Intermittent loss of wireless connection

I'm having intermittent problems with my wireless network connection between
my laptop and my router. The equipment is a WG511T Cardbus adaptor talking
to DG834GT router.

The signal strength is consistently good (at least 60% and often 85% in the
Netgear app), but every so often the TCP connection freezes - as shown by
doing a continuous ping (ping -t) which shows "request timed out" rather
than a normal reply with a latency of around 1-5 millisec. This usually
lasts for 15-30 seconds and then rights itself. I've confirmed that while
it's taking place, the wireless strength really is good and hasn't suddenly
dropped.

I'm used to the odd ping failing at random, but a whole sequence of maybe
ten consecutive pings timing out, followed by maybe half an hour of
uninterrupted pings, sounds like something else.

At first I wondered whether it was due to interference from other wireless
networks. Sometimes I've seen the problem when there's another much weaker
signal from a neighbour's router, on a very different channel (he's on 5,
I'm on 11), but I've also seen it when there's no other network detectable
(maybe when his router is turned off).

I've tried varying the router's channel and I've tried with and without the
router's XR (extended range) feature enabled. I think the problem is
slightly less common with XR turned off (yes, "off"!).

What I'd like to try if I had another computer and wireless card (which I
haven't) is to see whether more than one computer is affected and if so
whether they are all affected at the same time.

Anyone got any suggestions?

I get the same problem with different laptops and my 2 Linksys WAG54G.

Both are running the latest firmware, although one is a v.2 (about 18 months
old) and the other is v.1.1 think (about 30 months old).

I swear it's the Linksys box but I've never had 2 laptops running at the
same time to find out if it's laptop specific or related to the Linksys box.

Regards,

Conor.


"Martin Underwood" <a@b> wrote in message
news:4497c369$0$69384$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm having intermittent problems with my wireless network connection
> between my laptop and my router. The equipment is a WG511T Cardbus adaptor
> talking to DG834GT router.
>
> The signal strength is consistently good (at least 60% and often 85% in
> the Netgear app), but every so often the TCP connection freezes - as shown
> by doing a continuous ping (ping -t) which shows "request timed out"
> rather than a normal reply with a latency of around 1-5 millisec. This
> usually lasts for 15-30 seconds and then rights itself. I've confirmed
> that while it's taking place, the wireless strength really is good and
> hasn't suddenly dropped.
>
> I'm used to the odd ping failing at random, but a whole sequence of maybe
> ten consecutive pings timing out, followed by maybe half an hour of
> uninterrupted pings, sounds like something else.
>
> At first I wondered whether it was due to interference from other wireless
> networks. Sometimes I've seen the problem when there's another much weaker
> signal from a neighbour's router, on a very different channel (he's on 5,
> I'm on 11), but I've also seen it when there's no other network detectable
> (maybe when his router is turned off).
>
> I've tried varying the router's channel and I've tried with and without
> the router's XR (extended range) feature enabled. I think the problem is
> slightly less common with XR turned off (yes, "off"!).
>
> What I'd like to try if I had another computer and wireless card (which I
> haven't) is to see whether more than one computer is affected and if so
> whether they are all affected at the same time.
>
> Anyone got any suggestions?
>

Conor McKeown wrote in message
1150832163.369307@sj-nntpcache-3:

> "Martin Underwood" <a@b> wrote in message
> news:4497c369$0$69384$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I'm having intermittent problems with my wireless network connection
>> between my laptop and my router. The equipment is a WG511T Cardbus
>> adaptor talking to DG834GT router.
>>
>> The signal strength is consistently good (at least 60% and often 85%
>> in the Netgear app), but every so often the TCP connection freezes -
>> as shown by doing a continuous ping (ping -t) which shows "request
>> timed out" rather than a normal reply with a latency of around 1-5
>> millisec. This usually lasts for 15-30 seconds and then rights
>> itself. I've confirmed that while it's taking place, the wireless
>> strength really is good and hasn't suddenly dropped.
>>
>> I'm used to the odd ping failing at random, but a whole sequence of
>> maybe ten consecutive pings timing out, followed by maybe half an
>> hour of uninterrupted pings, sounds like something else.
>>
>> At first I wondered whether it was due to interference from other
>> wireless networks. Sometimes I've seen the problem when there's
>> another much weaker signal from a neighbour's router, on a very
>> different channel (he's on 5, I'm on 11), but I've also seen it when
>> there's no other network detectable (maybe when his router is turned
>> off). I've tried varying the router's channel and I've tried with and
>> without the router's XR (extended range) feature enabled. I think
>> the problem is slightly less common with XR turned off (yes, "off"!).
>>
>> What I'd like to try if I had another computer and wireless card
>> (which I haven't) is to see whether more than one computer is
>> affected and if so whether they are all affected at the same time.
>>
>> Anyone got any suggestions?

