Linksys WRT54G acts like a dumb hub, no DHCP or wireless capabilities

I have a Linksys WRT54G 4-port with wireless that has been working for
a couple of years when all of the sudden the wireless stopped working.
In addition I noticed that the one computer that is connected via the
ethernet cable now gets a DHCP address assigned directly from my ISP
instead of one of those 192.168.1.x addresses the router is supposed to
assign. I tried holding the reset button down for 10 seconds and the
power light blinks but this does not correct the problem. I don't know
what firmware is in their (probably the original) because I haven't had
to mess with it since I set it up the first time.

So what it looks like now is that I have a dumb hub in that ethernet
ports 1 to 4 can all talk to each other and in turn they can all talk
to the cable modem that is plugged into the WAN ethernet port but I
can't get the router to assign a DHCP address or do wireless. I tried
hard coding 192.168.1.50 into my computer and point my web browser at
192.168.100.1 and 192.168.1.1 (as one of those is the admin config
screen) but it doesn't seem to be serving up the admin web page either.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Richard

Richard52 wrote:
> I have a Linksys WRT54G 4-port with wireless that has been working for
> a couple of years when all of the sudden the wireless stopped working.
> In addition I noticed that the one computer that is connected via the
> ethernet cable now gets a DHCP address assigned directly from my ISP
> instead of one of those 192.168.1.x addresses the router is supposed to
> assign. I tried holding the reset button down for 10 seconds and the
> power light blinks but this does not correct the problem. I don't know
> what firmware is in their (probably the original) because I haven't had
> to mess with it since I set it up the first time.
>
> So what it looks like now is that I have a dumb hub in that ethernet
> ports 1 to 4 can all talk to each other and in turn they can all talk
> to the cable modem that is plugged into the WAN ethernet port but I
> can't get the router to assign a DHCP address or do wireless. I tried
> hard coding 192.168.1.50 into my computer and point my web browser at
> 192.168.100.1 and 192.168.1.1 (as one of those is the admin config
> screen) but it doesn't seem to be serving up the admin web page either.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
> Richard
>
Ten seconds is not enough the reset to factory defaults. Hold the reset
button 40 seconds.

After that, if you can't access the web interface and it is not sending
a wireless signal, I suppose it is dead.

Jerry Park wrote:
> Richard52 wrote:
>
>> I have a Linksys WRT54G 4-port with wireless that has been working for
>> a couple of years when all of the sudden the wireless stopped working.
>> In addition I noticed that the one computer that is connected via the
>> ethernet cable now gets a DHCP address assigned directly from my ISP
>> instead of one of those 192.168.1.x addresses the router is supposed to
>> assign. I tried holding the reset button down for 10 seconds and the
>> power light blinks but this does not correct the problem. I don't know
>> what firmware is in their (probably the original) because I haven't had
>> to mess with it since I set it up the first time.
>>
>> So what it looks like now is that I have a dumb hub in that ethernet
>> ports 1 to 4 can all talk to each other and in turn they can all talk
>> to the cable modem that is plugged into the WAN ethernet port but I
>> can't get the router to assign a DHCP address or do wireless. I tried
>> hard coding 192.168.1.50 into my computer and point my web browser at
>> 192.168.100.1 and 192.168.1.1 (as one of those is the admin config
>> screen) but it doesn't seem to be serving up the admin web page either.
>>
>> Any suggestions?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Richard
>>
> Ten seconds is not enough the reset to factory defaults. Hold the reset
> button 40 seconds.
>
> After that, if you can't access the web interface and it is not sending
> a wireless signal, I suppose it is dead.
Hi,
Also make sure the power adapter is in good shape.

I have a very similar situation as Richard (text below). I have had a
WRT54g for about 2 years. I have a PC and laptop connected wirelessly
to the router. I have a Vonage box and an XBOX connected to the router
with Ethernet cables. Everything worked great for the past 2 years.

Then last week I could no longer "hold" a wireless connection. Both the
laptop and the PC would lose connection with the router. After plugging
the laptop into the router with an Ethernet cable, I checked all the
settings. Everything including security seemed as I had originally set
it. I figured the router had fried and went and bought the same model.

Brought home the new WRT54g and set it up. Configured it with all
factory defaults to start with just to make sure all was working ok.
Well, the results are the same: I can connect to the wireless network,
but after about 10 minutes I will lose connection with the router. I
have to click on the Wireless Network Connection icon in the task bar,
click on my home network, go to the advanced tab, then exit. The
Wireless Network Connection will then find my linksys network and
connect to it. But then 10 minutes later it loses connection again.

