Linksys Signal Just drops off the map...

I have a Linksys WAP54G wireless router, hardwired connected to one PC ... I
then have another PC with a Linksys PCI wireless card connection and a
Centrino laptop. At times the secure wireless network that I set up will
stop working and when I look for a list of available networks, I find
usually a list of about 3 or 4 other networks and mine is no where to be
found.

I've changed the channel that I broadcast my wireless on a few times and
I've used the laptop a mere 10 ft away from the router (in the same room)
and I've still had the network disappear. When it does happen, it's usually
for a minute or two, but it's been as much as 15 or longer sometimes.

Usually my connection works fine, except for these annoying drops.

Does anyone have any tips on things I can check or double-check, or settings
I can make?

Could this just possibly be from interference? I don't understand how my
very close (and always 'excellent' when working) connection can be
overpowered by a weaker 'low' connection from some other router in my
apartment building.

All the computers run WinXP SP2 ... thanks in advance for any tips!

Best,
John

Hi John,

I'm experiencing the same problems. I have a Linksys router and two
laptops. One is a MAC OS X and other is Windows XP. On the router I
have broadcasting disabled, MAC filtering, WEP enabled, and limiting
the IP addresses. I've experienced the problem with my XP machine, but
never with my MAC machine (and I'm 10 ft away just like you). I don't
know what the problem could be, but I'm glad to see I'm not the only
person with this problem.

After some research, I found that it might be in the settings of
networks you have. When you go into your available wireless networks
list, there is an arrangement of WLANs that the card will accept in
order. Try setting yours to first and deleting the others from the
list. That should work. I've tried it and it seems to be working.

John © wrote:
> I have a Linksys WAP54G wireless router,
<snipped>
> Usually my connection works fine, except for these annoying drops.
>
> Does anyone have any tips on things I can check or double-check, or
> settings I can make?
<Snipped>
>
> All the computers run WinXP SP2 ... thanks in advance for any tips!
>
> Best,
> John

Had the same prob when I went to sp2.. (dropped connections)... Updated my
devices firmware to v 2.07. Went to the linksys website, the page for my
WAP, and there is a link for "firmware" on the right side.. Click it (or
just here http://www.linksys.com/download/firmware.asp?fwid=206 ) There are
firmware updates and an install program.

Hope it works for you, but hey, worth a try, it's pretty easy and free.

It's interesting to hear that you don't have a problem with your MAC.

I'm having the same dropping problem with my 2 XP laptops. I suspected that
it was an XP problem (SP2), but the issue was clouded by the fact that the
drop would happen at the same time for both laptops, leading me to believe
that it was a Linksys problem. (Both laptops were 2 ft from the router).

Unfortunately, I don't have a MAC or Linux machine to test along side my XP
laptop.

With all the people reporting these problems, you would think that Microsoft
and/or Linksys would test what's going on and post a definitive explanation
for the problem.

Mike Schumann

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
> Hi John,
>
> I'm experiencing the same problems. I have a Linksys router and two
> laptops. One is a MAC OS X and other is Windows XP. On the router I
> have broadcasting disabled, MAC filtering, WEP enabled, and limiting
> the IP addresses. I've experienced the problem with my XP machine, but
> never with my MAC machine (and I'm 10 ft away just like you). I don't
> know what the problem could be, but I'm glad to see I'm not the only
> person with this problem.
>
> After some research, I found that it might be in the settings of
> networks you have. When you go into your available wireless networks
> list, there is an arrangement of WLANs that the card will accept in
> order. Try setting yours to first and deleting the others from the
> list. That should work. I've tried it and it seems to be working.
>

First off, is this indeed a WAP54G, which is a wireless access point,
not a router. Finally, I've been having similar problems with a WAP54G
and a WAP11B. I've now got one WAP54G set up as an access point and a
second as a router. Sometimes I lose LAN connectivity to the access
point. Other times I lose wireless access to the repeater. I've set up
a couple PHP scripts so I can ping various devices on the network from
anywhere. Each time there's a problem, I've generally been able to
resolve it by momentarily removing power on the affected device. REAL
FRUSTRATING!!! I'm running the latest firmware available on the
website. In a previous thread on the same problems with a WAP11, I was
thinking maybe it was RF interference, maybe termperature, maybe the
phase of the moon. The power cycling fixing it, though, seems to
eliminate these causes. I have another WAP54G set up as a client. Right
now, I can ping the access point, the repeater, but not the client.
This MIGHT be an RF problem, but I don't know.

Any other experiences would be useful! I'm thinking of setting up
something to remotely reboot the devices when they fail.

