Wireless Network Problems...

MilitantB0B · 2004-02-10, 02:51 PM

I could not convince my parents to let me run a wire so I am stuck working with my crappy wireless network.

My house is set up with a wireless network to network out the houses cable internet computer to all of the computers of the house. The problem is with the recent eddition of my computer. My computer is on the third floor and the transmitter is on the first floor. My computer will have no problem getting on the internet at first, but after a few minutes it will stop receiving information and only send. It still says I have a good connection but I cannot access the router or use the internet. If I turn the router off, then back on, it will work for a couple more minutes but stop again/ Any body have any idea what this could be?

Thanks in advance.

Rbstr · 2004-02-10, 04:01 PM

you could get a signal booster, or bigger anteane(sp)

MilitantB0B · 2004-02-10, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by Rbstr

you could get a signal booster, or bigger anteane(sp)

Do you really think the problem is with the signal strength? It says the signal is good. Besides, it seems to me that if the signal was too weak that it wouldn't work in the beginning and then stop.

I am going to try and move it downstairs and see if some proximity helps.

MilitantB0B · 2004-02-10, 06:22 PM

Ok, I moved my computer less then a foot from the source (the router) and it worked... for a while. Then I had the same problem as before. My computer said the signal was good (as it should be) and kept trying to send data to the router, but the rourter would not respond. When I tried to access the router, it didn't respond. When I tried to ping the router, it didn't respond. if I turn the router off then back on it works again, for a couple of mintues, and then it stops working again. I am the only computer to be expeirencing this.

Please someone help me!

Rbstr · 2004-02-10, 06:43 PM

Well you my have a faulty router or card, but i'm assuming you have other PC's that work with the network so that points to a card, try using a different card in the PC(in the normal place it is, your room or whatever) and see if that works

MilitantB0B · 2004-02-10, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by Rbstr

Well you my have a faulty router or card, but i'm assuming you have other PC's that work with the network so that points to a card, try using a different card in the PC(in the normal place it is, your room or whatever) and see if that works

I have tried several different cards and USB devices and they all have the same problem.

Rbstr · 2004-02-10, 08:41 PM

on your computer only correct? If so i am totaly stumped, whos is teh network guy around here?

MilitantB0B · 2004-02-11, 02:01 AM

Originally Posted by Rbstr

on your computer only correct? If so i am totaly stumped, whos is teh network guy around here?

I swaped out the router one more time and disabled a power saving feature. I am on right now on my new comnputer, but I don't know if it will last. If it does, thank you Jesus.

Octavian · 2004-02-11, 03:46 AM

Originally Posted by Rbstr

on your computer only correct? If so i am totaly stumped, whos is teh network guy around here?

Uh you could ask my dad. He's not a gamer but he seems pretty good with networking. Thinks all the Doom games make him feel sick.

Krinsath · 2004-02-12, 09:20 AM

2 Suggestions:

1) Are there any cordless phones in your house? If there are, find out what frequency they work at. A 2.4GHz cordless phone works on the same frequency as the wireless base station and will interrupt the signal whenever it is being used. Since you say it's still shows as connected though, I'm less inclined to think that's the problem. Just verify real quick that there is no such source of interference. Other household appliances may produce radio interference in that range as well...try and make sure there's no appliance (refridgerator, microwave, etc) that's cutting in at the same time as the problem appears.

2) If there continues to be issues and your parent's problem is that they don't want to run wire, you may want to look into PowerLine devices. In essence, they use the electrical wiring of your house to transmit data instead of having to run CAT5 wire everywhere. It doesn't mess anything up, but it would allow you the more reliable physical connection. The speed is only 10Mbps or so, but wireless is only 11Mbps at best anyway, so it's not like there's a performance falloff. Only drawback is the $$$.

My ideas anyway

Squick · 2004-02-14, 09:06 PM

What brand of card? If it is a Linksys you should have a Linksys status utility that will tell you things like interference noise... Anything more then 50 dbi is too much, and that is most likely your problem.

2.4Ghz phones are the most likely cause.

You can try switching the channel that your router is using to one of the extremes (1 or 11) and try that... Sometimes phones and such will stay away from the extreme ends.

Squick

SecondRaven · 2004-02-14, 11:39 PM

Maybe you got to much EM in the room...do you have a TV,heater,dryer,washing machine....ect?

Biohazzard56 · 2004-02-15, 07:23 PM

Ask Marsman, he knows all about Wireless Networking. He helped me with mine

Phaelon · 2004-02-19, 10:30 AM

Update the firmware on the base station.

If this router works fine on other computer in the house, the Affect domain can reasonably be narrowed to the fact that there are specific settings relevant to your computer on either the router or your computer. Now Since you have used multiple cards and usb devices with your computer, and the problem persists, the affect domain can be narrowed to your computer directly. Here is what to look for and try.

1).Make sure your OS has been fully patched.
2).Make sure your Motherboard Bios is up to date.
3).Check the IP Address you get through DHCP and verify it is a usable IP.
4).Verify there is no Spyware or viruses on your computer that could inhibit the transfer of data.
Technical Options:
1).Reformat the computer, and try a Base OS install, then Wireless NIC drivers and see how it works.
2).Mess around with the Channel, and bandwidth settings on your computer.
3).Make sure no powersaving settings are enabled, as in make sure NOTHING on your computer turns off after a short while.
4).Begin the process of MASSIVE rollback dealin with Drivers. Try multiple driver sets for the Motherboard, Graphics, Sound and WirelessNIC on a fresh install of the OS to verify that these drivers do not inhibit the traffic being sent from you.
5).Check the link status to verify the settings that they adhere with the router, fullduplex and so on.
6).Download a program called "etherpeek" and begin to Packet sniff. Look for things that would suggest a problem on the link. Massive ARP packets would indicate that the router does not know who you are or cannot remember who you are. Massive syn and ack packets would suggest that packets are being lost and both sides are compensating by saturating the link.

On a Cisco switch, if your computer is set to Auto-negotiate the speed and duplex, and the switch is set to do 100 Mbps, within 5 minutes of being on the port, you will saturate the port and the port will de-activate itself to save switch processor power. Make sure the router and yourself can talk accuratly.

Best thing to do right now.
If you have tried multiple different routers, different brand names and models, and different cards as well, and these routers work fine with other computers, it is a problem specific to your computers configuration.