Same problem with 2 routers on 2 different computers. I can't seem to
find the common denominator that is causing the problem. I have the
same telephone system, no blue tooth accessories, no new hardware in the
house, etc. And since the problem occurs on both my laptop and
PC,(which are located in 2 different rooms), it is really hard to pinpoint.

Thanks for any ideas.

Robin


Tony Hwang wrote:
> Jerry Park wrote:
>
>> Richard52 wrote:
>>
>>> I have a Linksys WRT54G 4-port with wireless that has been working for
>>> a couple of years when all of the sudden the wireless stopped working.
>>> In addition I noticed that the one computer that is connected via the
>>> ethernet cable now gets a DHCP address assigned directly from my ISP
>>> instead of one of those 192.168.1.x addresses the router is supposed to
>>> assign. I tried holding the reset button down for 10 seconds and the
>>> power light blinks but this does not correct the problem. I don't know
>>> what firmware is in their (probably the original) because I haven't had
>>> to mess with it since I set it up the first time.
>>>
>>> So what it looks like now is that I have a dumb hub in that ethernet
>>> ports 1 to 4 can all talk to each other and in turn they can all talk
>>> to the cable modem that is plugged into the WAN ethernet port but I
>>> can't get the router to assign a DHCP address or do wireless. I tried
>>> hard coding 192.168.1.50 into my computer and point my web browser at
>>> 192.168.100.1 and 192.168.1.1 (as one of those is the admin config
>>> screen) but it doesn't seem to be serving up the admin web page either.
>>>
>>> Any suggestions?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Richard
>>>
>> Ten seconds is not enough the reset to factory defaults. Hold the
>> reset button 40 seconds.
>>
>> After that, if you can't access the web interface and it is not
>> sending a wireless signal, I suppose it is dead.
>
> Hi,
> Also make sure the power adapter is in good shape.

"Richard52" <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:

>I have a Linksys WRT54G 4-port with wireless that has been working for
>a couple of years when all of the sudden the wireless stopped working.
>In addition I noticed that the one computer that is connected via the
>ethernet cable now gets a DHCP address assigned directly from my ISP
>instead of one of those 192.168.1.x addresses the router is supposed to
>assign.

Ahah. The problem is obvious. You have your ethernet wires scrambled
in back of the WRT54G. The cable/DLS/whatever modem is plugged into
one of the LAN ports instead of the WAN/internet port. Check thy
wiring.

>I tried holding the reset button down for 10 seconds and the
>power light blinks but this does not correct the problem.

That's not long enough for a full hard reset to defaults. That takes
about 30-45 seconds. However, don't do it quite yet. Check the wires
first. There may be nothing wrong.

>I don't know
>what firmware is in their (probably the original) because I haven't had
>to mess with it since I set it up the first time.
>
>So what it looks like now is that I have a dumb hub in that ethernet
>ports 1 to 4 can all talk to each other and in turn they can all talk
>to the cable modem that is plugged into the WAN ethernet port but I
>can't get the router to assign a DHCP address or do wireless. I tried
>hard coding 192.168.1.50 into my computer and point my web browser at
>192.168.100.1 and 192.168.1.1 (as one of those is the admin config
>screen) but it doesn't seem to be serving up the admin web page either.

WRT54G default IP address is 192.168.1.1. Hmmm... this is bad because
even with the modem plugged into the wrong port, you still should have
been able to get to the internal web server. Weird. Ignore this for
now as sometime the internal web server requires trickery like adding
a slash at the end of the URL as in:
http://192.168.1.1/
Meanwhile, try to ping the router.
Start -> run -> cmd <enter>
ping 192.168.1.1
If it correctly returns pings, it will eventually work.

>Any suggestions?

Sacrifice an old 386 motherboard on the hibachi might help.