> I get the same problem with different laptops and my 2 Linksys WAG54G.
>
> Both are running the latest firmware, although one is a v.2 (about 18
> months old) and the other is v.1.1 think (about 30 months old).
>
> I swear it's the Linksys box but I've never had 2 laptops running at
> the same time to find out if it's laptop specific or related to the
> Linksys box.

This is getting very weird.

One night, my network was almost unusable because prolonged lack of IP
contact (as opposed to brief single-ping failures) caused Paltalk and
PC-to-PC file-copying/access to time out.

But last night, both from downstairs where the signal was about 60% and
upstairs near the router where the signal was about 85%, I didn't get any
prolonged outages. There were occasional single-ping outages: on a
continuous "ping -t", about one in every 20 pings timed-out but I never saw
two consecutive pings fail. The previous night I was getting multiple
failures (typically a chain of ten or more failed pings) about every five
minutes.

Both nights, my neighbour was running his router on a different channel (I
was on 12, he was on 5) for part of the time, but the incidence of single
and multiple failures was no worse when there was the other signal than it
was when I was the only detectable signal.

And all the time, the signal strength as reported by the Netgear app and by
NetStumbler was fairly constant, varying by only +/- 5% (Netgear signal
strength) or 5 dB (NetStumbler signal-to-noise ratio).

Some time I'll have to borrow my Dad's wireless laptop and set continuous
pings running on both to see if both are affected at the same time. And
maybe I'll take my router to his house to see if it's anything to do with
interference from nearby signals.

I've eliminated things like my DECT phone and cordless headphones (by
temporarily switching them off) and I've proved that I normally get a good
connection even when my microwave is running, so it's not leakage from that.
I wondered whether it was interference from my fan that was running right
next to the laptop, but turning it off on the night that I had the problems
didn't help, whereas running it all yesterday evening I got good comms.

"Martin Underwood" <a@b> wrote in message
news:4499556e$0$69387$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Conor McKeown wrote in message
> 1150832163.369307@sj-nntpcache-3:
>
>> "Martin Underwood" <a@b> wrote in message
>> news:4497c369$0$69384$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> I'm having intermittent problems with my wireless network connection
>>> between my laptop and my router. The equipment is a WG511T Cardbus
>>> adaptor talking to DG834GT router.
>>>
>>> The signal strength is consistently good (at least 60% and often 85%
>>> in the Netgear app), but every so often the TCP connection freezes -
>>> as shown by doing a continuous ping (ping -t) which shows "request
>>> timed out" rather than a normal reply with a latency of around 1-5
>>> millisec. This usually lasts for 15-30 seconds and then rights
>>> itself. I've confirmed that while it's taking place, the wireless
>>> strength really is good and hasn't suddenly dropped.
>>>
>>> I'm used to the odd ping failing at random, but a whole sequence of
>>> maybe ten consecutive pings timing out, followed by maybe half an
>>> hour of uninterrupted pings, sounds like something else.
>>>
>>> At first I wondered whether it was due to interference from other
>>> wireless networks. Sometimes I've seen the problem when there's
>>> another much weaker signal from a neighbour's router, on a very
>>> different channel (he's on 5, I'm on 11), but I've also seen it when
>>> there's no other network detectable (maybe when his router is turned
>>> off). I've tried varying the router's channel and I've tried with and
>>> without the router's XR (extended range) feature enabled. I think
>>> the problem is slightly less common with XR turned off (yes, "off"!).
>>>
>>> What I'd like to try if I had another computer and wireless card
>>> (which I haven't) is to see whether more than one computer is
>>> affected and if so whether they are all affected at the same time.
>>>
>>> Anyone got any suggestions?
>
>> I get the same problem with different laptops and my 2 Linksys WAG54G.
>>
>> Both are running the latest firmware, although one is a v.2 (about 18
>> months old) and the other is v.1.1 think (about 30 months old).
>>
>> I swear it's the Linksys box but I've never had 2 laptops running at
>> the same time to find out if it's laptop specific or related to the
>> Linksys box.
>
> This is getting very weird.
>
> One night, my network was almost unusable because prolonged lack of IP
> contact (as opposed to brief single-ping failures) caused Paltalk and
> PC-to-PC file-copying/access to time out.
>
> But last night, both from downstairs where the signal was about 60% and
> upstairs near the router where the signal was about 85%, I didn't get any
> prolonged outages. There were occasional single-ping outages: on a
> continuous "ping -t", about one in every 20 pings timed-out but I never
> saw two consecutive pings fail. The previous night I was getting multiple
> failures (typically a chain of ten or more failed pings) about every five
> minutes.
>
> Both nights, my neighbour was running his router on a different channel (I
> was on 12, he was on 5) for part of the time, but the incidence of single
> and multiple failures was no worse when there was the other signal than it
> was when I was the only detectable signal.
>
> And all the time, the signal strength as reported by the Netgear app and
> by NetStumbler was fairly constant, varying by only +/- 5% (Netgear signal
> strength) or 5 dB (NetStumbler signal-to-noise ratio).
>
> Some time I'll have to borrow my Dad's wireless laptop and set continuous
> pings running on both to see if both are affected at the same time. And
> maybe I'll take my router to his house to see if it's anything to do with
> interference from nearby signals.
>
> I've eliminated things like my DECT phone and cordless headphones (by
> temporarily switching them off) and I've proved that I normally get a good
> connection even when my microwave is running, so it's not leakage from
> that. I wondered whether it was interference from my fan that was running
> right next to the laptop, but turning it off on the night that I had the
> problems didn't help, whereas running it all yesterday evening I got good
> comms.
>

