70% missed beacons - 2200BG - MR314

I have just bought a new laptop with built-in wireless, and the
connection to my existing home WLAN has a very high number of "missed
beacons", apparently causing it to downgrade to 1.0 Mbps.

Computer: Sony VIAO VGN-A117S.
Built-in wireless adapter: Intel 2200BG.
OS: Windows XP Pro SP2.
Wireless router: Netgear MR314.

When I turn the wireless on on the computer, it appears to work well at
first, but after a few tens of seconds it downgrades from 11.0 Mbps to
1.0 Mbps, and is very slow thereafter. The Intel configuration program,
PROSet, reports that the signal strength is always excellent, but the
signal quality is poor, and the percentage of missed AP beacons is about
70%.

The computer is located adjacent to the access point. Other computers on
the network do not have this problem.

Any ideas how to debug (or mend) this? Thanks very much.

--
Stephen Turner
Cambridge, UK

* I would try a different Wireless Card in the same laptop and see if that
resolves the problem. If it does then I would suspect a defect with the
laptop's wireless adaptor (built-in). You might want to also try the
built-in with someone elses Access Point or with a HotSpot ... and see if
the same thing occurs.

This is to help isolate by swapping items, which device is at fault. Also if
the included ProSet manager is managing wireless connections you may be able
to switch it off and let Windows XP manage the connections.

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Systems, Networks, Telecommunications
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"Stephen Turner" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:KwY0d.94$(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have just bought a new laptop with built-in wireless, and the connection
>to my existing home WLAN has a very high number of "missed beacons",
>apparently causing it to downgrade to 1.0 Mbps.
>
> Computer: Sony VIAO VGN-A117S.
> Built-in wireless adapter: Intel 2200BG.
> OS: Windows XP Pro SP2.
> Wireless router: Netgear MR314.
>
> When I turn the wireless on on the computer, it appears to work well at
> first, but after a few tens of seconds it downgrades from 11.0 Mbps to 1.0
> Mbps, and is very slow thereafter. The Intel configuration program,
> PROSet, reports that the signal strength is always excellent, but the
> signal quality is poor, and the percentage of missed AP beacons is about
> 70%.
>
> The computer is located adjacent to the access point. Other computers on
> the network do not have this problem.
>
> Any ideas how to debug (or mend) this? Thanks very much.
>
> --
> Stephen Turner
> Cambridge, UK

Had the same problem with my 2200BG on an ASUS M5200N. AS well as 50%
missed beacons RSSI is -50 ( whereas on my 2100B missed beacons was 0%
and RSSI was +50) Also Pings to AP device (minitar MN54G4R) was 17ms
and browsing would time out. OS= WinXP SP1

I was using WPA- PSK encryption. So turned off encryption and pings
improved to 1ms, but missed beacons are still 15% and RSSI -50 despite
Intel Proset saying excellent signal strength. Change encryption back
to WEP and then back to WPA-PSK and now pings are OK at 1ms but missed
beacons still 15% and RSSI -50 but browsing is good.

So I don't know what all that is about- but would be interested to know
what Intel Proset Statistics/Details show in the way of percentage
missed beacons and RSSI in other 2200BG users.

New drivers are available for Intel 2200BG (for winxp sp2) at
http://support.intel.com/support/wir...00bg/index.htm
(haven't upgraded myself- so no report)


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Upgrading the driver fixed the missed beacons problems, but I still had
poor pings and loss of connection in battery mode. But everything was
OK in AC mode. Turned power management from auto to manual in Intel
Proset and pings improved to 1ms and no longer problems with drop
outs even with WPA-PSK encryption. There would seem that the power
saving feature of the centrino platform reduces the wireless function
in its default (auto) mode.


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