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Billy Bob wrote:
> I have a very similar situation as Richard (text below). I have had a
> WRT54g for about 2 years. I have a PC and laptop connected wirelessly
> to the router. I have a Vonage box and an XBOX connected to the router
> with Ethernet cables. Everything worked great for the past 2 years.
>
> Then last week I could no longer "hold" a wireless connection. Both the
> laptop and the PC would lose connection with the router. After plugging
> the laptop into the router with an Ethernet cable, I checked all the
> settings. Everything including security seemed as I had originally set
> it. I figured the router had fried and went and bought the same model.
>
> Brought home the new WRT54g and set it up. Configured it with all
> factory defaults to start with just to make sure all was working ok.
> Well, the results are the same: I can connect to the wireless network,
> but after about 10 minutes I will lose connection with the router. I
> have to click on the Wireless Network Connection icon in the task bar,
> click on my home network, go to the advanced tab, then exit. The
> Wireless Network Connection will then find my linksys network and
> connect to it. But then 10 minutes later it loses connection again.
>
> Same problem with 2 routers on 2 different computers. I can't seem to
> find the common denominator that is causing the problem. I have the
> same telephone system, no blue tooth accessories, no new hardware in the
> house, etc. And since the problem occurs on both my laptop and
> PC,(which are located in 2 different rooms), it is really hard to pinpoint.
>
> Thanks for any ideas.
>
> Robin
>
>
> Tony Hwang wrote:
>
>> Jerry Park wrote:
>>
>>> Richard52 wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have a Linksys WRT54G 4-port with wireless that has been working for
>>>> a couple of years when all of the sudden the wireless stopped working.
>>>> In addition I noticed that the one computer that is connected via the
>>>> ethernet cable now gets a DHCP address assigned directly from my ISP
>>>> instead of one of those 192.168.1.x addresses the router is supposed to
>>>> assign. I tried holding the reset button down for 10 seconds and the
>>>> power light blinks but this does not correct the problem. I don't know
>>>> what firmware is in their (probably the original) because I haven't had
>>>> to mess with it since I set it up the first time.
>>>>
>>>> So what it looks like now is that I have a dumb hub in that ethernet
>>>> ports 1 to 4 can all talk to each other and in turn they can all talk
>>>> to the cable modem that is plugged into the WAN ethernet port but I
>>>> can't get the router to assign a DHCP address or do wireless. I tried
>>>> hard coding 192.168.1.50 into my computer and point my web browser at
>>>> 192.168.100.1 and 192.168.1.1 (as one of those is the admin config
>>>> screen) but it doesn't seem to be serving up the admin web page either.
>>>>
>>>> Any suggestions?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Richard
>>>>
>>> Ten seconds is not enough the reset to factory defaults. Hold the
>>> reset button 40 seconds.
>>>
>>> After that, if you can't access the web interface and it is not
>>> sending a wireless signal, I suppose it is dead.
>>
>>
>> Hi,
>> Also make sure the power adapter is in good shape.
Hi,
Any possibility of new source of interference.
Tony

Tony Hwang wrote:
> Billy Bob wrote:
>
>> I have a very similar situation as Richard (text below). I have had a
>> WRT54g for about 2 years. I have a PC and laptop connected wirelessly
>> to the router. I have a Vonage box and an XBOX connected to the
>> router with Ethernet cables. Everything worked great for the past 2
>> years.
>>
>> Then last week I could no longer "hold" a wireless connection. Both
>> the laptop and the PC would lose connection with the router. After
>> plugging the laptop into the router with an Ethernet cable, I checked
>> all the settings. Everything including security seemed as I had
>> originally set it. I figured the router had fried and went and bought
>> the same model.
>>
>> Brought home the new WRT54g and set it up. Configured it with all
>> factory defaults to start with just to make sure all was working ok.
>> Well, the results are the same: I can connect to the wireless
>> network, but after about 10 minutes I will lose connection with the
>> router. I have to click on the Wireless Network Connection icon in
>> the task bar, click on my home network, go to the advanced tab, then
>> exit. The Wireless Network Connection will then find my linksys
>> network and connect to it. But then 10 minutes later it loses
>> connection again.
>>
>> Same problem with 2 routers on 2 different computers. I can't seem to
>> find the common denominator that is causing the problem. I have the
>> same telephone system, no blue tooth accessories, no new hardware in
>> the house, etc. And since the problem occurs on both my laptop and
>> PC,(which are located in 2 different rooms), it is really hard to
>> pinpoint.
>>
>> Thanks for any ideas.
>>
>> Robin
>>
>>
>> Tony Hwang wrote:
>>
>>> Jerry Park wrote:
>>>
>>>> Richard52 wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I have a Linksys WRT54G 4-port with wireless that has been working for
>>>>> a couple of years when all of the sudden the wireless stopped working.
>>>>> In addition I noticed that the one computer that is connected via the
>>>>> ethernet cable now gets a DHCP address assigned directly from my ISP
>>>>> instead of one of those 192.168.1.x addresses the router is
>>>>> supposed to
>>>>> assign. I tried holding the reset button down for 10 seconds and the
>>>>> power light blinks but this does not correct the problem. I don't
>>>>> know
>>>>> what firmware is in their (probably the original) because I haven't
>>>>> had
>>>>> to mess with it since I set it up the first time.
>>>>>
>>>>> So what it looks like now is that I have a dumb hub in that ethernet
>>>>> ports 1 to 4 can all talk to each other and in turn they can all talk
>>>>> to the cable modem that is plugged into the WAN ethernet port but I
>>>>> can't get the router to assign a DHCP address or do wireless. I tried
>>>>> hard coding 192.168.1.50 into my computer and point my web browser at
>>>>> 192.168.100.1 and 192.168.1.1 (as one of those is the admin config
>>>>> screen) but it doesn't seem to be serving up the admin web page
>>>>> either.
>>>>>
>>>>> Any suggestions?
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>> Richard
>>>>>
>>>> Ten seconds is not enough the reset to factory defaults. Hold the
>>>> reset button 40 seconds.
>>>>
>>>> After that, if you can't access the web interface and it is not
>>>> sending a wireless signal, I suppose it is dead.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Hi,
>>> Also make sure the power adapter is in good shape.
>
> Hi,
> Any possibility of new source of interference.
> Tony
Don't know where you're located - but could a neighbor have
gotten a new cordless phone or something like that?

Louise

Billy Bob <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:

>I have a very similar situation as Richard (text below).

No, it's NOT similar to anyone elses. Does one of your computers
successfully obtain a DHCP assigned IP address directly from the ISP
with a routeable and functional IP address? If not, then your problem
is NOT similar to Richards.

It's difficult enough following the threads and topics without having
someone start a new thread in the middle. Please consider your
problem to be unique unless you have exactly the same equipment,
operating system, and symptoms.

>I have had a
>WRT54g for about 2 years. I have a PC and laptop connected wirelessly
>to the router. I have a Vonage box and an XBOX connected to the router
>with Ethernet cables. Everything worked great for the past 2 years.

What hardware version WRT54G?
What version of the firmware?
Are you using Linksys firmware or alternative firmware?

>Then last week I could no longer "hold" a wireless connection. Both the
>laptop and the PC would lose connection with the router. After plugging
>the laptop into the router with an Ethernet cable, I checked all the
>settings. Everything including security seemed as I had originally set
>it. I figured the router had fried and went and bought the same model.

What hardware version of the WRT54G did you buy?

Are you getting the idea? Numbers, not general descriptions please.
In this case, the V5 mutation of the WRT54G has problems and requires
a firmware update to function.

Incidentally, that I try to encourage people to do is supply:
1. What problem are you trying to solve? Describe the symptoms
exactly.
2. What do you have to work with? Hardware, software, models,
versions, numbers, numbers, numbers.
3. What have you done so far and what happened?
You did quite well on 1 and 3, but are lacking in number 2. Many
devices have version specific problems.

>Brought home the new WRT54g and set it up. Configured it with all
>factory defaults to start with just to make sure all was working ok.
>Well, the results are the same: I can connect to the wireless network,
>but after about 10 minutes I will lose connection with the router.

Is it a consistent 10 minutes? Is it exactly 10 minutes? If so, it
might be a WPA key renewal problem. Are you using WPA, WEP, or no
encryption for this test? I suggest you use some form of encryption
to prevent you from accidentally connecting to the neighbors,
especially if you left the SSID at the default.

>I
>have to click on the Wireless Network Connection icon in the task bar,
>click on my home network, go to the advanced tab, then exit. The
>Wireless Network Connection will then find my linksys network and
>connect to it. But then 10 minutes later it loses connection again.

Sounds like Windoze XP. Was this on the laptop or the PC? Do you
have SP2 installed and all the monumental pile of updates, patches,
and fixes from Microsoft? What manner of wireless card or device are
you using in the laptop and the PC?

>Same problem with 2 routers on 2 different computers. I can't seem to
>find the common denominator that is causing the problem. I have the
>same telephone system, no blue tooth accessories, no new hardware in the
>house, etc. And since the problem occurs on both my laptop and
>PC,(which are located in 2 different rooms), it is really hard to pinpoint.

Hang on while I fire up the crystal ball. It never fails to see the
obscure, but often had problems with the obvious. Ah, finally booted
and the genie is ready....