Harold

Have you tried a non-Linksys Access Point? I'd love to hear some
comparisons. If that would solve the problem, I'd dump my Linksys gear in a
heart beat.

Mike Schumann

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
> First off, is this indeed a WAP54G, which is a wireless access point,
> not a router. Finally, I've been having similar problems with a WAP54G
> and a WAP11B. I've now got one WAP54G set up as an access point and a
> second as a router. Sometimes I lose LAN connectivity to the access
> point. Other times I lose wireless access to the repeater. I've set up
> a couple PHP scripts so I can ping various devices on the network from
> anywhere. Each time there's a problem, I've generally been able to
> resolve it by momentarily removing power on the affected device. REAL
> FRUSTRATING!!! I'm running the latest firmware available on the
> website. In a previous thread on the same problems with a WAP11, I was
> thinking maybe it was RF interference, maybe termperature, maybe the
> phase of the moon. The power cycling fixing it, though, seems to
> eliminate these causes. I have another WAP54G set up as a client. Right
> now, I can ping the access point, the repeater, but not the client.
> This MIGHT be an RF problem, but I don't know.
>
> Any other experiences would be useful! I'm thinking of setting up
> something to remotely reboot the devices when they fail.
>
> Harold
>

On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 01:15:18 GMT, "John ©"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I have a Linksys WAP54G wireless router, hardwired connected to one PC ... I
>then have another PC with a Linksys PCI wireless card connection and a
>Centrino laptop. At times the secure wireless network that I set up will
>stop working and when I look for a list of available networks, I find
>usually a list of about 3 or 4 other networks and mine is no where to be
>found.
>
>I've changed the channel that I broadcast my wireless on a few times and
>I've used the laptop a mere 10 ft away from the router (in the same room)
>and I've still had the network disappear. When it does happen, it's usually
>for a minute or two, but it's been as much as 15 or longer sometimes.
>
>Usually my connection works fine, except for these annoying drops.
>
>Does anyone have any tips on things I can check or double-check, or settings
>I can make?
>
>Could this just possibly be from interference? I don't understand how my
>very close (and always 'excellent' when working) connection can be
>overpowered by a weaker 'low' connection from some other router in my
>apartment building.
>
>All the computers run WinXP SP2 ... thanks in advance for any tips!
>
>Best,
>John
>
I use a Linksys WAG54G Wireless Access Gateway with my home
network setup, and have had no problems of this nature. The only
problem I have experienced is a weak signal at the downstairs
computer. This computer is located such that the signal has to
pass through the downstairs roof, and that roof has sheathing
with an aluminum skin. This makes a very effective shield.
However, the connection is very reliable, and rarely ever causes
any problems. By and large, I'm very well pleased with my Linksys
setup.

Gordon L. Richard
>

I've got a lot invested in Linksys equipment right now and would like
to avoid having to dump it. It'd be great to solve the problems with
the WAP54G. Right now I have one set up as an access point running WEP.
Another is set up as a repeater. A third is set up as a client. All are
running WEP. I on occasion ping the devices and sometimes they just do
not respond. I've finally set up a couple devices so I can ring my
phone to reboot them. At first I thought it was RF interference, though
it seems unlikely to affect the LAN side. Then I thought it was
ttemperature. These units are upstairs where temperature sometimes gets
to 80F. But this morning, with windows open and temperature between 60F
and 70F, I've had to reboot three times. All units are running the
latest firmware from the Linksys website. Any ideas will be
appreciated!!!!

Harold

What operating system are you running on your PC(s)?

Are you sure you're not seeing this problem?

If you are just doing random surfing, you might not even notice the drops.
On my systems, the wireless links drop randomnly, but automatically
reconnect with 10-20 seconds. Unless you are running "ping -t ....." in a
command prompt window, you probably wouldn't even notice what happened.

