upon making changes and clicking ok, the wifi wil disconnect from the network and will reconnect with the new settings.
This also may apply to you.
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50402
GEO
Wireless dropping connection
by Rohn12345 - 8/28/09 9:20 PM In reply to: Home wireless network connection getting intermittent connections, help! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi:
There is a wide range of reasons this can happen. Your wireless card may be failing but not dead yet, your driver may need to be refreshed, your Winsock may have issues and you might have some interference with the wireless frequency. So do uninstall the wireless driver and get an update if available. Try another usb device and if it too drops the signal you probably need an os re-install.
Ron
You wireless router may need to be repaired or replaced!
by lcarliner - 8/28/09 9:39 PM In reply to: Home wireless network connection getting intermittent connections, help! by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Back in April, a friend of mine suddenly experienced loss of wireless connectivity with his laptop computer. The router worked fine with wired devices. Upon recommendation from a support tech at a local Staples store, a replacement was purchased that was identical to the questionable device. The replacement was installed and the laptop had connectivity again. As a further proof, his wife's new HP quad core Pavilion machine, which has wireless capability as well as wired network usability, was used to verify the condition of the router. When the wired plug was pulled, the wireless feature took over. When the replacement router was swapped out and the original used, wireless connectivity did not work. Before going this route, you may wish to note if any new cordless phones or other wireless device was purchased and put into service at the same time problems appeared with wireless connectivity. Some of these devices share the 2 gig frequencies used by the wireless router. If so, then take these devices out of service temporarily to see if the problem stops. If so, then take note of which devices gave rise to the problems, and ask the tech support person at your local Staples if there are particular wireless routers that would work in the presence of the other wireless devices.
One comment on above post
by RonPal - 8/28/09 9:57 PM In reply to: You wireless router may need to be repaired or replaced! by lcarlinerNot that I disagree that this could be a bad router, but before you go out and buy a new router (if you get to that point), perform a factory reset on the existing router and reconfigure it like it is new. Check the vendor site and make sure you are also running the latest firmware on the router. Again, the router could be bad, but it may just be that it needs a full reset. I'm sorry, but in the last several months, I've had several USB cards go bad on me. If they are connected directly into the slot over 2 years, I'm sure it's been "bumped" a few times. If it has a wire leading to it, try repositioning that.
Defective Router was Confirmed
by lcarliner - 9/4/09 8:59 PM In reply to: One comment on above post by RonPalThe problem first showed up when my friend's laptop computer in the kitchen lost connectivity. When the router was replaced, connectivity was restored. My friend's wife computer had not yet been purchased. When the old router was placed back in service, connectivity was lost. At the same time, wireless connectivity to the wife's computer was also lost. Clearly in this case the problem was not with the wireless adapters in either computer. BTW, the wife's computer is an HP Pavilion a6120n that has built-in wireless transceiver that was used in the testing.
I do not think it is your router the facts point against it.
by azazelel - 9/4/09 9:05 PM In reply to: You wireless router may need to be repaired or replaced! by lcarlinerThe fact that your laptop connects with internet access to your router proves the router works fine. This leaves the issue at the desktop. If you have another wireless adapter on hand try it first. In my experience removal and reinstallation of the current adapter may solve most connectivity problems as long as the adapter still works. Then the troubleshooting gets deeper from there. Reconfiguring the computer internet IP settings. Resetting the router to help with connectivity issues pertaining to desktop, etc. If you contact customer support from your wireless adapter manufacturer they may be able to walk you through reconfiguring your desktop. I own all linksys items and they will sit for hours if necessary to get all your items to work on the network. Whatever you decide start at the desktop as that is the trouble spot.
network connection
by dave_2001 - 9/6/09 6:51 AM In reply to: I do not think it is your router the facts point against it. by azazelelI have experienced the same problem that you have described in the post. My wireless adapter was not usb but pci, it has worked great for a few years then it started to loose connections all the time while downloading ect. then just pick back up again at a slow connection. I have placed laptops next to the computer in question and the laptop had full signal and fast connection. the problem turned out to be the wireless adapter. I would recommend that after installing updated drivers for your adapter and it does not fix the problem then you will need to replace the adapter.
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