wireless frustration

Ok, here's the deal:

Downstairs is an AMD 1700+ dualbooting Linux and Win2k with a belkin PCI
wireless card in it. Don't worry, I'm not asking how to get it working on
Linux. I know a lost cause when I see one.

Upstairs is a P3 800 running WinME with another Belkin PCI card in it.

Yesterday, everything was fine. Networked perfectly, 100% signal.

Today, nothing. Now I'm assuming it's because I've moved the downstairs PC
up against the wall and there's a fair few cables near the aerial, but I'm
still getting a reported signal strength of between 65 and 95%. Problem is,
I've tried shifting it back where it was, clearing the wires away, etc etc
and nothing seems to improve things.

I'm getting an ADSL wireless router soon, but I want to get these buggers
working first so I can thrash the missus at quake.

Any advice that doesn't contain the words "get a router" or "move the PC"
would be gratefully recieved.

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On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 12:08:21 +0100, Robin Lithaborn
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Today, nothing. Now I'm assuming it's because I've moved the downstairs PC
>up against the wall and there's a fair few cables near the aerial, but I'm
>still getting a reported signal strength of between 65 and 95%. Problem is,
>I've tried shifting it back where it was, clearing th

so presumably you have a decent signal and link speed ?

and the problem is what ?

do the IP addresses on each card make sense ?

Is this an ad-hoc wireless network ? any security ? tried a different
channel like 1 (best range as lowest frequency).

Phil
--
Remember - Global Warming is only a weather forecast :-)

Phil Thompson wrote:
> On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 12:08:21 +0100, Robin Lithaborn
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>
>>Today, nothing. Now I'm assuming it's because I've moved the downstairs PC
>>up against the wall and there's a fair few cables near the aerial, but I'm
>>still getting a reported signal strength of between 65 and 95%. Problem is,
>>I've tried shifting it back where it was, clearing th
>
>
> so presumably you have a decent signal and link speed ?

If you call 85-95% decent, then yes. Link speed fluctuates between 5.5
and 11K

> and the problem is what ?

Despite showing green lights on both PC's, it's not connecting

> do the IP addresses on each card make sense ?

The WinME shows a good IP, I even opened that IP specifically and a
range that includes that IP in Zonealarm just in case. No dice.

The W2k card shows no IP in the configuration utility, but my network
settings say it's got the IP I'd expect.

> Is this an ad-hoc wireless network ?

Yep

any security ?

nope. I know this is bad practise but I'd rather get it working, then
deal with WEP keys.

tried a different
> channel like 1 (best range as lowest frequency).

Channel 5 is the only one I get a response on. Any other channel, the
cards can't even see each other.

There is another wireless signal in the area, showing between 45-60%. I
presume a neighbour has a wireless net although I can't know for sure
because I don't know any of them. can this interfere with my net?

There is a lot of EM bleed (lots of cables) around the W2k aerial and
I've tried to minimise it, the problem doesn't seem to be fixed even
when recreating the circumstances it worked under previously.

Waah, I want my router!

On Wed, 17 Aug 2005 02:00:24 +0100, Lithaborn
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>> so presumably you have a decent signal and link speed ?
>If you call 85-95% decent, then yes. Link speed fluctuates between 5.5
>and 11K

5.5 and 11M presumably :-)
I have an ME machine on a wireless link that sits at 45% signal and
11M so don't worry about that.

>> and the problem is what ?
>Despite showing green lights on both PC's, it's not connecting

sorry, what does "connecting" mean - you can't ping from one to the
other, you can't share folders, internet access isn't working ?

>> do the IP addresses on each card make sense ?
>
>The WinME shows a good IP, I even opened that IP specifically and a
>range that includes that IP in Zonealarm just in case. No dice.
>
>The W2k card shows no IP in the configuration utility, but my network
>settings say it's got the IP I'd expect.
>

and the IP addresses and subnet masks are........

>nope. I know this is bad practise but I'd rather get it working, then
>deal with WEP keys.

indeed, I would turn the firewall(s) off too until its sorted.

>Channel 5 is the only one I get a response on. Any other channel, the
>cards can't even see each other.

now that is odd.

>There is another wireless signal in the area, showing between 45-60%. I
>presume a neighbour has a wireless net although I can't know for sure
>because I don't know any of them. can this interfere with my net?

802.11b/g has overlapping channels, so something set to 6 bleeds over
from 4 to 8 and something else set to 11 bleeds over from 9 to 13. A
neighbouring device can slow throughput right down.

So yes, something on overlapping channels will greatly affect
performance, especially if the signal is that high.

Phil
--
Remember - Global Warming is only a weather forecast :-)

Phil Thompson wrote:
> On Wed, 17 Aug 2005 02:00:24 +0100, Lithaborn
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>
>>>so presumably you have a decent signal and link speed ?
>>
>>If you call 85-95% decent, then yes. Link speed fluctuates between 5.5
>>and 11K
>
>
> 5.5 and 11M presumably :-)
> I have an ME machine on a wireless link that sits at 45% signal and
> 11M so don't worry about that.
>
>>>and the problem is what ?
>>
>>Despite showing green lights on both PC's, it's not connecting
>
>
> sorry, what does "connecting" mean - you can't ping from one to the
> other, you can't share folders, internet access isn't working ?

Yep, all of them. Green lights but absolutely nothing else.

>>>do the IP addresses on each card make sense ?
>>
>>The WinME shows a good IP, I even opened that IP specifically and a
>>range that includes that IP in Zonealarm just in case. No dice.
>>
>>The W2k card shows no IP in the configuration utility, but my network
>>settings say it's got the IP I'd expect.
>>
>
>
> and the IP addresses and subnet masks are........

the usual for Windows ICS: 192.168.0.x/255.255.255.0

Specifically, the W2k box is 192.168.0.1, the ME box is 192.168.0.116
(It's set to get a random IP, but invariably chooses this one)

I opened the 192.168.0.x range in zonealert, as well as opening
192.168.0.116 specifically.

>>nope. I know this is bad practise but I'd rather get it working, then
>>deal with WEP keys.
>
>
> indeed, I would turn the firewall(s) off too until its sorted.

Last time I did that, I caught a virus

>>Channel 5 is the only one I get a response on. Any other channel, the
>>cards can't even see each other.
>
>
> now that is odd.

It's intermittent on ch. 5. Given what you say further down, I'm
wondering if the other router is swamping my downstairs card.

I can't be sure of anything, but our immediate neighbours share the
living room wall, dividing on our side with a bathroom and on their side
with an alcove which may hold their PC. If they had a WAP next to the
PC, it would put it less than five metres from our PC. I expect this
would be the cause of my problem.

Looks like the solution will be to get my own WAP and stick it well away
from the shared wall.

I'm assuming they had the router switched off while I was testing my net
before.

Thanks, I have a plan of action now.