Driven Mad by Wireless Mystery

For around a year I have enjoyed wireless BB connection until just before
Christmas when my Belkin router had a problem.
So bought new D Link router but couldn't get it to work, asked my usual PC
engineer in who couldn't get to work. Then got in a specialist networking
engineer who also couldn't get it to work and he tried fitting another
router in case there was a fault but could get that to work.

Bought brand new Belkin router but again couldn't get to work. Relooked at
failed router and was only power pack so Belkins sent me free one. So back
to my original set up but still not able to get to work despite calling Tech
Support and getting in my usual PC engineer.

The 'not working' is not connecting, not being able to acquire network
address and mostly dropped connection. Dropping sometimes several times per
day sometimes lasting for a few days. Tried rebooting router, restarting
PCs, reformatting both PCs and even bought dongles which sometimes work
better than PCI card.

I have two PCs around 15 months old with quite high specs, about 20 feet
apart with router half way between. Router has direct sight line to rear of
my tower. I am now being told there must be something causing the
degradation in signal and perhaps I should give up and revert to wires. Yet
neighbours to sides and across the road (four house) have no problems and
all on wireless for same period of time as me. No new wireless gadgets
anywhere.

Any ideas appreciated but bear in mind I am not a boffin.

Ken

"Ken" <Reply to NG only> wrote in message
news:43d35c33$0$5008$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have two PCs around 15 months old with quite high specs, about 20 feet
> apart with router half way between. Router has direct sight line to rear
> of my tower. I am now being told there must be something causing the
> degradation in signal and perhaps I should give up and revert to wires.
> Yet neighbours to sides and across the road (four house) have no problems
> and all on wireless for same period of time as me. No new wireless gadgets
> anywhere.
>
> Any ideas appreciated but bear in mind I am not a boffin.
>
> Ken

Try switching the frequency of the broadband signal. Also, ensure that
there are no issues connecting wired to form a base point. Then move your
PC next to your router (one of them) and test the wireless connectivity over
a period of time. Whilst interference can disrupt the signal, this should
be greatly reduced when you're right next to your router.

Finally, get a friend to bring his laptop in and connect to your network
setup wirelessly. The results of this will help to determine what is going
wrong.

AMO

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Ken <Reply to NG only> wrote:

> For around a year I have enjoyed wireless BB connection until just
> before Christmas when my Belkin router had a problem.
> So bought new D Link router but couldn't get it to work, asked my
> usual PC engineer in who couldn't get to work. Then got in a
> specialist networking engineer who also couldn't get it to work and
> he tried fitting another router in case there was a fault but could
> get that to work.
> Bought brand new Belkin router but again couldn't get to work.
> Relooked at failed router and was only power pack so Belkins sent me
> free one. So back to my original set up but still not able to get to
> work despite calling Tech Support and getting in my usual PC engineer.
>
> The 'not working' is not connecting, not being able to acquire network
> address and mostly dropped connection. Dropping sometimes several
> times per day sometimes lasting for a few days. Tried rebooting
> router, restarting PCs, reformatting both PCs and even bought dongles
> which sometimes work better than PCI card.
>
> I have two PCs around 15 months old with quite high specs, about 20
> feet apart with router half way between. Router has direct sight line
> to rear of my tower. I am now being told there must be something
> causing the degradation in signal and perhaps I should give up and
> revert to wires. Yet neighbours to sides and across the road (four
> house) have no problems and all on wireless for same period of time
> as me. No new wireless gadgets anywhere.
>
> Any ideas appreciated but bear in mind I am not a boffin.
>
> Ken

Is it just the wireless bit which isn't working - or is the router failing
to connect to the internet?

If it's just wireless, try changing the wireless channel which the router
and your PCs are using. Try to get it working with no security, and *then*
add the usual security measures - encryption, MAC address filtering, etc.

Presumably the router is acting as a DHCP server, and allocating IP
addresses to your PCs. Whilst this is *supposed* to work even when
encryption is turned on, I suspect that it can sometimes get into a deadly
embrace. Far safer in my view to disable DHCP, and give each computer a
fixed IP address.
--
Cheers,
Tim
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

Tiscali Tim wrote:

> Far safer in my view to disable DHCP, and give each computer a
> fixed IP address.

Although I rarely use DHCP when helping anyone set up their LAN,
it's very rare I suggest in a newsgroup post that someone stops
using it, since it will leave them able to ping their gateway,
but unlikely to do much else... (hint: DNS lookups!) Peter M.

