Disappearing Wireless Connection

Hello all,

I'm am just new to wireless. I have the Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router
with 802.11b standard. I have it connected up just fine to my Road Runner
modem and hardwired to my desktop. I have a Compaq notebook running Windows
XP Home. The internet runs just fine on the desktop. On the laptop, it
connects up fine for about 15 minutes then it will not connect up anymore. I
have the SSID as a unique name. If I go in and change the channel, the
laptop will connect up fine for 15 minutes, then it wants to connect up to
my neighbor's wireless. If I go back in and change the channel it will hook
up to mine for another 15 minutes then like clockwork it will lose my router
and go to my neighbors. The interesting thing is my laptop shows my wireless
network as always being there. But after 15 minutes it refuses to connect to
it unless I come back and change the channel or the SSID name on it. Any
ideas?

Steven,

Yes, awhile back I heard about some setting in XP that will cause
your connection to drop after a certain number of minutes....but
I can't remember which dialog box has to be either checked or
unchecked. Perhaps someone can help.

Scott

Steven Wherry wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> I'm am just new to wireless. I have the Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router
> with 802.11b standard. I have it connected up just fine to my Road Runner
> modem and hardwired to my desktop. I have a Compaq notebook running Windows
> XP Home. The internet runs just fine on the desktop. On the laptop, it
> connects up fine for about 15 minutes then it will not connect up anymore. I
> have the SSID as a unique name. If I go in and change the channel, the
> laptop will connect up fine for 15 minutes, then it wants to connect up to
> my neighbor's wireless. If I go back in and change the channel it will hook
> up to mine for another 15 minutes then like clockwork it will lose my router
> and go to my neighbors. The interesting thing is my laptop shows my wireless
> network as always being there. But after 15 minutes it refuses to connect to
> it unless I come back and change the channel or the SSID name on it. Any
> ideas?

"Steven Wherry" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:UnVSa.19553$(E-Mail Removed)
>
> The interesting thing is my laptop shows my wireless
> network as always being there. But after 15 minutes it refuses to
> connect to it unless I come back and change the channel or the SSID
> name on it. Any ideas?

I've seen this behavior a few times.

Here are some things to check:
1. Only one driver can control the card at a time. If you look in the
taskbar by the clock and notice two icons that deal with the wireless
network, there may be a conflict between them. Check the settings to ensure
that only one is actually trying to drive the card. I've found the Windows
Zero Config utility to be all I need, but YMMV.

2. Review the settings on the laptop to ensure that they match exactly those
of the router. This includes channel, SSID and WEP. I definitely recommend
that you enable WEP, but you may need to disable it temporarily to
troubleshoot this issue. Just be sure that the keys on the router and
laptop match exactly.

The fact that your laptop is the only machine that exhibits this behavior
indicates a configuration issue on the laptop. I had a friend complaining
of the same problem with a new Dell laptop with built-in wireless. After
walking through the configuration step by step (and disabling the wireless
utility that shipped with the unit), the laptop now works flawlessly.

Wireless networks can demand a significant amount of patience...

--
John T
http://tknowlogy.com/tknoFlyer
__________