Wireless help please!

My laptop which I only bought a few months ago is infuriating me. I have a wireless connection and there is a wireless router in my house. Whenever I connect to this wireless network after about 5 minutes I get disconnected.

I used to have the same problem but only when I was using the battery - originally it was fine when plugged into the mains, but not anymore.

It also doesn’t help that the windows on the computer is all in Chinese so if you have any advice can you please tell me step-by-step so I can work through it.

I’ve tried switching off the firewall, reinstalling the network - there is no problem with the router because everyone else can use the network without interruptions.

Thanks

Well, if the Access point is far away the connection may be too bad sometimes so you get kicked out. You could check (by opening the wireless software or the Microsoft Windows window for it), if you have an IP adress assigned before you get kicked out.

Because sometimes you will first connect to the network, but then the router refuses to give an IP address to an alien computer. The router could be triggered only to assign IPs to known hosts.

If you need more info how to check if the IP is assign, I can tell more…

I checked usenet. People say there’s a bug in XP before the SP2 update. You can either update to SP2 or change a setting that disables " 802.1x authentication"

microsoft.com/resources/docu … igure.mspx

maybe it’s something else but that seems like a winner.

[quote=“gary”]I checked usenet. People say there’s a bug in XP before the SP2 update. You can either update to SP2 or change a setting that disables " 802.1x authentication"

microsoft.com/resources/docu … igure.mspx

maybe it’s something else but that seems like a winner.[/quote]

Ah yes! Even my SP2 machines updated themselves with a Wireless patch, at least after I went to Windowsupdate from Microsoft.

I’ve tried disabling the IEEE 802.1x but that doesn’t seem to be helping.

It doesn’t actually say that it’s disconnected when it is. For example, I’ll connect to the network and about 5 minutes later if i click on the connections icon it will say i’m still connected and the signal is excellent but when i try to load web pages my browser will tell me that it can’t find a connection :fume:

[quote=“Mugatu”]I’ve tried disabling the IEEE 802.1x but that doesn’t seem to be helping.

It doesn’t actually say that it’s disconnected when it is. For example, I’ll connect to the network and about 5 minutes later if i click on the connections icon it will say I’m still connected and the signal is excellent but when I try to load web pages my browser will tell me that it can’t find a connection :fume:[/quote]

So are you sure this is a wireless problem? If it was wired, would you still be getting the same problem? I’ve been getting similar problems on my wired PC recently, using Hinet. It’s like they drop me if I don’t surf for 5 minutes. I end up releasing and renewing the connection and it works fine.

Are you on Hinet by any chance?

As an old support veteran of war, I may suggest to proceed like this:

  • Can you try if the problem happens wired as well (means with Ethernet / LAN cable) ?

  • If you cannot try or it does not happen wired, make sure if you have the XP-Wireless patch. XP had massive malfuntions without it. I am not sure now if it is already included in SP2.

  • If you have the patch and it still happens, try to find out if you get an IP-address as I said before. Because the router may refuse you, even if the connection is excellent!

To find out if you have an IP-address assigned, do this:

START->Execute (I have a German system now but it should be called like this in ENglish, um … in Chinese look for the window driving fast from left to right…such an icon it is)
Type “ipconfig” without the " when you are definetly not connected
Keep that IP in mind.

When you have the excellent connection message, repeat the procedure and check if it tells you another IP for a wireless device. Must be different.
Probably something like 192.168.1. … or so …

And: is this an encrypted wirless network? In that case it would refuse you in any case if you do not have the key.

I dealt with this junk alot, the biggest things are the compatibility of your router and of your wireless network equipment. Often they dont play nice… however the things i have found to help:
If you have an internal (read centrino) wireless card use the intel software, it works wonders compared to the built in windows tools
if you dont try adjusting the distance and orientation between the router and the notebook. (kind of a long shot)
Try enabling different types of encryption in the router… i found that “WPA” with “TKIP” solved most of my problems before i got a notebook with a centrino internal adapter. You will need to set your notebook to match whatever these settings are.
I think you probably already are, but be sure that you are current with your windows patches, there was one like 2 years ago for xp that fixed some wireless issues.
-Best of luck… ive got a LONG history with fixing windows machines so leme knwo whats wrong and i can try to help some more, this is kinda off the top of my head while im supposed to be working :wink:

'Tis is getting toooo complicado!

Q1: your access point or of neighbour/house service ???

Q2: encrypted or not?

Otherwise we can talk for ages and achieve nuttin’

Bobpfffft

It’s my access point. It’s not encrypted. There is no possibility that the signal is too weak.

It’s my access point. It’s not encrypted. There is no possibility that the signal is too weak.

However, I dont have any problems with other wireless networks (in coffee shops or at work)

is it a Belkin?

I was just going to ask if it was a Belkin.

I have (had) one at home and it drops the connection every hour or two. I tried lots to fix it, but nothing worked.

I accidentally turned it into a brick the other day by trying to save the settings through the control panel. It just kept trying to save in an infinite loop, so I had to close the control panel and ever since my Belkin won’t start, despite being hard-reset. Kaput.

We also had a Belkin at work (a web design/development company). Trouble is, we couldn’t get FTP uploads working with it (a fairly common issue which we only found out after reading through various forums) and so we had to buy a new wireless router.

I stupidly recommended my girlfriend get one for her place. She also has issues with it dropping the connection.

Not good.

the ONLY trouble I have have had with wireless, it has been a Belkin everytime…around 4-5 different times.

[quote=“Mugatu”]It’s my access point. It’s not encrypted. There is no possibility that the signal is too weak.

However, I don’t have any problems with other wireless networks (in coffee shops or at work)[/quote]

Sigh, so we ruled out the easy explanations.

------>Question: did you change the factory setting?

Because out of the box it should work.

If you did not change the factory settings, maybe the wireless software on your NB is incompatible. With Intel software and a COREGA router I just have your problem and have to change to “let Windows handle Wireless”

No, it’s not a Belkin. I don’t think it’s the wireless network thats the problem - I think it is something to do with the computer.

I (my girlfriend) took it back to get fixed but the b&st&rd machine worked fine in the shop.

I think I’ll just get them to come round to my house and look at it.

Thanks for the suggestions anyway

[quote=“Mugatu”]No, it’s not a Belkin. I don’t think it’s the wireless network thats the problem - I think it is something to do with the computer.

I (my girlfriend) took it back to get fixed but the b&st&Rd machine worked fine in the shop.

I think I’ll just get them to come round to my house and look at it.

Thanks for the suggestions anyway[/quote]

Well, most “help me” threads end this way. People get 10 opinions from 3 people and finally get someone from the yellow pages to fix it :smiley: