Computer Help on the internet (laptop wireless acting screwy)

[MicroBob]

I'll probably try a local 'come to your home' computer-repair place....but I was curious if anyone knew of any good computer help via the internet (or phone) sites.


My problem: My wireless doesn't work sometimes at the coffee-place I go to (I don't have wireless at home).
It says signal is good (or excellent) but no connection is detected when I try to go to a site.
This problem comes and goes. I've been battling it for a few months.
Everything had been good for a few weeks, but recently it's been very touch and go.

Tonight, for example, everything was fine and dandy with my connection, then the internet-connection stalled for a few seconds and I couldn't get back on at all even though it said my connection was good.

I've tried messing with various settings and rebooting and wasn't able to re-establish it. A couple times I've been able to get on after an hour or two but I was uncertain what exactly I did to accomplish this.


On the microsoft-help forums it appeared that I'm not the only one who has this problem with wireless but the advice given didn't seem to work for the others.


Anyone with similar experiences?
I really like sitting on the deck outside with my iced-latte while multi-tabling but I guess that won't be an option for a few days.

[Cubswin]

MB

I live in a apartment complex and a problem that i have is that there are at least 5 other routers that i pick up at different times. My connection will switch between the different routers causing a temp fail of signal... i think i found the fix to this though. Im not a tech expert but i think this is why i sometimes have connetion issues. This couldnt be the case for you...could it be?

On another note... its funny that 50% of the time i get a better signal from my neighbors router then mine. He doesnt seem to mind sharing his signal with me cause it is unsecured /images/graemlins/wink.gif I almost want to go next door and see if he a DSL line because it will be a nice backup for my cable internet /images/graemlins/smile.gif

cubs

[Blarg]

How about trying to see if it's the service you're using? For instance, at Starbucks where I think you go, T-Mobile charges by the hour for a few bucks and you get 24 hours for I think $9.99. There are other services that you can just buy by the hour from, from what I understand.

How about dropping a handful of bucks with another service to see if you have that problem with them, either in an overlapping area to where you have your problems now, or in a different area? It could be cheap peace of mind at least that you're doing all you can to really eliminate the incorrect suppositions.

[itsmarty]

I had this problem in my new house, after never having a moment's trouble in my old one. One thing that helped was using wireless connection finding software, in particular Boingo's (http://www.boingo.com/download.html).

It seemed like the device just needed a "nudge" in the right direction.

Martin

[Rhone]

Microbob, try http://www.protonic.com

They've been great for me in the past on a number of different computer problems, and they're free.

Rhone.

[MicroBob]

I'm not using any service. It's just a regular old coffee-place with free wireless. turn on the computer and i'm on the internet and surfing around of IE and playing on various sites...usually problem-free.

Everybody else's computer works just fine and dandy (I ask someone else if their computer is having connection problems when mind goes on the fritz).


I also don't access wireless anywhere else and am not picking up any other signals.


It's very weird....it worked great for me for a few months when I first got it then I started having these weird problems.
Tonight it worked for 30-60 minutes or so then I spent 1-2 hours trying to figure out what the freaking problem was (changing settings, rebooting etc etc).


When I had this problem a couple months ago I took it to the shop and the guy told me it was a hardware problem inside.
I bought a new wireless card (because I didn't feel like sending it back to dell) and that worked fine for a little while.

I have spent countless hours trying to fix it every time it has given me problems and I'm getting pretty sick of it.

Now it's just a big freaking headache and all I want is normal wireless access.

I might look into the computer-service thing the last post suggested.

I found the phone # of a 'we come to you' computer fix-it guy so I'll probably give them a call and beg them to help me with my idiotic tech-issue.

I'm not entirely sober now and I'm back at home on my dial-up so all is well!!
Thanks for the ideas.


Kind of funny....I'm oftentimes the first guy to blast someone when they post about some 'I killed my cat and injured my kidney' tilt-episode.
I just don't have those kind of emotional problems when I lose on a bad-beat.

But everytime this computer has given me fits I'm about ready to injure the nearest innocent bystander after about 30 minutes.

[Zinzan]

Bob, if you're dependent on internet cafes for your Poker play, you might wanna see if they'll let you connect via hard-cable. Most will--they'll either have an open port, or you just unplug one of their machines and use that ethernet cable. I've been able to do this at internet cafes and public libraries when away from home. I use wireless alot, but whenever I'm in an important tournament/game, I try to connect via physical cable--you never know when the wireless connection may face interference problems, etc.

Just a thought,

-Z

P.S. You might need to bring your own ethernet cable. Can't hurt.

[MicroBob]

That's an interesting idea. I didn't know people did that.

Their wireless 'hub' (I think you would call it that) is all the way in the back in a closet i think so it really wouldn't work there without stringing a lot of cable all over the place.

I don't really rely on it anyway....I like to play at the coffee place 2-3 times a week.
I like getting out some. But I have the 2nd monitor at home so I'm definitely more productive when I stick to my little home-office setup.

thanks for the idea though. may use it in the future at a different place if the opportunity arises.