Wireless Trouble

Okay I thought about posting this under the networking area but I don't think it falls under that anyway. I have a laptop here that is running windows vista and when connected to a wired connection the system lags but it doesnt drop my connection.

However when I am on wifi if I am on video chat via msn and I so much as open youtube on any browser the wifi blows up or if I use any internet intensive app such as teamviewer, logmein, wow they all seem to drop my connection. I noticed that when I am on a wired connection the system lags up during the moments I would normally get disconnected from wifi if I wasnt wired.

However I don't see lag playing a huge affect in my connection anyway I also have noticed sometimes the wifi will stop working all together and I am forced to reboot the computer to get a wifi connection again and yes I have attempted to just turn off the wifi for a few moments then turn it back on hoping that it might repair the issue but nope...

I have removed all third party wifi handlers so it is using windows default wifi app to connect to the network I have a netgear router but have had this issue with a linksys router as well I have not been able to find an issue I have even gone as far as going to the speedguide website and used there tool in an attempt to push as much speed out of the adapter in hopes it might be lag timing out the connection or something but STILL it drops no matter what I do!

At this point I am thinking about buying a whole new laptop can someone please help me some how manage a fix for this issue I am having!

I have also been disconnected from MSN Video while running iTunes which doesnt even use net sometimes and to make matters worse I could be doing nothing at all but MSN video and it will still drop the connection. So I have a hard time trusting its only CPU related I also disconnect when I am just using Skype the connection issue is an endless pit of death i tell you... Also I have full bars so I know im not dropping connection from a weak signal... I know for a fact the computer is virus and spyware free I went through and made sure the system was totally clean before even posting here for any sort of help I have scanned it with spybot and malware also norton and hijackthis and no I didnt run them all at the same time ran one then removed it and tried the next one went as far as checking all files on startup and my proc list for anything as well... D:

 

Have you installed Vista Sp2 ?

If it lags/drops on wired, then there is some problem in your laptop only & not with access point.

Try repair/resetting TCP winsock as described in http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/...ndows-vista-tcpip-winsock-catalog-corruption/.

 

Okay I will give it a shot and edit this post after I have done so and it doesnt drop when im on a wired connection it just lags a bit but thats expected when your using the internet and something else takes your speed away I would think anyway... However it has yet to drop once while on a wired connection it only drops when I am on wireless so yeah I am guessing its not totally the laptops fault.

Well I tried that and the wireless is still dropping... Its a Toshiba Satellite L305-S5955 it says the model is Satellite L3005 any other ideas would be a big help.

 

Does it have a wireless/network "manager" installed by the laptop manufacturer? For example, my Lenovo laptop has ThinkVantage Access Connections. I think it is very good at managing my connections, but if it is not configured correctly it seems to conflict with Windows wireless.

 

As far as I know I have removed them all from the computer and reinstalled the drivers and what not so it uses windows default management system.

 

To be honest, I have only configured wireless in Windows XP or at least I can't remember a Vista configuration. All things being equal though, it should be easier to configure wireless in Vista.

Have you connected a LAN cable from the laptop directly into the wireless router/modem?

The wireless router/modem will have a configuration page, that you access by putting the IP address into the your browser's (Internet Explorer) address line. Find the instructions for your wireless router/modem. If you got the wireless system from your ISP, they would have supplied instructions (check their website). You can add the MAC address of the laptop in a list of trusted MAC addresses on the router/modem. It should(?) connect effortlessly.

Did you use a setup disk for the wireless router/modem? If so, you will need to fit into those configuration settings. There will/should be instructions on the disk.

Matt

 

Not to be rude or anything but did you read my post? Anyway I did connect the laptop to the router directly as for the router I have looked through the router settings. Theres no mac protection on the wireless just the WPA as for cloning the MAC address to the laptop I didnt do that because the router already has its own MAC so I didnt see a need to clone it.

I did try it though... I didnt run the router/modem software because I didnt need to the whole setup is plug n play I dont have an issue connecting I have an issue staying connected via wireless but it does connect it just disconnects randomly. We have about four laptops in the house none of which have used the software they all work without trouble but this one drops the connection randomly.

I have the router set to a static IP 192.168.1.25 for port triggering for hosting reasons... However I know all the settings I need to make it work correctly however I have called the tech support to confirm its correct. Any other ideas?

 

Sorry I didn't read more closely.

I think Netgear's main suggestion would be to disable the firewall or check the antivirus
http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1134

 

Also check the power saving setting. Select Full Power or Best Performance or Maximum Performance and then try.

 

I disabled the firewall and it didnt do anything as for the norton it has been disabled so yeah that doesnt seem to be the issue... Restarted the router and modem and I have already set the wireless and wired network controllers to Maximum Performance or w/e it is in fact that was the first thing I checked before I even made my post also changed it to channel 11 both the router and the network card.

I have no idea why its doing this but its driving me crazy and its getting worse... Now I am sitting on MSN video chat with it and then just randomly it freezes then the net goes offline then sometimes it reconnects to the wifi other times I need to reboot the whole thing just to get it to reconenct and its totally random its not even a set time! Like right now it had managed to stay connected without disconnecting for the past two hours now... But right before that it was disconnecting like in between every five and ten min after connecting...

 

Check the power settings for the laptop & not your wireless controller.

 

Power settings are at max performance and I have removed the wifi drivers and installed a fresh downloaded copy of the drivers and because I noticed that the said laptop has like three different wifi drivers I have been uninstall each one and trying each one looking for the best combo.

