The Mystery of the Disappearing Wireless

J

John G.

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 28, 2005
Messages
163
Hey guys-- I've been having a problem with my wireless network connection and thought maybe someone here could help. Here's the deal:

I have a Netgear wireless G router sitting downstairs in my house. There are three things wired to this router: the cable modem, one computer, and a second wireless router upstairs of the same make/model. This second router has, to my best efforts, been neutered into being a hub-- it doesn't broadcast a wireless SSID, the DHCP server has been disabled. So, all wireless computers get their IPs from the router downstairs.

My PC is upstairs, and has a wireless G card. Sometimes it sees the wireless network just fine. It's upstairs while the router is downstairs so the signal strength isn't great, usually 2-3 bars. But that's enough. But about 70% of the time, it can't see any wireless network at all. I don't think it's just a matter of signal strength because it works for a few hours before cutting out, doesn't work for many hours, then works again for another few hours. I haven't been able to notice any pattern with the work/no work cycle though, and can't think of any household events that might be following (and causing) that pattern.

Funny thing is, I can bust out my laptop at any time, and sitting at my PC (which isn't seeing any wireless network), connect to the internet with decent signal strength. The laptop never has this issue.

Any thoughts? Thanks so much!
 
if you can sit right next to your computer with your laptop and it will see it and the PC wont I would say you have something going on with the wifi card in your PC, maybe try swapping it out with another one.
 
Also keep track of cordless phones, many of them use the same frequencies of the router and can knock out low signals.
 
Well I did as everyone in the thread suggested-- but I was still getting weird connection problems. Then I did notice a patten: the connection was stable when the window in my room was closed, but would drop frequently when the window was open.

?!

What do you guys make of this? I've never encountered something like this before.

For now I'm just keeping my window closed. :)
 
Wireless stuff at the moment is wanky at best. 2-3 bars is NOT ENOUGH for anything. In order to use it reliably you NEED a 'good' 4 bar connection, preferrably a perfect 5 bar connection. Infact with my shitty d-link router I actually need 5 bar excellent else I get problems.


You'd do well to spend an afternoon playing about with your router's and pc card's antennas to work out the best position for best signal. You might even try adding some tinfoil around your pc's antenna to boost things further (actually works, I have tinfoil in a semi cone config around my own wifi card's antenna and it's the difference between 100% 5 bars or 4-5 bars intermittent).

wireless_tinfoil.jpg
 
As an onsite technician I spend about 5-10 hours per week troubleshooting peoples problems with wireless both in homes and in businesses. Here's my suggestions
1. Update the driver for your wireless card
2. Update the firmware for the router
3. Wireless signal is always better if you are beneath the router instead of above it. Put the router as high up in your house as possible maybe even in the attic. Wireless signal tends to travel in a cone shape with the apex at the source down to the earth. The higher up you put the router, the better the signal will cover your whole house.
4. Think about buying a better router. The 60-80 dollar routers from Linksys and Netgear are usually hokey and not that good. The more expensive Netgear router works better (the one that is a blue metal box, not gray plastic). I have also had better luck with Zyxel, but they are more like $150 or more.

In my experience laptops usually get better signal because the built in wireless is actually pretty good and they have Intel Centrino Moblile technology (bunch of marketing crap which boils down to "better wireless").

Ribs
 
I just replaced a NETGEAR WGR614 in an office because it would spontaneously reboot. This would temporarily kill any wireless connections. I replaced it with a cheap DLINK and all of the random disconnects are gone.
 
It also depends on the channel you have the wireless card set by:

Microwaves and Cellphones use channel 11
I say this on personal experience, I once had it set by defaults and my mom's cell phone went off and I lost connection with my wireless connection. The same held true with the microwave, my father was cooking something in the microwave and I lost wireless connection.

Neither of these had to do with me having to get new firmware for my wireless router or wireless card. Or did I have to update my drivers on both, it was the default of channel 11 screwing up my network.