Initially you mentioned a wireless problem between your laptop and your
router and I assume you were pinging one from the other. This time you
mention PC to PC. Were you pinging PC to PC or laptop to router?

You're sure it's a wireless problem and not a router or laptop problem?
Have you tried a cable connection? Have you tried pinging the router from
the other PC you mention?

Allan

Allan wrote in
4499c479$0$22127$(E-Mail Removed):

> Initially you mentioned a wireless problem between your laptop and
> your router and I assume you were pinging one from the other. This
> time you mention PC to PC. Were you pinging PC to PC or laptop to
> router?
> You're sure it's a wireless problem and not a router or laptop
> problem? Have you tried a cable connection? Have you tried pinging
> the router from the other PC you mention?

Sorry. Sometimes I pinged laptop to router, other times I pinged laptop to
desktop (via router). Doing PC-to-PC probably wasn't very sensible because
it adds an extra point at which failure could occur.

It is a wireless problem: I've proved that the laptop can ping the router
till the cows come home if I use Ethernet; similarly the desktop can ping
over Ethernet.

In article <4499d3b9$0$3549$(E-Mail Removed)>,
Martin Underwood says...
> Allan wrote in
> 4499c479$0$22127$(E-Mail Removed):
>
> > Initially you mentioned a wireless problem between your laptop and
> > your router and I assume you were pinging one from the other. This
> > time you mention PC to PC. Were you pinging PC to PC or laptop to
> > router?
> > You're sure it's a wireless problem and not a router or laptop
> > problem? Have you tried a cable connection? Have you tried pinging
> > the router from the other PC you mention?
>
> Sorry. Sometimes I pinged laptop to router, other times I pinged laptop to
> desktop (via router). Doing PC-to-PC probably wasn't very sensible because
> it adds an extra point at which failure could occur.
>
> It is a wireless problem: I've proved that the laptop can ping the router
> till the cows come home if I use Ethernet; similarly the desktop can ping
> over Ethernet.
>
HAve you tried a firmware update for the router? HAd to do that with my
Netgear when I had similar problems.

--
Conor

Who the fuck said I was trying to endear myself to anyone?

