Wireless connection keeps dropping

Hi Vince: I downloaded and installed NetStumbler, it is indicating channel 6 on both client machines, but I don't see where it is reporting connection speeds. Guess I'd better do the read me.

So, I fire up computer 3 this morning, and it connects full blast at 22 Mbs, loads pages in a flash, accesses the other two computers and shared files with lightning speed. I had downloaded the NetStumbler on the host machine, just copied at the client and installed it. What a pleasure that was. I don't have a clue as to why it is working, because nothing has been changed, unless the computer fairy snuck in during the night and waved her magic wand. Now, 6 hours later, no change, working like a charm. Yesterday, I was ready to throw in the towel and toss the computers into the lake.

It will be interesting to see how long this lasts, it is just too good to be permanent. I know this does'nt help you, but I guess the message is there is still hope.

Martin

 

Hey all. I don't want to take this discussion off track too far, but I am experiencing similar problems with my wireless Netgear equipment. I have a wireless desktop (WinXP Prof) and 2 laptops (WinXP Prof and Home). I have a Netgear AP(ME102) and a Netgear AP/Cable Modem/Switch combo (CG814M). I had no problems with just running the ME102 AP, but when I added the CG814M combo the problems began. Disconnects and reboot of the CG814M were necessary to keep the wireless connections up. It happens when I use my laptop with an integrated 802.11g/b adaptor(Broadcom adapter - HP Laptop). It would work okay for aprox 3 minutes then disconnect. I found that the 802.xx authenication was set to "ON" in the wireless adaptors properties. I switched that off and it started working longer. After that I would stay connected for a longer period of about 15-20 minutes and then total shutdown of my wireless connection. I found then I had to totally reboot the CG814M (it is also my cable modem and my wired network still operated even though the wireless didn't) to get the connections back up.

From there I realized it might be that my CG814M might be too close to interferences such as one of my desktops it sits near. I moved it away and elevated it from all electrical interference potentials and that solved my problem for now. I haven't had time to truly test for longer than an hour of uninterupted wireless connections, but so far so good. I do however have another problem now. I can surf the internet with ease on the wireless units, but when I try to access network shares on other networked computers from only my laptops, then access time is horribly slow and frequent lockups occur (not AP lockups, just the computer I'm using. Also my wireless signall strength is excellent). My one wireless desktop doesn't have the problem. FYI - My wireless desktop and my other laptop both use a Netgear MA 401 network card. All of my computers are fresh OS installs so I am comfortably sure it isn't corrupted files causing this scenario. I have the most recent firmware and software updates on all units and have no 2.4 cordless phones. I also am sure to operate my Netgear APs' on channel 1 and 11 so no frequency overlap occurs (on 802.11g/b and b only channel frequency overlap will occur unless you use channel 1, 6, or 11. Try to separate multiple AP's using these channels). I do use the same SSID numbers and same WEP encryption keys so I can move through the house seemlessly with just a simple switching of priority wireless AP's. I also utilize the MAC filtering for added security.

I wanted to share my trials to see if it might assist others here to diagnose potential problems. I am getting ready to try the post that showed the method "COM port adjusting" and see if that fixes my slow share problems. If anyone else has suggestions please post.

I do want to reiterate. Keep your Access Point(s) away from interferences and elevate them.

 

I had a similar problem with a DLink wireless adapter on both XP Home & XP Pro. After a call to DLink, the problem was resolve by removing the DLink software and just let XP handle the connection. dan

 

NetStumbler & SMC PCMCIA LAN card

I too have been having problems with D-LINK products. I use a DI-614+ with a Win2K desktop, a Win XP Pro desktop, and a Win XP Home laptop. The two desktops are using D-LINK DWL-120+ USB LAN access while the laptop uses an SMC 2635W PCMCIA card after I gave up trying to get a DLINK DWL-650+ to work under Windows XP (Don't get me started on DLINK support, or lack thereof). So far, the DWL-120+ devices are working very well, with no dropouts good signal strength and good link quality in spite of having to work through solid concrete walls over a distance of 30' or more at 22 MHz.

The SMC card on the other hand works fine at 11 MHz for awhile with both good link quality (100%) and good signal strength (86%) (in the SMC utility), but then drops out and stays down with no attempt to renegotiate or reconnect. I have to tun the "radio" off & back on again to reestablish a connection. When I try to use NetStumbler, the link quality and signal strength are all over the place, bouncing from zero to max randomly.

I can come to 2 different conclusions here. One is that Netstumbler is taking resources from the card, and perturbating the links somehow which I think is unlikely, or it really is reflecting the tremendous changes in link quality and signal strength, and two is that SMCs utility is doing some kind of long term averaging on their displays so that short term dropouts are averaged out.

At any rate, I have checked everything I can think of, and cannot figure out if there is anything I can do to improve the SMC card. I don't have any cordless phones working at 2.4GHz, so that can't be causing any inteferance, and I have the card output at max, (receiving -80dBm), so I'm at a loss.

Anyone else out there with a solution?

Thanks,

Jabiru

 

I've been out of this due to undiagnosed host computer failure, I'll post to hardware for help. Right now working on daughter's machine on which the wireless connection is working more or less flawlessly. Within 10' of wireless access point, in direct line of sight.

The problems persist with the more distant computer. Connection speed drops to useless levels or disconnects, unpredictably but regularly. No cause or cure. I'm so disgusted I'm ready to give it up.

The question: If I go to a wired connection using a port on the wireless access point and an internal PCI network adapter (not wireless) in the remote machine, what are the chances of solving this problem????