Puzzling problem

[RoyKeane]

I've tried searching on this forum for a solution before posting this, but I do apologize if this is solved elsewhere.

I have a laptop from which I connect to the internet via a wireless modem. My internet is cable, which is connected to a PC in my house, and also to a wireless router (Netgear, 54 mbps).

This setup has worked, without fail, for months.

Yesterday, the connection from my laptop has started to falter. Every ten minutes or so, I am alerted that my connection speed has dropped from 54 Mbps to 1, signal strength from Excellent to low.

Here are the clues:

1) The computer directly attached to the internet has no such problems, so it seems the modem is working fine.

2) I assumed that my router was dying, so I got a new one. The problem persists.

3) When the problem happens, and I choose "repair connection" on my laptop, it always fixes the problem...for ten minutes or so.

4) I checked and rechecked all of the connections between the modem, the PC and the router. I even changed cables. No difference.

I can't figure it out. If it was a new setup, and it just wasn't working right, that would be one thing. But to have something work without fail...then stop working, is quite another.

Any help you can give me would be GREATLY APPRECIATED - thanks very much, in advance for your help.

[M/Q]

Your situation could be caused by several problems. First and foremost, have you tried a different channel? Download the program called NetStumbler and see if there are any other wireless signals in your immediate vicinity. Second, are your devices up to date? Does the client application have the latest drivers? Have you added any electronic devices lately, that maybe causing interference?

There is a sticky at the beginning of this section called Confronting WZC, please read it. You do not need to perform the steps, it is just a good explanation as to why you maybe having this problem. Interference from other wireless sources is one of the major contributors to this type of problem.

Since the link comes back up for a period of time, it makes one suspicious that there is another relatively strong source of 802.11 wireless nearby and your computer is trying to associate with that instead of your router.

[RoyKeane]

M/Q - thanks very much for the reply. I read the article on WZC - I tried to test out if this was the issue, and it appears not to be the case. I stopped WZC Configuration, and the same thing happened - perfect performance for 10-15 minutes (signal speed of 54 mbps, Excellent Signal Strength), followed by a drop of signal speed down to 1 mbps, signal strength down to low) - obviously, since I stopped WZC, there was no effort by my computer to search for a better signal, so this can't be the cause of the problem.

As much as it sounds like the problem is in this area, it looks like it isn't. I've also checked all the drivers - everything seems to be fully updated.

No new hardware or software has been installed since things stopped working.

Any other ideas? One that came to mind is that there might be something wrong with my wireless modem in the laptop...how could I test that?

Your situation could be caused by several problems. First and foremost, have you tried a different channel? Download the program called NetStumbler and see if there are any other wireless signals in your immediate vicinity. Second, are your devices up to date? Does the client application have the latest drivers? Have you added any electronic devices lately, that maybe causing interference?

There is a sticky at the beginning of this section called Confronting WZC, please read it. You do not need to perform the steps, it is just a good explanation as to why you maybe having this problem. Interference from other wireless sources is one of the major contributors to this type of problem.

Since the link comes back up for a period of time, it makes one suspicious that there is another relatively strong source of 802.11 wireless nearby and your computer is trying to associate with that instead of your router.

[M/Q]

Stopping WZC is only half of the possible problem. Your client application maybe trying to do the same thing. There is the other area as well and that is just straight interference. Remember the science experiment where you throw two rocks into a pond and watch the ripples cancel each other out.

You did not mention if you had tried other channels or looked for other wireless sources in your vicinity.

[RoyKeane]

Sorry, M/Q...forgot to mention that.

I know there are other signals in the area - they show up under "View Available Wireless Networks."

I did download NetStumbler and, strangely, it shows no other wireless signals (even though I know they're there).

I would like to try other channels, but I'd need you to walk me through how to do it...if you're willing to help a noob like me.

Thanks, again, for your responses. I appreciate the effort.

[M/Q]

Hey, no noobs here. Just inquisitive minds right.

Those other networks may not show up in NetStumbler if they are not broadcasting their SSD. What channels are those other networks on? What channel are you using? What is the model of the router you have? Have you ever gotten into the router’s configuration web page? Have you changed the default setting on the router at all?

Let us know that stuff and then we can work our way through changing the channel. Please remember to publish all of the channels and signal strengths of the wireless sources that you are seeing.

[RoyKeane]

Unfortunately, I think you're going to have to tell me how to answer some of these questions - how do I tell what the channels of the other networks are on?

My router is a Netgear 54 Mbps Wireless Router (model WGR614 v6). I have viewed the router's configuration Web page, but I have not changed any of the settings.

Hey, no noobs here. Just inquisitive minds right.

Those other networks may not show up in NetStumbler if they are not broadcasting their SSD. What channels are those other networks on? What channel are you using? What is the model of the router you have? Have you ever gotten into the router’s configuration web page? Have you changed the default setting on the router at all?

Let us know that stuff and then we can work our way through changing the channel. Please remember to publish all of the channels and signal strengths of the wireless sources that you are seeing.

[Vance G]

Sorry, M/Q...forgot to mention that.