I perfer to set mine at channel 6, it justs help weeding out the appliances in your house that uses the different channel. I'm currently at a Belkin 802.11G wireless router and have a netgear 802.11G wireless card 108mbps set at 54mbps. The router has lasted me 2 years with no loss of wireless capabilities, sure it cost $89.00 at the time I bought it.

Sometimes the expensive router sometimes isn't the greatest either.

I seem to don't see where you do hotkey on a Linksys wireless router, I never had to do such a thing with mine when I had it nor do I have to do it with my Belkin router.
 
I'd focus on that second Nutgear router you have upstairs...the one you said was neutered into a hub. If you're only using it as a hub....disable the wireless entirely on it, you said SSID was disabled...but that still means it would be running wireless, over a channel. Probably the same default channel 6 as the unit downstairs. If they're both Netgear routers...the wireless would most likely have the same default SSID..which you don't want if they're not connected. I always prefer to use my own unique SSIDs...not the default one. If a neighbor has the same brand wireless router...could be the default SSID...and that makes for confused wireless clients.

Try different channels...they usually come default at 6..but try 1 and 11...some environments are different.

If it has any "turbo" or "108" modes..and you're not using matching same brand cards that support that proprietary mode...disable that mode. Your non-matching brands will perform much better.
 
Scorpionjwp said:
It also depends on the channel you have the wireless card set by:

Microwaves and Cellphones use channel 11
I say this on personal experience, I once had it set by defaults and my mom's cell phone went off and I lost connection with my wireless connection. The same held true with the microwave, my father was cooking something in the microwave and I lost wireless connection.
Click to expand...
Microwaves, sure.

Cell phones? WTF? I'm not aware of any cell phone in the world that uses the same frequencies as 802.11 spec.
------original link borked-----

http://www.mobilecloak.com/shield/frequency.html

http://www.rfcafe.com/references/electrical/wireless_comm_specs.htm
 
Malk-a-mite said:
Microwaves, sure.

Cell phones? WTF? I'm not aware of any cell phone in the world that uses the same frequencies as 802.11 spec.
http://www.rfcafe.com/references/el...reless_freq.htm
http://www.mobilecloak.com/shield/frequency.html
Click to expand...

He must mean cordless phones, BUT even on that account he's wrong. Most cordless phones can be changed, and have 10+ chanels on them. At home, I have two different cordless phones, one interupts my wifi, the other doesn't....

QJ

P.S. Most Cellphones run on 800-900Mhz range now.... 1900Mhz cellphones are starting to phase out, at least here in rural NB they are.
 
So how do you change the frequency of a cordless phone?

Ok I have 2 cordless phones not being used in the room I'm in, so lets see. I have a Uniden 900mhz Spread Sprectrum phone, and Nowhere does it have a setting to change it.

Oh the cell phone I'm using don't even have a setting to change the frequency.

Well if you saw my network and used the microwave at the same time while I'm on the net, it will be choppy and have disturbance even with wireless.

Headsets and other gadgets using the Bluetooth standard, newer cordless phones and microwave-powered, energy-saving light bulbs share the 2.4 to 2.483.5 gigahertz frequency range used by Wi-Fi. Household microwave ovens use radio waves in that range to heat leftovers.
 
Most cordless phones have a button labeled merely 'channel' each time you press it it changes channels.

QJ
 
Scorpionjwp said:
Headsets and other gadgets using the Bluetooth standard, newer cordless phones and microwave-powered, energy-saving light bulbs share the 2.4 to 2.483.5 gigahertz frequency range used by Wi-Fi. Household microwave ovens use radio waves in that range to heat leftovers.
Click to expand...

I was with you until the light bulbs. Any documention you could direct me to, since I haven't been able to find anything that verifies your statement (might just be poor choice of search terms on my part).
 
Scorpionjwp said:
Have you even read through the other link I provided, No light bulbs there.
Click to expand...

Yes I did, which is why I asked were there other places that mentioned the light bulbs, since that was new to me. I understand the idea of wireless interference (the contextual search terms in the pdf), I was just wondering if there was more documentation on light bulbs putting out electrical interference on the same frequencies as the 802.11 specs.
 
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