 

Well I still havent been able to work out the issue I have restarted the router updated the firmware tried another router removed the drivers for the wireless card installed fresh copys tried all the possible drivers that could be for my card I have uninstalled norton all together from the computer disabled the firewall on the computer and the router using DMZ...

Tried a system restore reset the winsock ran a chkdsk in repair mode cleared all cache and temp files checked every program and service in my boot record cleared stuff I dont need moved the computer closer to the wireless router I only have one wall between me and its a normal dry wall not a brick wall... So far the only thing that works and keeps me connected without disconnecting is a wired connection. Anyone else have any ideas?

 

I have had the same problem with my work laptop trying to connect on my home wireless network. It disconnected every few minutes. You made me sit down and try to find the cause.

I checked and changed all sorts of settings and I use a third party manager as you describe them, so that had a lot of settings apart from the Windows wireless ones.

I was unable to rectify it until I logged out of my domain account and logged in as a local administrator. Now it is solid as a rock. That probably won't apply to you, but it might give us some leads.

Have you turned off User Account Control? Try turning it back on.

Have you tried logging into another user account? You can may another one for testing.

Try booting into Safe Mode with Networking and see if it works there. If it does, but returns to the problem state when you log back into your normal account you can perform a "Clean Boot" where you isolate the program, service, etc., that is causing it. It is a little time consuming, but that would identify the problem.
How to troubleshoot a problem by performing a clean boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7

Matt

 

I made a whole new user account and cleared everything from the boot with no luck... Never turned off UAC to begin with. I couldnt get much testing done in safe mode seeing as safe mode limits me a great deal on what I can test. I am starting to think its a hardware issue and its just hitting a overload point?

 

Did you manage to connect in Safe Mode with Networking and was it stable? (You might not be able to do much more than surfing the net.)

Me, I might try reinstalling the original networking manager, in case it didn't uninstall correctly.

I might try turning UAC off and do some testing.

I can't think of much else, you seem to have checked just about everything. The Clean Boot would be my next course of action.

If you finally come to the conclusion it must be hardware, you could get a wireless networking adapter. A PCMCIA (Express) card would be my choice. You would want to disable the wireless controller in the BIOS before installing the new one. I would check the return policy for the card, so that you could return it if it was not the solution.

I will move this to networking in case someone can see some possibilities for you.

Matt

 

Well it is stable enough to stay connected in safe mode or normal so long as you dont do something like a remote access or video/audio of any sort. Normal web browsing seems to stay stable enough to not blow up or anything. I think it might be an overload or something and its just timing out I have no idea whats going on to be honest.

Reinstalling the original network manager? Maybe I just dont understand what you mean but explain that a bit? It only does it on wireless so I am thinking it might be just timing out or something but I dont know for sure.

I might try turning off the UAC but I dont see why it would do much but I guess we might as well try...

I have done a clean boot even went as far as clearing all services too so I knew it was a default boot. An that didnt fix anything it just helped it boot a bit faster I went as far as setting the system into a preformance mode and tried to limit the cpu and memory usage so if it was related to system lag I could rule it out.

However as far as it goes it still keeps doing it the only thing I have yet to do is reinstall the OS as far as I can see I am thinking about reformating it to XP because it seems really unlikely that its the hardware the computer isnt old enough to even be failing its maybe a year old. Though I dont think its still under warrenty and while wired doesnt have this issue wireless just takes a dive.

I am only a room away I have full bars and it will be working fine for a while then it will freeze and sometimes the computer freezes other times the net just drops my wireless disconnects and goes to limit right off the bat then fixes itself sometimes other times I need to reboot. No reason what so ever for it to do it! I mean really the ONLY thing open is MSN and its on video chat and all thats being done is video and voice chat and the computers the only one on the network!

Then just out of no place the net drops on the laptop goes to limit access and disconnects msn and sometimes doesnt restart I dont have the issue with any other laptop or computer on the network I know what I am doing on linksys but I have changed routers and everything so I just dont see why it is doing it.

I have gone through to the factory website and downloaded the wireless drivers for the model computer tried all three drivers they had totally removed them and installed fresh copies of the drivers and NOTHING!

I have the laptop on a static ip now before I had it on a dynamic because I thought what if another computer on the network was using the same static while unlikely I tested it. No mac filters disabled the firewall on the laptop and router I have gone as far as testing it on another modem/router/isp and STILL the issue is happening so I dont know why its doing it I really dont...

I have looked at event logs and everything only thing I havent done like I said is a reformat! It is making me NUTS! Maybe I should try a SFC or something maybe it is a OS issue I dont know I just cant locate it and theres no reason for it! I find it hard to believe its the hardware but at this point I am starting to wonder really..

 

It shouldn't be hardware because you can use it (it is stable) when you are in Safe Mode with Networking.

When you perform the Clean Boot, it should be the same as Safe Mode, but without networking. You will need to enable the basic wireless networking drivers (don't disable Window's services). You need to be able to do net surfing first with complete stability (like in Safe Mode with Networking). THEN you can start trying your other programs.

What program are you using? That program might not be working correctly. It involves webcam (video capture) and audio. Get internet surfing stable, then isolate what program (or drivers) cause the instability.

My provisos...
Maybe malware.
Windows Service Pack. If you are going to reformat, look at rolling back the Service Pack first. If it works, go to the laptop manufacturer's website and install any drivers or maybe software that could possibly be involved before trying to rerun the Service Pack installation.

SFC should take you back to your last Service Pack installation. Fine, but expect to reinstall all intermediate Windows Updates.

Matt