Wi-Fi Geeks

[Yossarian]

As usual, I'm too lazy to figure this out myself when I have all of you right here.
My wi-fi connection goes in and out, about every 10 mins or so. Very annoying. How come? I use this machine/wi-fi all the time in various places, hotels, coffee shops, other people's home network, etc, no problems whatsoever. But here, at home, with my wi-fi router, it's on the fritz.

Running XP
Cable modem, RCN is supplier
Router is a Motorola wi-fi/4 port
Currently set up with password/encryption

Ideas?
Only thing that occurs to me is that I'm in an apartment building, and there are LOTS of other wi-fi signals I can see...mebbie the wireless network guy on my machine gets confused about which signal to pick up, even though I've dedicated mine at the top of the list...If so, is there a way to hard wire to mine and mine alone?

[DBdude]

What is the signal strength?

[Lurch]

First the obvious does it cut out when the laptop is sitting right next to the router?

The wireless card should not be jumping from one access point to another once it connects it will stay on that network until it is disconnected.

Maybe there are a bunch of people free loading off your wireless router. You should think about locking it down with a WEP key so only you can use it.

[SkiEvil]

What Channel are you running on? 6 is the most common i believe. Are you running other 2.4ghz devices? You can download NetStumbler to see what other wireless networks are around you.

[Free Range Lobster]

Run on channel 11

[cj001f]

The wireless card should not be jumping from one access point to another once it connects it will stay on that network until it is disconnected.

I had problems with the XP wizard jumping from network to network. Moving to the software supplied with the card solved this problem

[Yossarian]

WEP already on, signal strength excellent. Probably is on 6, could switch to 11...

...but looks like it's stable now that I've turned off the XP auto-connect dealie. Seems like XP jumps or tries to jump from access point to access point when there's multiple strong signals, despite the priorty the user can set...

...but turning that off and just connecting manually seems to be working fine.

Anyway, thanks.

[skier666]

....if changing the channel doesn't work, consider troubleshooting the router (updating its firmware from the manufacture's website), or do a Google search to see if others are having the same problem.

I had a similar problem at home, my linksys was about 2 years old, since discontinued and the firmware couldn't be updated. I went to Fry's bought a $20 "Airlink" router....and its worked ever since.

[Buzzworthy]

Yoss, I work in the industry of handhelds and wifi, if you don't get it figured out, pm me, I can tell you so much it would take me all day.

[descender]

My wireless does this at home too. For no reason whatsoever I loose connection. Several disable/enable commands and some cursing later, I am back in business, for a while.

I want some non-XP wireless connection managment tool. I hate the XP one.

[huck4bucks]

Sounds like interference. Switch your channel (1,6,11 are the only safe ones) and make sure you don't have a 2.4 Ghz wireless phone in your house. If you do, keep it on the base station when not in use.

[SkiEvil]

Try

IBM Access Connection tool.

My wireless does this at home too. For no reason whatsoever I loose connection. Several disable/enable commands and some cursing later, I am back in business, for a while.

I want some non-XP wireless connection managment tool. I hate the XP one.

[Nobody Famous]

Try

IBM Access Connection tool.

That of course only works reliably on IBM laptops.

Changing channels is good advice. Also try the NetStumbler utility. From the same location where you have problems, observe your router's signal for a few minutes (with or without being connected) and see if the signal strength drops off or drops out with the same pattern you observe as the WiFi connection being dropped. If yes, then try different locations and different channels.

[Buzzworthy]

Sounds like interference. Switch your channel (1,6,11 are the only safe ones) and make sure you don't have a 2.4 Ghz wireless phone in your house. If you do, keep it on the base station when not in use.

Microwave oven, baby monitors, anything that is 2.4 GhZ will/may interrupt the signal. Erverytime Taylor cries and I am on the laptop, godbye connection.

The 900 mhz phones work fine without interrupting and if I had thought ahead, I would have done that with the baby monitors.

I also went to a 26 key WEP instead of 10. Just cause.