Conor wrote in message
(E-Mail Removed):

> In article <4499d3b9$0$3549$(E-Mail Removed)>,
> Martin Underwood says...
>> Allan wrote in
>> 4499c479$0$22127$(E-Mail Removed):
>>
>>> Initially you mentioned a wireless problem between your laptop and
>>> your router and I assume you were pinging one from the other. This
>>> time you mention PC to PC. Were you pinging PC to PC or laptop to
>>> router?
>>> You're sure it's a wireless problem and not a router or laptop
>>> problem? Have you tried a cable connection? Have you tried pinging
>>> the router from the other PC you mention?
>>
>> Sorry. Sometimes I pinged laptop to router, other times I pinged
>> laptop to desktop (via router). Doing PC-to-PC probably wasn't very
>> sensible because it adds an extra point at which failure could occur.
>>
>> It is a wireless problem: I've proved that the laptop can ping the
>> router till the cows come home if I use Ethernet; similarly the
>> desktop can ping over Ethernet.
>>
> HAve you tried a firmware update for the router? HAd to do that with
> my Netgear when I had similar problems.

I'm about to investigate firmware upgrades for both the router and the card.
However I want to check first that it will not break anything, after being
caught out by a driver upgrade for the WG111T USB adaptor which the WG511T
Cardbus adaptor replaces: the latest drivers will not allow the adaptor to
associate with the DG834GT router when running with WPA encryption. This is
the subject of heated discussion on Netgear's support forum because many
people have experienced it. I've heard nothing since my call was passed to
second-line support a couple of months ago - not even a "whoops - you're
right - let's investigate" type of response.

Once I'm confident that other users of the WG511T and DG834GT combination
haven't encountered any authentication problems with the latest drivers and
firmware, I'll upgrade and see it it solves the intermittent loss of TCP/IP
connection.

My impression is that it goes in phases: I go for several hours without any
serious problems apart from occasional single-ping failure which have no
serious effects, then I experience repeated outages for about 30 seconds,
with contact being re-established only to fall over again a few minutes
later. I've seen it even when the laptop is right next to the router, so
it's not a weak signal problem.

"Martin Underwood" <a@b> wrote in message
news:4497c369$0$69384$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm having intermittent problems with my wireless network connection
> between my laptop and my router. The equipment is a WG511T Cardbus adaptor
> talking to DG834GT router.
>
> The signal strength is consistently good (at least 60% and often 85% in
> the Netgear app), but every so often the TCP connection freezes - as shown
> by doing a continuous ping (ping -t) which shows "request timed out"
> rather than a normal reply with a latency of around 1-5 millisec. This
> usually lasts for 15-30 seconds and then rights itself. I've confirmed
> that while it's taking place, the wireless strength really is good and
> hasn't suddenly dropped.
>

Any microwave ovens nearby?

In article <449ae05d$0$69399$(E-Mail Removed)>,
Martin Underwood says...

> Once I'm confident that other users of the WG511T and DG834GT combination
> haven't encountered any authentication problems with the latest drivers and
> firmware, I'll upgrade and see it it solves the intermittent loss of TCP/IP
> connection.
>
> My impression is that it goes in phases: I go for several hours without any
> serious problems apart from occasional single-ping failure which have no
> serious effects, then I experience repeated outages for about 30 seconds,
> with contact being re-established only to fall over again a few minutes
> later. I've seen it even when the laptop is right next to the router, so
> it's not a weak signal problem.
>
Exactly the same as my DG834GT did. The notes for the firmware upgrades
specifically mention this as a bugfix.

--
Conor

Who the fuck said I was trying to endear myself to anyone?

John Steele wrote in
449ae5b9$0$22092$(E-Mail Removed):

> "Martin Underwood" <a@b> wrote in message
> news:4497c369$0$69384$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> I'm having intermittent problems with my wireless network connection
>> between my laptop and my router. The equipment is a WG511T Cardbus
>> adaptor talking to DG834GT router.
>>
>> The signal strength is consistently good (at least 60% and often 85%
>> in the Netgear app), but every so often the TCP connection freezes -
>> as shown by doing a continuous ping (ping -t) which shows "request
>> timed out" rather than a normal reply with a latency of around 1-5
>> millisec. This usually lasts for 15-30 seconds and then rights
>> itself. I've confirmed that while it's taking place, the wireless
>> strength really is good and hasn't suddenly dropped.
>>
>
> Any microwave ovens nearby?

Mine's not on. If I'm picking up my neighbour's then it must be leaking
badly. And 9-11 PM is a strange time for it to be on.