Mike Schumann

"Gordon" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Sat, 15 Jan 2005 01:15:18 GMT, "John ©"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>I have a Linksys WAP54G wireless router, hardwired connected to one PC ...
>>I
>>then have another PC with a Linksys PCI wireless card connection and a
>>Centrino laptop. At times the secure wireless network that I set up will
>>stop working and when I look for a list of available networks, I find
>>usually a list of about 3 or 4 other networks and mine is no where to be
>>found.
>>
>>I've changed the channel that I broadcast my wireless on a few times and
>>I've used the laptop a mere 10 ft away from the router (in the same room)
>>and I've still had the network disappear. When it does happen, it's
>>usually
>>for a minute or two, but it's been as much as 15 or longer sometimes.
>>
>>Usually my connection works fine, except for these annoying drops.
>>
>>Does anyone have any tips on things I can check or double-check, or
>>settings
>>I can make?
>>
>>Could this just possibly be from interference? I don't understand how my
>>very close (and always 'excellent' when working) connection can be
>>overpowered by a weaker 'low' connection from some other router in my
>>apartment building.
>>
>>All the computers run WinXP SP2 ... thanks in advance for any tips!
>>
>>Best,
>>John
>>
> I use a Linksys WAG54G Wireless Access Gateway with my home
> network setup, and have had no problems of this nature. The only
> problem I have experienced is a weak signal at the downstairs
> computer. This computer is located such that the signal has to
> pass through the downstairs roof, and that roof has sheathing
> with an aluminum skin. This makes a very effective shield.
> However, the connection is very reliable, and rarely ever causes
> any problems. By and large, I'm very well pleased with my Linksys
> setup.
>
> Gordon L. Richard
>>
>

"Mike Schumann" <mike-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:9SaGd.7294$(E-Mail Removed) ink.net...
> It's interesting to hear that you don't have a problem with your MAC.
>
> I'm having the same dropping problem with my 2 XP laptops. I suspected
> that it was an XP problem (SP2), but the issue was clouded by the fact
> that the drop would happen at the same time for both laptops, leading me
> to believe that it was a Linksys problem. (Both laptops were 2 ft from
> the router).
>
> Unfortunately, I don't have a MAC or Linux machine to test along side my
> XP laptop.
>
> With all the people reporting these problems, you would think that
> Microsoft and/or Linksys would test what's going on and post a definitive
> explanation for the problem.
>
> Mike Schumann

Guess I'll throw my two cents in, too. Of the seven computers currently
connected to my WAP (a Linksys WRT54G), all with Linksys equipment, my
personal computer is the closest to the WAP yet is the one with the flakiest
connection (old house, thick corner walls diagonal to my home office, you
get the idea). I didn't have too many problems with Win XP SP1, and although
I would disconnect once in a while, it was usually only for about two or
three seconds and then it would reconnect on its own. If I happened to be
reading a Web page and not trying to connect to my mail or news server at
the exact moment the thing disconnected, I wouldn't have even noticed had
not the little bubble popped up indicating that I was "now connected" again.

After I installed SP2, however, XP seemed to become much less tolerant of
signal fluctuations. I would disconnect as often as several times in a
five-minute period, and sometimes it couldn't reconnect. It became *very*
frustrating. The following advice (copied from some fairly recent post)
helped a little, although some say that it's an urban legend:

+ + + + + + + +
There is a Wireless "Quality of Service" service in Windows XP that has
been rumored to knock the speed down if errors are encountered, but it
never goes back up... ultimately leaving you with zero speed.

I disabled the QoS service in the service panel, Set the reserved portion
to 0 in the group policies, and uninstalled the QoS from my card's network
properties. The Earthlink page suggests reducing the bandwidth to zero,
says nothing about the service panel, and says to enable the NIC (which I
didn't do).
<http://support.earthlink.net/mu/1/psc/img/walkthroughs/windows_XP/6800.psc.html>
Further.net suggests just removing it from the NIC:
<http://forums.furthurnet.org/viewtopic.php?p=995&sid=69055b9e626a90c2c3db542470 49f12e>

+ + + + + + + +

What *really* helped was this Hawking Technology 6-db hi-gain wireless -b/-g
antenna from
Newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...164-133&depa=0

It solved all of my connection problems. It's amazing. No more disconnects.
No more signal strength fluctuations. I connected it to my WMP54G
wireless adapter, set the antenna on my desk, and my connection has been
running rock solid ever since. That's the best $33 I've spent in a long
time.

Still, it can't be a coincidence that so many people running SP2 are
complaining of the same problem, and naturally I would have preferred not to
spend $33. I know that MS has added more wireless support with SP2, but it
sure seems as though something got broken in the process.


> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
>> Hi John,
>>
>> I'm experiencing the same problems. I have a Linksys router and two
>> laptops. One is a MAC OS X and other is Windows XP. On the router I
>> have broadcasting disabled, MAC filtering, WEP enabled, and limiting
>> the IP addresses. I've experienced the problem with my XP machine, but
>> never with my MAC machine (and I'm 10 ft away just like you). I don't
>> know what the problem could be, but I'm glad to see I'm not the only
>> person with this problem.
>>
>> After some research, I found that it might be in the settings of
>> networks you have. When you go into your available wireless networks
>> list, there is an arrangement of WLANs that the card will accept in
>> order. Try setting yours to first and deleting the others from the
>> list. That should work. I've tried it and it seems to be working.
>>
>
>