Odd Connection? Problem

First, let me tell you exactly what I'm working with. I have a Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop running Windows XP Home. I use a Westell Model 327W router to connect for wireless.
Alright, this morning everything was working great. I went out and when I came back my internet would connect and everything but everything acts as if it weren't connected. It has connected to my router with excellent signal strength, but I get the "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage" and AIM also says that it can't connect. Nothing related to the internet works. So far I've tried repairing the connection, but when that happens it says that it couldn't repair because it "Could not connect to wireless network ", but soon after that message comes up it connects. I've also tried restarting the router and going into command prompt and running "netsh firewall reset" thinking it may be a firewall blocking it. Does anyone have any ideas as to what my problem is?

 

That would make a lot of sense. If you want to test that your problems are at your ISP's system there is a fairly reliable test: tracert. Try the following at a command prompt:

Code:

tracert 72.21.206.5

This should trace a route to Amazon.com. If this gets to the router beyond yours and then fails, there is a problem on your ISP's network or another part of the internet.

If the route trace does not get to your router, then you have a problem on your computer or in your network.

If the route trace gets to your router but no further then you have a problem with the router's connection to your ISP or the router itself.

However, also consider that this could be a name resolution problem - either on your system or at your ISP's DNS servers. So try an nslookup to check that the problem isn't related to name resolution:

Code:

nslookup www.amazon.com

 

Change the Channel on the Router

First thing to do is to change the channel on the router.
Standard is channel 6 in the middle.
There are 12 or 13 channels.
The next 2 best bets are channels 1 and 11 and either end.
But if may be a matter of trial and error.
Your neighbours routers may change their channels over time so it may not be a one shot deal.
A more sensitive scanning utlity than the inadequete windows xp wireless utility is netstumbler ( beggerware)

download at : http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads/

Remember you may not even be able to spot your neighbour's signal from his router even if his beacon is turned on - and that is enough to disrupt your internet as you say.

The signal strenth is fine but the connection is bouncing between the two ips from the 2 routers - hence no solid internet connection.

Change the channel.
p.s if you want to cause trouble you can set up your router same channel and ssid as the other router and see if they correct the problem and solve yours.