problem with wireless router detection

hello there,

i bought a brand new sony vaio laptop. i have got a dlink router in my home. there are 4 more laptops and one desktop in my home. the problem with my laptop is, some times it doesn't even show my router on its list.at times, it shows neighbour's router which has a very feeble signal, but doesn't show mine which normally shows a very good strength. i don't know why? i even click on refreshing the list to identify my router. but it doesn't show the router at all. at that time, the remaining laptops in my home are working well and the desktop is also working well. i feel there is some problem with my laptop. if i turn off the router and turn it on again, then my laptop identifies the router. it doesn't show any error message but i guess it should be ip conflict. cause when i turn the router off and on, the router would allocate new ip numbers i guess. i think thats why it works after switching off the router and switching it on again. i am not sure and i seek your solution to this problem. but amazingly, some times it gets connected to the router automatically.

cheers

 

Wireless router woes

First thing to change is the channel
The default out of the box channel is channel 6
85 % of wireless routers sold generally are linksys and dlink
( someone can correct if numbers are off now)
If there is another signal on the same channel you may not even see if with the windows wireless utility , you will have a strong signal but no internet connectivity- sound familiar ?
Worse it can be sporadic as the routers are often set with dsl setups to come alive only on activity
Go into the router control panel
at the browser address bar type 192.168.0.1
user admin
password admin
are defaults
change the channel
any other channel of the 12 are fine
Channels 1 and 11 are the two other non overlapping distinct channels
Channels 1 and 11 are first picks
note: the other router wireless signal may have its broadcast beacon turned off ( which is more and more the default out of the box factory setting)
so you may not even see it

next : change the ssid ( network name)
if it is a dlink and even if you have encryption turned on the poor wireless card will be confused between the two same ssids
change the ssid - even to add a digiit
best not to use any identifying info - name , address etc

next - make sure the router is high and uncluttered
I had one real idiot who kept demanding that the wireless worked in the basement , on the second floor of the house but not on the first floor
The dlink router was in the basement of the house
In a furnace room - read metal furnace shielding signal , metal ducts ,sink,
pipes , full metal filing cabinets and in basement
The fellow kirk was receiving internet on the second floor courtesy of his neighbour's open linksys router
On top of that the dlink wireless router was on the floor in the basement furnace room directly under a heavy metal office desk
He was a very security orientated former biker
Wonder why they kicked him out ?

Two programs of merit

Network stumbler
diagnostic software more sensitive to find the rogue signal and will tell you the channel

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


a very useful wireless network management utility program that speaks in plain english

www.networkmagic.com

network magic
the free version is fine
the premium version easily shares files and printers

if you want to set up a network to easily share files / music across your network or if you want to set up remote access easier try hamachi

https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/vpn.asp?lang=en

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamachi

One other thing - if you still have problems best to reset the router and setup from scratch
You may have changed some setting accidentally
If you have cable broadband its easy
If you have dsl make sure that you have the isp log on info or call the isp up
Otherwise you may have no internet at all

A very good resource:


http://portforward.com/

 

thanks mate

hello mate,

thanks for the information. its very useful. thanks a lot.

cheers

 

go into the router control panel
type 192.168.0.1
usually the user is admin
pw admin
( it will be in the manual)
The default for the router may well be " beacon off "
It will be in the wireless controls area
While you are at change the channel - anything else but the default 6 ( most likely your neighbours). Channels 1 and 11 are first picks
Make sure that your router is high and unclutterd - like not in the basement, not in a furnace room and not under a metal desk on the floor
A very useful program is network magic
www.networkmagic.com
also later on when you are more familar you can change the network name ( ssid) from the dlink default of "default" to anything else- even if you add a digit

a usefull site : http://portforward.com/

 

thanks mate

hello Mr.visionof

thanks for the information.

cheers