I dont have much experience with 'perfectly' working wireless, but here's a new problem I've seen. I put another desktop onto my network with a Netgear card (~2-3 yr old) and occasionally it loses connection with my Linksys WRT54G router (running WPA2, and MAC filtering). Sometimes after dropping the wireless the desktop doesnt see the SSID of my router, but will see the SSID of neighboring networks a house away (???). All the while my laptop's wireless isnt dropping while this is happening. The laptop also drops once in a while (uses an Intel internal card), and might need a reboot at times to get things straightened out as well (both while it was XP and now w/Vista 32). So you see, my network isnt what you would call 'stable', lol. Is operation like this normal, or do I have some crummy gear? I've been thinking of maybe a new DIR-655, and maybe a fresh wireless NIC for the newly added desktop, but do you guys think this might actually fix something?
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Think a new router might help w/ my wireless drops?
- Thread starter AndyM
- Start date
There has to be a reason for the constant drops. If it were me, I would try downloading the firmware and installing over. Also, reset the router to factory defaults then reconfigure (you should be able to tftp your config out)
Also, try uninstalling the NIC drivers (after you have downloaded another copy), then reinstalling them.
Lots of things can cause drops, CRC errors, and broadcast storms. Typically though, it's firmware, cabeling (if wired), or virus/spyware problems, or interference on the same channel or frequency (wireless). Unless you have spilled something on your router, they usually don't just start dropping packets without a reason.
Also, try uninstalling the NIC drivers (after you have downloaded another copy), then reinstalling them.
Lots of things can cause drops, CRC errors, and broadcast storms. Typically though, it's firmware, cabeling (if wired), or virus/spyware problems, or interference on the same channel or frequency (wireless). Unless you have spilled something on your router, they usually don't just start dropping packets without a reason.
I have actually had better luck with older drivers on netgear wireless cards, for some reason the older drivers work for me and the newer ones just cause problems. Also I have another laptop with built in intel wireless. It does the exact same thing yours does, it will drop out like once a week and you have to restart to fix it. I'm going to say that it is the wireless cards fault and not the router. I have a wrt54g and its been perfectly stable. I have had 3 netgear routers that just blow, and the newer drivers for the netgear card I have do not work well, and intel drivers are better but they are still iffy. The netgear card and intel wireless work perfect under linux (well almost sometimes the cards wont show up after I bring the laptop out of sleep) so to me its all the drivers.
Are you using windows to manage the wireless connections?
At work we have had major connection issues and found the built in windows wireless connection tool to be the problem.
We switched to 3rd party (Intel/etc) wireless connection tools to help significantly...
Though this is in environments with 30-40 devices roaming through multiple APs
At work we have had major connection issues and found the built in windows wireless connection tool to be the problem.
We switched to 3rd party (Intel/etc) wireless connection tools to help significantly...
Though this is in environments with 30-40 devices roaming through multiple APs
Kinda interesting discovery...I actually read the Netgear website for the version of wireless NIC this added desktop is using...they only talk about WPA, not WPA2 on it. My wireless is WPA2. Funny how it worked anyway, although sometimes it would go nuts with the dropouts/not seeing the network at all while seeing others.
Anyway, I reloaded the 'latest' couple-year-old driver for that NIC for good luck, downgraded the encryption to WPA, loaded up DD WRT onto the router (wow, it does all that now?
), turned up the TX power on the router to 40mW for good measure, and all seems well so far for the few hours the computers were operated all at the same time, which seemed to cause more issues in the past.
Anyway, I reloaded the 'latest' couple-year-old driver for that NIC for good luck, downgraded the encryption to WPA, loaded up DD WRT onto the router (wow, it does all that now?
), turned up the TX power on the router to 40mW for good measure, and all seems well so far for the few hours the computers were operated all at the same time, which seemed to cause more issues in the past.