Sporadic connections to external AP driving me nuts

I have a SoHo network with a Netgear ME102 AP that has served me well
for the last couple of years with nary a problem. THe only wifi device
I use is my Compaq Evo with a built-in Compaq WLAN adapter. Again
works great.

However recently someone else nearby has put in a Belkin AP and my
laptop seems to give up the ghost on my own AP and reconf itself to
this alien AP. My own AP is WEP protected and a 'preferred host'
whereas the alien one is open and not on list of preferred networks.

When I find I lose my connection (this is on XP Pro BTW) I have to rt
click on the network systray icon and bring up the list of available
networks - it shows me mine and I select it again.

All this is a right royal PITA - how can I tell my laptop to just
ignore the hell out of anything other than the AP with teh ESSID I
specify? And why is this other AP usurping my connection when I have a
perfectly good local one? (I'm never so far from my local AP that the
signal is other than Excellent).

RB

OK I now know where the other AP is and it's right next door. What do I/we
need to do so that my PCs only ever connect to my AP and my neighbour's to
his?

RB


"Roland Burr" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> I have a SoHo network with a Netgear ME102 AP that has served me well
> for the last couple of years with nary a problem. THe only wifi device
> I use is my Compaq Evo with a built-in Compaq WLAN adapter. Again
> works great.
>
> However recently someone else nearby has put in a Belkin AP and my
> laptop seems to give up the ghost on my own AP and reconf itself to
> this alien AP. My own AP is WEP protected and a 'preferred host'
> whereas the alien one is open and not on list of preferred networks.
>
> When I find I lose my connection (this is on XP Pro BTW) I have to rt
> click on the network systray icon and bring up the list of available
> networks - it shows me mine and I select it again.
>
> All this is a right royal PITA - how can I tell my laptop to just
> ignore the hell out of anything other than the AP with teh ESSID I
> specify? And why is this other AP usurping my connection when I have a
> perfectly good local one? (I'm never so far from my local AP that the
> signal is other than Excellent).
>
> RB

Does your access point and/or your neighbor's Belkin broadcast their
respective SSID's? If so, perhaps turning off the broadcasts on both
units would help.

"Roland Burr" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<40d34c8c$0$4587$(E-Mail Removed)>...
> OK I now know where the other AP is and it's right next door. What do I/we
> need to do so that my PCs only ever connect to my AP and my neighbour's to
> his?
>
> RB
>
>
> "Roland Burr" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> > I have a SoHo network with a Netgear ME102 AP that has served me well
> > for the last couple of years with nary a problem. THe only wifi device
> > I use is my Compaq Evo with a built-in Compaq WLAN adapter. Again
> > works great.
> >
> > However recently someone else nearby has put in a Belkin AP and my
> > laptop seems to give up the ghost on my own AP and reconf itself to
> > this alien AP. My own AP is WEP protected and a 'preferred host'
> > whereas the alien one is open and not on list of preferred networks.
> >
> > When I find I lose my connection (this is on XP Pro BTW) I have to rt
> > click on the network systray icon and bring up the list of available
> > networks - it shows me mine and I select it again.
> >
> > All this is a right royal PITA - how can I tell my laptop to just
> > ignore the hell out of anything other than the AP with teh ESSID I
> > specify? And why is this other AP usurping my connection when I have a
> > perfectly good local one? (I'm never so far from my local AP that the
> > signal is other than Excellent).
> >
> > RB

The best way to limit your own PC to your own AP and for neighbor to do
likewise is to make sure that you have different SSIDs. Then if you are
using WinXP, make sure only your own SSID is on the Preferred Networks list.
Finally, uncheck the box for Automatically Connect to Non-Preferred
Networks. Also, choose the radio button to Access point (infrastructure)
Networks Only.

Ron Bandes, CCNP, CTT+, etc.

"deaconblues" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> Does your access point and/or your neighbor's Belkin broadcast their
> respective SSID's? If so, perhaps turning off the broadcasts on both
> units would help.
>
> "Roland Burr" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:<40d34c8c$0$4587$(E-Mail Removed)>...
> > OK I now know where the other AP is and it's right next door. What do
I/we
> > need to do so that my PCs only ever connect to my AP and my neighbour's
to
> > his?
> >
> > RB
> >
> >
> > "Roland Burr" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> > > I have a SoHo network with a Netgear ME102 AP that has served me well
> > > for the last couple of years with nary a problem. THe only wifi device
> > > I use is my Compaq Evo with a built-in Compaq WLAN adapter. Again
> > > works great.
> > >
> > > However recently someone else nearby has put in a Belkin AP and my
> > > laptop seems to give up the ghost on my own AP and reconf itself to
> > > this alien AP. My own AP is WEP protected and a 'preferred host'
> > > whereas the alien one is open and not on list of preferred networks.
> > >
> > > When I find I lose my connection (this is on XP Pro BTW) I have to rt
> > > click on the network systray icon and bring up the list of available
> > > networks - it shows me mine and I select it again.
> > >
> > > All this is a right royal PITA - how can I tell my laptop to just
> > > ignore the hell out of anything other than the AP with teh ESSID I
> > > specify? And why is this other AP usurping my connection when I have a
> > > perfectly good local one? (I'm never so far from my local AP that the
> > > signal is other than Excellent).
> > >
> > > RB

Ask your neighbor to enable encryption on his AP


On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 21:11:54 +0100, "Roland Burr"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>OK I now know where the other AP is and it's right next door. What do I/we
>need to do so that my PCs only ever connect to my AP and my neighbour's to
>his?
>
>RB
>
>
>"Roland Burr" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed). com...
>> I have a SoHo network with a Netgear ME102 AP that has served me well
>> for the last couple of years with nary a problem. THe only wifi device
>> I use is my Compaq Evo with a built-in Compaq WLAN adapter. Again
>> works great.
>>
>> However recently someone else nearby has put in a Belkin AP and my
>> laptop seems to give up the ghost on my own AP and reconf itself to
>> this alien AP. My own AP is WEP protected and a 'preferred host'
>> whereas the alien one is open and not on list of preferred networks.
>>
>> When I find I lose my connection (this is on XP Pro BTW) I have to rt
>> click on the network systray icon and bring up the list of available
>> networks - it shows me mine and I select it again.
>>
>> All this is a right royal PITA - how can I tell my laptop to just
>> ignore the hell out of anything other than the AP with teh ESSID I
>> specify? And why is this other AP usurping my connection when I have a
>> perfectly good local one? (I'm never so far from my local AP that the
>> signal is other than Excellent).
>>
>> RB
>