Wifi Connection interfering with cordless frequency??

[jahanzed]

My internet connection (through wifi) has been acting weird. It disconnects suddenly and reconnects after a few seconds. I use a Dell Inspiron laptop. I think the laptop’s wifi connection has been interfering with cordless frequency. That’s why it gets disconnected and reconnects itself after a few seconds. I changed the channels from the router settings…but it didn’t work. I was wondering if there is anything else I could do to help prevent this problem. I never had this problem with this laptop before. It is only recently that this has started causing problems. The other laptop, I have at home, works fine and I never encountered any such problem.
Im running windows vista and the dell wireless 1390 WLAN Mini-Card Rev 3.6.
My router is trendnet and i think(not sure) the network is 802.11g.
Thanks.

[Planet]

Its possible that the cordless could be interfering but since the other laptop is not having an issue but is this a new problem with a new laptop or has this laptop worked fine in the past and just started having an issue?

[jahanzed]

This laptop has worked fine on the same network...its just that recently it has started giving me this problem.

[marlehole]

Hello Jahanzed,

I am sure I’ve addressed this issue before in a previous post. This sound like a classic case of you going to many locations with this laptop and making connections there, those locations have been added to your list and it is full. One has been set as your primary automatically; meaning yours at home is no longer the only one there, or the one on top.

“I never had this problem with this laptop before. It is only recently that this has started causing problems. The other laptop, I have at home, works fine and I never encountered any such problem.”

Try editing the list to make sure "yours" show on top; that's the first place I'll look, and should resolve your issue.

Here’s how: From the systems tray <Rt Click> Wireless Icon; <Click> Open Network Connections, <Rt Click> Wireless Connection; <Click> Properties; <Click> Wireless Networks.

Under “Preferred Networks” remove the ones you’re not likely to use again, and move yours to the top. (Save the settings)

It's just not enough to have yours among the list.

[jahanzed]

I think you hit the nail right on the head. I used to live in a place where I used to connect to several connections randomly. But thats not the case anymore. And I did have several connections in my wireless networks list.... I have cleaned up the list and now my wireless connection is much much better. However I didnt get the path you listed in your post. I am running vista. I followed this path and moved my connection on the top. I have only two wireless network profiles on my list now.
right click on the wireless icon in the lower right corner --> networking and sharing center ---> click on 'manage wireless networks' from the upper left corner -->clicked on the network connection im using and then moved it up.

please let me know if thats how I should be doing it. or if there is anything else I need to do.
Thanks

[marlehole]

Hello Jahanzed,

I am delighted for you that seemed to have resolved your issue. Let me say, there are other ways for you to have gotten where you did to have resolved it. Since your O/S is Vista that’s correct and there is nothing else to do, the path I described was Win XP.

A big thank you for reporting those steps resolved the issue. Too often persons come to the forum for help, get it and do not report the outcome, therefore failing to leave a trail of documentation on how the issue was resolved. So that others can learn definitively on steps taken.

Again, glad to be of help and the forum thanks you.;)

[jahanzed]

Thanks for your help. But the issue still persists...However its not as frequent as it used to be. Before it used to disconnect every 5 minutes..now it happens every hour may be. I only have two wireless connection profiles.
Any other advice?


Thanks

[drbeep]

It sounds like one of your neighbors maybe using a 2.4Ghz cordless phone. Since it began to happen lately, they could have just purchased it.
My guess is that removing the other wireless profiles as mentioned above reduced the amount of scanning (SSID or Channel) your notebook was performing in order to locate a clean connection.

Many cordless phones scan the airwaves automatically and select the clearest channel it can find. This scanning process wreaks havoc on wifi connections. The further away from the access point or wireless router, the more chance you have of experiencing this. If there are two 2.4 cordless phones, you're almost guaranteed interruptions. I have seen this happen in condominiums.

My only suggestions (not solutions) are:
1. Move the AP closer to where you use the notebook most.

2. Install a repeater and possibly a yagi antenna to direct your radio waves.

3. Use netstumbler to view the operating channels of other wireless networks and select a channel on the AP that no one is using or the weakest signal. Keep in mind that there are only three non-crossing channels. 1, 6, and 11.

These don't solve the cordless phone problem, they just drown their signal and reduce interference. The only solution would be to move to 802.11a (5.4Ghz) card and AP.

Good luck,
Eddie

[marlehole]

Hi Eddie,

You seem to be suggesting a bit of overkill here. The O/P doesn’t mean to make a project out of this. The other notebook works fine, so that keeps it in the realm of this particular notebook.

To Jahanzed: Did you reboot the computer after doing this clean out of the networks? You might want to go deeper into your Wi-Fi settings, remove all networks and let "Vista" rediscover this network alone. Also check, let us know your channel selection/configuration, O/S of the other PC that works; I’ll do some checking before coming up with more suggestions.