I know there are other signals in the area - they show up under "View Available Wireless Networks."

I did download NetStumbler and, strangely, it shows no other wireless signals (even though I know they're there).

I would like to try other channels, but I'd need you to walk me through how to do it...if you're willing to help a noob like me.

Thanks, again, for your responses. I appreciate the effort.

For NetStumbler to see the other wireless stuff, it needs to have the SSID set to ANY on your wireless card. It should complain when you start it up if this is not the case, and offer to allow it to set it for you. The msg. it pops up sounds a little scary, but if you answer NO, the SSID will NOT be set, and you won't see anything.

[RoyKeane]

I got no such message, Vance

[M/Q]

Well, lets try changing the channel to see if that helps. Do you have the Ref Manual? If not get it from this link.

http://kbserver.netgear.com/pdf/wgr614v6_ref_man_20Apr05.pdf

Go to page 3-3 to see how to log into the device. Next to page 3-9 to see where to change the channel.

Try and determine what channels the other networks are using, that shouldshow up in the network properties of each found network. Then take the strongest one and move as far away from it that you can.

[RoyKeane]

M/Q - how does one go about determining what channels the other networks are on?

[RoyKeane]

M/Q - I followed the instructions on page 3-3...however, something different happens on my end than what is described on page 3-9.

According to the manual, I'm supposed to see one of the three displays shown on page 3-9 on the manual. Each of these three possible displays shows the channel, and a dropdown menu designed to change that channel.

I do not get this screen. I get one that simply says:

"Wireless Router Settings

[check box, which is checked] Enable wireless router radio
[check box, which is checked] Enable SSID broadcast

Wireless Card access list [button, which says "Setup Access List"]

[two buttons at the bottom, which say "Apply" and "Cancel"]

There is no channel selection anywhere

[M/Q]

If the networks show up in the client application there should be some advanced properties that you look at to determine what channel they are using. If they do not show up, then just try a different channel to see if it helps.

[RoyKeane]

Okay...I figured out where to change the channel. I changed it from 11 to 09 and applied the change.

I went back to my laptop, refreshed the network list and reconnected...now I wait and see if it works.

Is that all there is to it?

[M/Q]

Pretty much, being on the same channel as other wireless networks can cause many problems and erratic behavior.

[RoyKeane]

well, I've tried two channels (9 and 2, if that matters), and neither had results any better than the original channel

[M/Q]

That is why one needs to know what channels are being used in your vicinity. To rule this out as a possible cause, you have to be on a clean channel.

It may not be the problem, but with wireless one has limited options as to what to use for troubleshooting. It maybe the wireless device in the notebook, but we need to eliminate as many possible explanations as we can, before starting to replace things. Do you have a hotspot near you? Like a coffee shop or something similar? If you go there, try to connect and see if you have the same issues. If you do then that makes the notebook suspect.

[RoyKeane]

Hotspot...that's a really good idea. I'll try it out and let you know.

Thanks again for all of your efforts, M/Q. I appreciate it.

[interl0per]

you will need to make sure your wireless device is selected in netstumbler. choose the NDIS option if it's listed with the device. toggle the 'autoconfigure' button if it's not allready. then exit the program and restart it. this will save the options and start a new scan list. (no need to do it subsequently just first time you run it)

it will show you local AP's and SSID and channels for each.

best to use non-overlapping channels 1, 6 or 11 that are unused in your area.

the channel selection is on the router(AP) config screen. the client can be set to scan all channels or stick to just one. but to change your wlan channel, do it on the router.

[RoyKeane]

interl0per and M/Q -

I finally figured out what I was doing wrong with Netstumbler. Here's what I got in my area:

five on channel 6
one on channel 11

Here's the weird thing - my router is listed twice: once as channel 11 (the original channel) and one on channel 2 (the one I changed it to)

Does any of this tell you what I should try next?

[M/Q]

Sure does, good information. That may mean that someone has their NetGear device using the default settings, same as you. That is why I asked you to change the default settings on your router. Or your client adapter has not had time to refresh, just delete the one that you know is wrong and see if it comes back.

Good on the NetStumbler setup. Move your network to channel one as that is the only clean and non-interfering channel, if I understand correctly. Change the SSID to something cryptic, but leave broadcasting enabled.

[RoyKeane]

I'm such a dope - I see the Netgear on Channel 11 and I think it's still mine. It never occured to me that it could be someone else's Netgear router.

duh.

[M/Q]

Don't be so hard on yourself. This stuff is obviously new/different to you. I just have made all of these mistakes over the years and am old enough to admit it and not be concerned.

It is really important to change these default settings as you can see now.

[quasirandom]

'm such a dope - I see the Netgear on Channel 11 and I think it's still mine. It never occured to me that it could be someone else's Netgear router.



Sometime, when I explore the surroundings networks, I can tell my equipo from theirs, by looking at the MAC address;

[FlaWireless]

Sounds to me like other interference, such as a NEW phone in the area? Blue tooth cell phone or a 2.4GHz home phone.............leaky microwave?