"AMO" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:43d36184$0$82635$(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Ken" <Reply to NG only> wrote in message
> news:43d35c33$0$5008$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I have two PCs around 15 months old with quite high specs, about 20 feet
>> apart with router half way between. Router has direct sight line to rear
>> of my tower. I am now being told there must be something causing the
>> degradation in signal and perhaps I should give up and revert to wires.
>> Yet neighbours to sides and across the road (four house) have no problems
>> and all on wireless for same period of time as me. No new wireless
>> gadgets anywhere.
>>
>> Any ideas appreciated but bear in mind I am not a boffin.
>>
>> Ken
>
> Try switching the frequency of the broadband signal. Also, ensure that
> there are no issues connecting wired to form a base point. Then move your
> PC next to your router (one of them) and test the wireless connectivity
> over a period of time. Whilst interference can disrupt the signal, this
> should be greatly reduced when you're right next to your router.
>
> Finally, get a friend to bring his laptop in and connect to your network
> setup wirelessly. The results of this will help to determine what is
> going wrong.
>
> AMO

Switching frequency - does this mean changing channels? If so I have done
several times.

I have put both PCs on the same desk within sight line of router and got one
working and the other refusing to connect. Left for a couple of days and no
consistency. Both work or one does and not the other.

Just realised, since first post, that when I am having the worst of the
problems my digi sender box also refuses to send a decent signal from lounge
to bedroom. The digi sender has been around longer than the wireless set up
and have tried unplugging but made no difference. Does this indicate a
problem with wireless interference. I am also getting paranoid about my
wireless mouse where the pointer can move on its own some times???

Will try the friend with a laptop.

Ken

On Sun, 22 Jan 2006 10:19:29 -0000, "Ken" <Reply to NG only> wrote:

I have just resolved a conflict with my wireless network caused by a
2.4GHz video sender that I bought recently just by trial and error.
Things like Microwave Cookers can also cause problems with your
wireless network.

Don't know what type of wireless nic's you've got in your PC but your
router should allow you to change the channel it's transmitting on
between 1 and 11 (possibly up to 13). Just keep trying different
channels starting at one extreme and working inwards.

The nic in your PC should just auto sense the changes and available
network/s.

I always set my router up via an ethernet connection.

"Net Stumbler" would help to diagnose the problem if it's being caused
by other networks.

Just a couple of possiblilities.

>[snip]
>Any ideas appreciated but bear in mind I am not a boffin.
>[snip]

"Tiscali Tim" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> Ken <Reply to NG only> wrote:
>
>> For around a year I have enjoyed wireless BB connection until just
>> before Christmas when my Belkin router had a problem.
>> So bought new D Link router but couldn't get it to work, asked my
>> usual PC engineer in who couldn't get to work. Then got in a
>> specialist networking engineer who also couldn't get it to work and
>> he tried fitting another router in case there was a fault but could
>> get that to work.
>> Bought brand new Belkin router but again couldn't get to work.
>> Relooked at failed router and was only power pack so Belkins sent me
>> free one. So back to my original set up but still not able to get to
>> work despite calling Tech Support and getting in my usual PC engineer.
>>
>> The 'not working' is not connecting, not being able to acquire network
>> address and mostly dropped connection. Dropping sometimes several
>> times per day sometimes lasting for a few days. Tried rebooting
>> router, restarting PCs, reformatting both PCs and even bought dongles
>> which sometimes work better than PCI card.
>>
>> I have two PCs around 15 months old with quite high specs, about 20
>> feet apart with router half way between. Router has direct sight line
>> to rear of my tower. I am now being told there must be something
>> causing the degradation in signal and perhaps I should give up and
>> revert to wires. Yet neighbours to sides and across the road (four
>> house) have no problems and all on wireless for same period of time
>> as me. No new wireless gadgets anywhere.
>>
>> Any ideas appreciated but bear in mind I am not a boffin.
>>
>> Ken
>
> Is it just the wireless bit which isn't working - or is the router failing
> to connect to the internet?
>
> If it's just wireless, try changing the wireless channel which the router
> and your PCs are using. Try to get it working with no security, and *then*
> add the usual security measures - encryption, MAC address filtering, etc.
>
> Presumably the router is acting as a DHCP server, and allocating IP
> addresses to your PCs. Whilst this is *supposed* to work even when
> encryption is turned on, I suspect that it can sometimes get into a deadly
> embrace. Far safer in my view to disable DHCP, and give each computer a
> fixed IP address.
> --
> Cheers,
> Tim

Its reporting as connected usually 'Excellent' and 54 mbps. But often
searching endlessly 'acquiring network address'.

