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Problems with wireless router

Started by Shadow Assassin, January 27, 2008, 06:44:16 AM

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Shadow Assassin

Hello, just wondering if some of the people here can help me with an issue I have been having over the last few weeks.

Now, I'll lay it out like this:

I have a wireless router at the other end of the house. My computer and the laptop are connected to it. Normally, I get "excellent" signal strength, around 90% (not bad for 25m... the distance between router and computer). But recently, my signal strength has been dropping off at the worst times, when it shouldn't (in fact, I've had this router for about 6 months, it's only been having the problems for the last month or so). The laptop, even when within a few metres of the router, has the same problem.

When the signal drops out, it usually connects within a few seconds, but the frequency of the dropouts (despite there being no other sources of interference in the line of transmission... there is a cordless phone between here and the router, but it's an old model, not even digital) is quite alarming, often every few minutes. Now, a restart of the router fixes the problem, but within about two or three hours of it restarting, it starts dropping out again. I have checked all connections, especially the connection between the router itself and the wireless antenna [and it's fine], I have checked the router logs - it claims that there's nothing wrong, even though it should be recording when people connect and disconnect. Nothing fishy on the router, no DDoS, but this problem is getting worse and worse.

Now, keep in mind that these problems have only just started to happen recently. It is really quite odd...

I'm not sure if it's my computer or the router dropping the signal, but since it's happening to the laptop too, could there be a problem that I'm not aware of?

I know that I've got a cordless phone in the line of transmission, but it's never given me any problems previously.

EDIT: It dropped out just as I was making this post, like the last few posts I've made on this forum.
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DFire870

I've actually been having the same problem, but for me it's been happening for a few years now, so I'm used it. Anyways, I remember I did get it fixed once by going into the router settings, but then a few months later when I got my new laptop it reverted back to dropping every now and then. I tried fixing it the same way, but it never worked. What's really annoying is that it usually doesn't drop when I'm in the middle of doing something, but when I boot my computer up it'll say that it can't fine the wireless network.

What brand of router you're using? Just wondering if there's a correlation, since I'm using a Linksys.

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Shadow Assassin

My wireless card is a Linksys, but my router is a Netgear.

Changed the channel to 13 from 5, hope this will work. [I've had the channel on 5 for the last three months, it's never given me any problems...]

I'm getting improved performance, though.
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Shadow Assassin

No change. In fact, it's dropping out every 5 minutes, and browsing performance has degraded to the point where I simply can't do jack-all because the f***ing wireless signal keeps getting dropped.

Anybody out there who can help? I'm out of ideas.
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porter66083

Linksys really tends to not work well with anything but linksys. Had the same issue with my old Linksys card with my 2wire router.

You might try returning the card and switching it to something else, most preferably Netgear.



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sebes

We have the same problem, but like DFire870, until now also only when starting the computer. It's for some reason only happening at the computer that is in the same room as the main modem, and never with computers elsewhere in the house. Restarting of the modem and the PC normally does the trick. Sometimes that does not help either... We found out that if we switch the wire from the receiver next to PC, from the back end of the PC to the USB port in the front, for some strange reason the connection is restored...  ()testing()
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cameron1991

Sebes, Im having the same problem as you. It only happens on my pc in my bedroom. Sometimes I have to restart it more than 5 times to get a connection, but I never have this problem with my PS3 (the ethernet cable is about 1 metre short of reaching it so I have to use wireless...)

doorknob60

Have you tried unplugging and replugging your router? If you already did, your best bet is to replace the router or your wireless card.
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Shadow Assassin

#8
QuoteHave you tried unplugging and replugging your router?

See this:

QuoteNow, a restart of the router fixes the problem, but within about two or three hours of it restarting, it starts dropping out again.

See, my router is one of those models where in order to restart, you actually have to pull the plug and then plug it back in.


Anyway, I changed the wireless channel to 11, and it hasn't dropped out since [even though the signal strength is slightly weaker]. It seems that someone else nearby decided to change to the same channel as me... and, there we go, dropouts galore. My line has been dropping sync every so often, unfortunately. Looks like I'll have to lodge a line fault with my ISP...

Yay for water damage.
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screamingman12

How did you secure this thing? Because if you just have an open connection with the default router password, then someone might have hacked your network. I would also recommend returning the Linksys card, as they don't like to work with non-Linksys equipment (try a Cisco Airionet, Linksys is owned by Cisco, I have been using one of these in a lab setup for about three months with no problems).


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Shadow Assassin

It's secured using PSK2, with AES authentication.

And the key is a randomly generated string of letters and numbers, so it'd be very hard for someone to hack into the network. And my password has been changed from the defaults - I did that myself. I change it every two months.

Hmm... maybe a Linksys router would be a better way to go...
New Horizons Productions
Berethor ♦ beskhu3epnm ♦ blade2k5 ♦ dedgren ♦ dmscopio ♦ Ennedi
emilin ♦ Heblem ♦ jplumbley ♦ moganite ♦ M4346 ♦ papab2000
Shadow Assassin ♦ Tarkus ♦ wouanagaine
See my uploads on the LEX!