Wireless Internet Problem

[Pat Southern]

I just moved into a new apartment and got wireless internet. It works for both my roommates computers, but for mine it will work for 10 seconds, go out for 5 seconds and come back on again. I can go to websites and stuff, but it is a problem with AOL and poker. My signal strength sometimes says low and sometimes says good, but the problem happens no matter what the strength. Is it probably just my wireless card and should I get a new one or is it something else? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

It could just be distances/antenna direction.

If you are right up near the Wireless Access Point, do you still experience network interruptions? If so your network cards drivers could need reinstalling.

Also there could be some software on your PC that is causing the problem. If you reboot into Safe Mode (With Networking) and it's still doing it, the network card is probably busted.

You can buy a little Wireless USB dongle at CompUSA for like 29.99.

[StevieG]

In addition to Liberalis's suggestions, you may also want to check your own wireless settings. Since you live in an apartment, it may be that someone else nearby has a wireless network that is giving you trouble.

Make sure your wireless router is not using defaults Make sure your internal wireless is not accidentally picking up other networks

I assume this is a Windows machine. If so, from the Start Menu, go to Control Panel, and open Network Connections. Right click on your wireless and choose properties. Go to the Wireless Networks tab, and click the "Advanced" button on the bottom. In the new popup window there is a checkbox for "Automatically connect to non-preferred networks." If this is checked, your wireless is in promiscuous mode and will latch on to whatever signal is around and strong. It may be that this is what is happening to you and why you lose contact with your own access point. Disable this.

On the wireless access point itself, make sure that you are using a distinct SSID (not the default one that came with the device, like "linksys" or "wireless"). You may also want to change the channel from 6 to 3 or 9.

Try this and what Liberalis suggested and let us know.

[Pat Southern]

Thanks for the help guys. My setting was on the promiscuous mode, but changing it didn't fix the problem. I'm going to try it in safe mode and see if that will work. Also, my network is on the default setting, how do I go about changing it? As for distance, I'm about equidistant away from it relative to one of my roommates who still gets the signal. I think its probably just my wireless card sucks and try buying another one.

[StevieG]

Changing the channel for your access point depends on the manufacturer. What make and model do you have?

And of course, it may be that your card is giving you grief. Do you have trouble with it anywhere else?

Changing your wireless configuration from default would mostly be done for security and not for connectivity problems, and it would be done inside the router/wireless access point.

Whoever owns the wireless unit would log into it by typing it's local IP address into Internet Explorer and they would be given a graphical user interface for changing settings. You would want to do the following:

- Turn on WEP and create a passkey (wireless encryption)
- Turn off broadcast of your wireless SSID (so others can't see your network and log onto it)
- Enable MAC address filtering, and add the MAC addresses of each computer on your network to the allow list. (so only these computers are allowed access.)

You can get your machine's MAC address by opening a DOS window (start > run > "cmd") and typing ipconfig /all
There may be more than one adapter, one of them will say 'wireless' or '802.11'. These numbers are the mac address:

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-90-4B-2D-D9-1D

You don't need to include the dashes.

The first time you make these 3 security changes it will take about an hour and a half. You should first start with a machine that does not have problems accessing the wireless network. Then as you make these changes one at a time you can test the client out and verify that you are functional before applying the next level of security.

If you have questions about this process, they detail each and every step on the website/help documentation of the wireless manufacturer. If it's a linksys, go to linksys.com and they'll have tutorials for turning on WEP, etc...

[Pat Southern]

OK, I'm starting to really get frustrated, first I tried putting my computer right next to the wireless router, didn't work, next I disabled the wireless connection and made it connected to the wireless router with one of those weird phone cord things, that didn't work. The same problem happens whether I'm using wireless or not, the internet will stay on for 10 seconds, go out for 10 seconds... So I assume its not my wireless card but something wrong with my computer. I dont know how to run my computer in safe mode so I have no clue what do to do. This is really starting to piss me off.

[Chief911]

Pat,

Upgrade the firmware on both your WAP and your network cards on your computer. Then make sure your SSID is not the default (I think someone else mentioned this, but it merits rementioning).

If that doesnt work, and you are going to waste countless hours that would otherwise be spent doing something $$ making and productive, call a computer guy and have him come help.

NIck

[Pat Southern]

Thanks for the help guys, I finally got it to work, there was some program called 2wire that I disabled and that finally got it to work, I dont know why that was messing it up, but whatever, I'm just happy that I finally got it to work.