If I get working with no security what compromises/danger will that be. One
of the engineers said he felt it was often better to turn off to get a
better connection and better speeds?

Your last paragraph is getting a bit technical for me but it is set to auto
allocate IP addresses. How do I disable DHCP and give fixed IP addresses?

Thanks for your help.

Ken

"Ken" <Reply to NG only> wrote in message
news:43d35c33$0$5008$(E-Mail Removed)...
> For around a year I have enjoyed wireless BB connection until just before
> Christmas when my Belkin router had a problem.
> So bought new D Link router but couldn't get it to work, asked my usual PC
> engineer in who couldn't get to work. Then got in a specialist networking
> engineer who also couldn't get it to work and he tried fitting another
> router in case there was a fault but could get that to work.
>
> Bought brand new Belkin router but again couldn't get to work. Relooked at
> failed router and was only power pack so Belkins sent me free one. So back
> to my original set up but still not able to get to work despite calling
> Tech Support and getting in my usual PC engineer.
>
> The 'not working' is not connecting, not being able to acquire network
> address and mostly dropped connection. Dropping sometimes several times
> per day sometimes lasting for a few days. Tried rebooting router,
> restarting PCs, reformatting both PCs and even bought dongles which
> sometimes work better than PCI card.
>
> I have two PCs around 15 months old with quite high specs, about 20 feet
> apart with router half way between. Router has direct sight line to rear
> of my tower. I am now being told there must be something causing the
> degradation in signal and perhaps I should give up and revert to wires.
> Yet neighbours to sides and across the road (four house) have no problems
> and all on wireless for same period of time as me. No new wireless gadgets
> anywhere.
>
> Any ideas appreciated but bear in mind I am not a boffin.
>
> Ken

A friend has just suggested one of the new Belkin MIMO routers as it has
better coverage and stronger signal. However as I appear to be getting a
good signal from the router so wonder this new router really help?

Ken

"GA" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Sun, 22 Jan 2006 10:19:29 -0000, "Ken" <Reply to NG only> wrote:
>
> I have just resolved a conflict with my wireless network caused by a
> 2.4GHz video sender that I bought recently just by trial and error.
> Things like Microwave Cookers can also cause problems with your
> wireless network.
>
> Don't know what type of wireless nic's you've got in your PC but your
> router should allow you to change the channel it's transmitting on
> between 1 and 11 (possibly up to 13). Just keep trying different
> channels starting at one extreme and working inwards.
>
> The nic in your PC should just auto sense the changes and available
> network/s.
>
> I always set my router up via an ethernet connection.
>
> "Net Stumbler" would help to diagnose the problem if it's being caused
> by other networks.
>
> Just a couple of possiblilities.

I have my channel set on the auto mode now but wondered if this was good or
not?

Ken

"Ken" <Reply to NG only> wrote in message
news:43d37649$0$29564$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Switching frequency - does this mean changing channels? If so I have done
> several times.

Yes, that's correct. ;0)

> I have put both PCs on the same desk within sight line of router and got
> one working and the other refusing to connect. Left for a couple of days
> and no consistency. Both work or one does and not the other.

Not just line of sight - distance is important as well. If one PC is very
close to the router with line of sight there should not be too much wireless
interference.

> Just realised, since first post, that when I am having the worst of the
> problems my digi sender box also refuses to send a decent signal from
> lounge to bedroom. The digi sender has been around longer than the
> wireless set up and have tried unplugging but made no difference. Does
> this indicate a problem with wireless interference. I am also getting
> paranoid about my wireless mouse where the pointer can move on its own
> some times???
> Will try the friend with a laptop.
> Ken

This sounds like an interference problem. You haven't confirmed this either
way by stating whether everything's fine via a wired connection though.

You'll know if you get interference from your digisender because there will
be interference where it is sending (e.g. if its the TV upstairs receiving
the signal, there will be distortions across the screen with accompanying
distortions in the sound.

Also, its possible that the digisender is causing the problem (or part of
the problem) with your wireless router. Consider switching the thing off
until you have sorted out your wireless router problems and/or wireless
problems occur on your router. When did you install the digisender? Also,
your digisender should have A/B/C/D channels which you can also change.

It does sound like a wireless interference issue.

AMO