I can't tell if it's inteference from some other system by your
symptoms. More data is needed. Having it die EXACTLY after 10
minutes of connection does not sound like interference. It sounds
more like a WPA key timing negotiation issue, a power management issue
on the laptop that's shutting down the wireless to save power, or
something similar. It's improbable that it has magically happened on
two routers and two wireless computers, so these are unlikely but
still worth checking.

Another possibility that might fit the pattern are wireless web
cameras. These can be set to send a picture every few minutes. The
10 minute interval is the key to the problem. If the camera is
nearby, running high power, this might be the cause.

Another all too common source of garbage are mesh networks. I have a
very dim view of these "free" municipal networks. They tend to run
high power (Tropos uses 1watt into 6dBi omnis) and are located public
places. The most common use (or excuse) for these are installing
security cameras so the police can keep an eye on public places
without paying for the backhaul. It's difficult to tell if you have
one of these around without knowing your location. It also doesn't
fit your described interference pattern as the interference from mesh
networks tends to be continuous. Don't assume that a mesh uses only
one channel. There are those (Belaire Networks) that uses two
channels. Try Google using:
"municipal wireless network your_city_here"
and see if anything is planned. You may just have ended up next to
the test system. Also check if there are any WISP (wireless ISP's) in
your city. If so, call them and ask.

There are plenty of non-802.11 sources that can also cause problems.
Microwave ovens, microwave heaters, X10 video cameras, proprietary
modulation links, WISP backhauls, ad nausium.

Try moving to a different non-overlapping channel (1, 6, 11) and see
if the problem changes. If it doesn't, then it *MAY* not be
interference and it probably is something in your allegedly unchanged
setup. Don't use any of the in between channels or you'll get
inteference from both adjacent non-overlapping channels.

Also try looking for the interference. Fire up Netstumbler on your
laptop and see if there are any nearby strong 802.11 signals. If that
shows nothing, get a Live CD with Kismet and you can see clients and
blank SSID access points that Netstumbler will not show. I suggest
Security Auditor CD.

A better description of the loss of connection timing would be nice.
Also some clue as to if the thruput (download speed) is normal when
it's working for the first 10 minutes. If it's slow, jerky and
erratic, it's inteference of some sorts where it takes 10 minutes for
your wireless client to finally give up.

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

I don't mean to spam but you can also checkout my website that talks
all about IP Cameras which are security cameras that attach to a
computer network allowing you to view them over the Internet. The
website is http://www.networkcamerareviews.com.

Wes

Jeff, Thanks for your extensive reply.

When I first read Richard2 post, I meant we had a similar problem in
that we both had the same router and the wireless networking would stop
or the connection would be dropped between the 2 devices. After reading
your reply, I see that we were never really that much alike in our
problems. My original thought was that maybe the routers had auto
updated a new firmware or revision and there was a bug with the revision.

After switching my router to channel 1 yesterday, it seemed to be
working ok. That was until my wife got on the phone. I am not that
technical, but I know channel 1 on the router operates at 2.412 Ghz.
And the phone my wife was using is a 2.4 Ghz attached to a Vonage
network adapter. The phone and the adapter are less than one foot from
the router. My connection to the router dropped within 10 seconds of
her placing a phone call.

I logged into the router via Ethernet cable, switched to channel 11 and
have been connected steadily to the router for about 24 hours now.

Ever know of a cordless phone interfering with a router before?


Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> Billy Bob <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:
>
>
>>I have a very similar situation as Richard (text below).
>
>
> No, it's NOT similar to anyone elses. Does one of your computers
> successfully obtain a DHCP assigned IP address directly from the ISP
> with a routeable and functional IP address? If not, then your problem
> is NOT similar to Richards.
>
> It's difficult enough following the threads and topics without having
> someone start a new thread in the middle. Please consider your
> problem to be unique unless you have exactly the same equipment,
> operating system, and symptoms.
>
>
>>I have had a
>>WRT54g for about 2 years. I have a PC and laptop connected wirelessly
>>to the router. I have a Vonage box and an XBOX connected to the router
>>with Ethernet cables. Everything worked great for the past 2 years.
>
>
> What hardware version WRT54G?
> What version of the firmware?
> Are you using Linksys firmware or alternative firmware?
>
>
>>Then last week I could no longer "hold" a wireless connection. Both the
>>laptop and the PC would lose connection with the router. After plugging
>>the laptop into the router with an Ethernet cable, I checked all the
>>settings. Everything including security seemed as I had originally set
>>it. I figured the router had fried and went and bought the same model.
>
>
> What hardware version of the WRT54G did you buy?
>
> Are you getting the idea? Numbers, not general descriptions please.
> In this case, the V5 mutation of the WRT54G has problems and requires
> a firmware update to function.
>
> Incidentally, that I try to encourage people to do is supply:
> 1. What problem are you trying to solve? Describe the symptoms
> exactly.
> 2. What do you have to work with? Hardware, software, models,
> versions, numbers, numbers, numbers.
> 3. What have you done so far and what happened?
> You did quite well on 1 and 3, but are lacking in number 2. Many
> devices have version specific problems.
>
>
>>Brought home the new WRT54g and set it up. Configured it with all
>>factory defaults to start with just to make sure all was working ok.
>>Well, the results are the same: I can connect to the wireless network,
>>but after about 10 minutes I will lose connection with the router.
>
>
> Is it a consistent 10 minutes? Is it exactly 10 minutes? If so, it
> might be a WPA key renewal problem. Are you using WPA, WEP, or no
> encryption for this test? I suggest you use some form of encryption
> to prevent you from accidentally connecting to the neighbors,
> especially if you left the SSID at the default.
>
>
>>I
>>have to click on the Wireless Network Connection icon in the task bar,
>>click on my home network, go to the advanced tab, then exit. The
>>Wireless Network Connection will then find my linksys network and
>>connect to it. But then 10 minutes later it loses connection again.
>
>
> Sounds like Windoze XP. Was this on the laptop or the PC? Do you
> have SP2 installed and all the monumental pile of updates, patches,
> and fixes from Microsoft? What manner of wireless card or device are
> you using in the laptop and the PC?
>
>
>>Same problem with 2 routers on 2 different computers. I can't seem to
>>find the common denominator that is causing the problem. I have the
>>same telephone system, no blue tooth accessories, no new hardware in the
>>house, etc. And since the problem occurs on both my laptop and
>>PC,(which are located in 2 different rooms), it is really hard to pinpoint.
>
>
> Hang on while I fire up the crystal ball. It never fails to see the
> obscure, but often had problems with the obvious. Ah, finally booted
> and the genie is ready....
>
> I can't tell if it's inteference from some other system by your
> symptoms. More data is needed. Having it die EXACTLY after 10
> minutes of connection does not sound like interference. It sounds
> more like a WPA key timing negotiation issue, a power management issue
> on the laptop that's shutting down the wireless to save power, or
> something similar. It's improbable that it has magically happened on
> two routers and two wireless computers, so these are unlikely but
> still worth checking.
>
> Another possibility that might fit the pattern are wireless web
> cameras. These can be set to send a picture every few minutes. The
> 10 minute interval is the key to the problem. If the camera is
> nearby, running high power, this might be the cause.
>
> Another all too common source of garbage are mesh networks. I have a
> very dim view of these "free" municipal networks. They tend to run
> high power (Tropos uses 1watt into 6dBi omnis) and are located public
> places. The most common use (or excuse) for these are installing
> security cameras so the police can keep an eye on public places
> without paying for the backhaul. It's difficult to tell if you have
> one of these around without knowing your location. It also doesn't
> fit your described interference pattern as the interference from mesh
> networks tends to be continuous. Don't assume that a mesh uses only
> one channel. There are those (Belaire Networks) that uses two
> channels. Try Google using:
> "municipal wireless network your_city_here"
> and see if anything is planned. You may just have ended up next to
> the test system. Also check if there are any WISP (wireless ISP's) in
> your city. If so, call them and ask.
>
> There are plenty of non-802.11 sources that can also cause problems.
> Microwave ovens, microwave heaters, X10 video cameras, proprietary
> modulation links, WISP backhauls, ad nausium.
>
> Try moving to a different non-overlapping channel (1, 6, 11) and see
> if the problem changes. If it doesn't, then it *MAY* not be
> interference and it probably is something in your allegedly unchanged
> setup. Don't use any of the in between channels or you'll get
> inteference from both adjacent non-overlapping channels.
>
> Also try looking for the interference. Fire up Netstumbler on your
> laptop and see if there are any nearby strong 802.11 signals. If that
> shows nothing, get a Live CD with Kismet and you can see clients and
> blank SSID access points that Netstumbler will not show. I suggest
> Security Auditor CD.
>
> A better description of the loss of connection timing would be nice.
> Also some clue as to if the thruput (download speed) is normal when
> it's working for the first 10 minutes. If it's slow, jerky and
> erratic, it's inteference of some sorts where it takes 10 minutes for
> your wireless client to finally give up.
>