Why does my wireless keep losing signal

[skybluescooby]

No matter where i position my laptop in relation to my wireless router i find that about 30 mins into any session i lose signal, i have to click on the connection icon and repair the connection which causes no end of problems when online.
Any one have any ideas as its starting to annoy me now.

 

[Softus]

What is your OS?

Is your wireless adaptor a PCMCIA card ir built into the laptop?

If PCMCIA, have you installed the software that came with it?

If PCMCIA and Window XP, is Windows managing the software or is it the manufacturer's software?

If Windows XP, is it configured to "connect automatically when in range"?

 

[hermes]

I had this problem for a long time with a Netgear wireless modem router. Two laptops, 1 with a pcmcia card and 1 with internal wireless would keep losing the signal and I never managed to solve the problem until I changed the netgear for a belkin and it works fine now.

 

[Softus]

something

That's certainly an action that can fix a problem, although not necessarily this problem

 

[skybluescooby]

well here we go again, i have just typed my reply, went to post and the connection went down again causing me to lose what i had typed
Right, Im operating on Windows xp on an acer laptop with built in wireless, approx 12 month old.
Router is a Linkys WAG54g and as it cost me £85 i guessed it was pretty good,
Yes its set up to connect when in range, when the router is off the laptop shows me possible wireless connection options, one of them is my friends net door neighbour who lives 200meters away across a field !!!
Since logging on 20 minutes ago i have lost connection twice.
I have made no changes to the router or wireless settings since installation and this has only got worse in the last few weeks.
Previously it was, say once every 5 or 6 hours, now it seems to be 2 to 3 times an hour

 

[Softus]

well here we go again, i have just typed my reply, went to post and the connection went down again causing me to lose what i had typep

If you use the browser back button after the connection drops, you should recover the text that you thought was lost. Then you can copy and paste it into a file for safekeeping.

Right, Im operating on Windows xp on an acer laptop with built in wireless, approx 12 month old.
Router is a Linkys WAG54g and as it cost me £85 i guessed it was pretty good

I've not had any problems with the Acer built-in adaptors. The WAG54g is not bad for a domestic product, but in my experience it needs resetting more often that most, and doesn't give much response on the LAN side when the WAN connection isn't stable.

Yes its set up to connect when in range, when the router is off the laptop shows me possible wireless connection options, one of them is my friends net door neighbour who lives 200meters away across a field !!!

Hm. Are you turning off the router on purpose? If so, why?

Since logging on 20 minutes ago i have lost connection twice.
I have made no changes to the router or wireless settings since installation and this has only got worse in the last few weeks.
Previously it was, say once every 5 or 6 hours, now it seems to be 2 to 3 times an hour

One good thing to try, if you feel that another WLAN might be interfering, is changing the wireless channel being used by the router. The non-overlapping European frequency ranges for 802.11g are 1, 6 and 11. The WAG54g will probably use channel 11, as do most, so try setting it to use channel 1 and seeing how things go for a day or so. You don't have to change anything at the client (laptop) end - it will search and find automatically.

Also, under the Wireless Networks tab in Windows, remove from the Preferred Networks list any WLAN that is not yours.

Another possibility is that the router's radio interface is faulty. If the signal drops off quickly when moving away from the router, then consider contacting LinkSys and going for the replacement under warranty. They will squirm and struggle, but if you keep a steady hand then you'll reel them in.

 

[skybluescooby]

Thanks for the info Softus,
Re the copy and paste, when i hit the back button the text had gone and i appeared at the post forum page, now learnt to copy item if i suspect connection to next page is slow.
I dont turn the router off on purpose but when i want to work offline i obviously have the router turned off.The laptop then picks up other signals, i have tried remo ving these connections but they re-appear next time i log on.
As for changing frequency and contacting Linksys, this is my next step.
Thanks again for the info

 

[Softus]

I dont turn the router off on purpose but when i want to work offline i obviously have the router turned off.

I feel that I need to understand what you're saying here, and I really don't.

For example, what's the difference between turning off the router "on purpose" and "having the router turned off"?

I urge you not to turn off the router. Ever. If you want to work offline, then just set Internet Explorer to "Work Offline" mode.

 

[skybluescooby]

So.........i too am getting a bit confused here.
My router is plugged into a broadband socket and a wall socket. its operated by a on off switch.
My laptop is set up to automatically connect when in range.
If i am not using my laptop my router is switched off with no green lights visible.
On an evening/afternoon when i wish to use the laptop i switch the router on then the laptop. ?
Are you saying i should leave the router on at all times even when the laptop is not in use ?
Like having a car and leaving the engine running when its not in use ?

 

[Softus]

My router is plugged into a broadband socket and a wall socket. its operated by a on off switch.

Yes indeed - it's a WAG54g, so I would expect nothing different.

If i am not using my laptop my router is switched off with no green lights visible.

Do you mean that you switch it off? If so, then why?

On an evening/afternoon when i wish to use the laptop i switch the router on then the laptop. ?

If the router were left on then you wouldn't have to turn it on.

Are you saying i should leave the router on at all times even when the laptop is not in use ?

Indeed I am, yes.

Like having a car and leaving the engine running when its not in use ?

Precisely unlike leaving a car engine running - this isn't a very good analogy. If you really want a car analogy, then leaving the router on is more akin to leaving your car battery connected when you're not using the car.

 

[skybluescooby]

ok.
Maybe im being a bit green here and a bit security concious but would my connection be open to any virus/hackers if i left it on all the time.
I tend to switch it off after i have finished with my laptop so basically when the laptops on so is the router and when its off so is the router.
Maybe my anology was lacking in the thought process but how about when you have finished watchin tv you turn it off and dont leave it in stand by as it drains power ?

 

[Softus]

...would my connection be open to any virus/hackers if i left it on all the time.

To be pedantic, it would be no more open than if you switched it on for just one minute, it's just that it would be open for a longer period.

I tend to switch it off after i have finished with my laptop so basically when the laptops on so is the router and when its off so is the router.
Maybe my anology was lacking in the thought process but how about when you have finished watchin tv you turn it off and dont leave it in stand by as it drains power ?

Well many people do! Are you more concerned with security or power saving? Does your microwave have a digital display? Do you turn it off when not in use? And ditto your cooker?

Cutting to the chase, does it matter that someone could use your ADSL connection when you're not? If you're concerned about security when your computer is connected, then you need to configure the security features of the wireless interface on the WAG54g.

Many people are disparouging of WEP 64, claiming that it's easy to crack. However, it's more compatible with more adaptors than the common alternatives. My advice, with the WAG54g, is to configure the MAC address filter so that only your laptop can connect wirelessly. Also, turn off the SSID broadcast. Also, change the router password to something difficult to guess.