wireless newbie in distress. problems keeping a connection

the router is linksys WRT54G

and the nic is a Linksys Wireless-G 802.11 Portable USB Adapter

I also have the nic connected to about 15 ft of usb2 extension cable so I
can get as close to the router as possible.

I get 4 bars out of 5 of strength with a signal of 'very good' yet
everytime I initiate a high speed internet download, or a local lan download
I instantly get disconnected. it also randomly disconnects on its own when
im not downloading. sometimes loading a webpage causes it to disconnect too
but usually it can handle that.



any suggestions are apreciated.

"wd" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message newsw9ee.55785$WI3.27089@attbi_s71...
> the router is linksys WRT54G
>
> and the nic is a Linksys Wireless-G 802.11 Portable USB Adapter
>
> I also have the nic connected to about 15 ft of usb2 extension cable so I
> can get as close to the router as possible.
>
> I get 4 bars out of 5 of strength with a signal of 'very good' yet
> everytime I initiate a high speed internet download, or a local lan
download
> I instantly get disconnected. it also randomly disconnects on its own
when
> im not downloading. sometimes loading a webpage causes it to disconnect
too
> but usually it can handle that.
>
>
>
> any suggestions are apreciated.
>
>

also, incase it is relevant, the linksys router is setup as a gateway and
connected to my speedstream 2602 router. all wired computers connect
directly to the speedstream and only the wireless computer connects to the
linksys.

wd wrote:

>>
>>
>>
>> any suggestions are apreciated.
>>
>>
>
> also, incase it is relevant, the linksys router is setup as a gateway
> and connected to my speedstream 2602 router. all wired computers
> connect directly to the speedstream and only the wireless computer
> connects to the linksys.

Did you update the firmware? That specific model was updated on jan 3rd..You
may have one that was built before that update. (fixes for xp2 disco's
also). The linksys website has installers/info etc. (sorry typed the whole
update thing before, but am getting ready for a nap and am too tired)...

"Peter Pan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> wd wrote:
>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> any suggestions are apreciated.
> >>
> >>
> >
> > also, incase it is relevant, the linksys router is setup as a gateway
> > and connected to my speedstream 2602 router. all wired computers
> > connect directly to the speedstream and only the wireless computer
> > connects to the linksys.
>
> Did you update the firmware? That specific model was updated on jan
3rd..You
> may have one that was built before that update. (fixes for xp2 disco's
> also). The linksys website has installers/info etc. (sorry typed the whole
> update thing before, but am getting ready for a nap and am too tired)...
>
>


I tried that, appeared to fix it at first but then it started disconnecting
again.

However, I started moving usb plugs around with the idea of trying a
different slot, and when I disconnected the keyboard and heard windows make
the noise, (and did manual disconnect/reconnect testing) I realized that
windows isnt making that sound because the link to the router disconnected,
its making it because the usb card has disconnected. (ie, windows xp makes a
noise when usb devices of any kind are plugged in or unplugged, and not
because the internet access was just lost like I originally thought)


so, its in a different slot right now and so far is working fine, now the
question I gotto figure out is, is/was the card disconnecting from the
computer, or was the computer disconnecting from it.

wd wrote:
> "Peter Pan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>>wd wrote:
>>
>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>any suggestions are apreciated.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>also, incase it is relevant, the linksys router is setup as a gateway
>>>and connected to my speedstream 2602 router. all wired computers
>>>connect directly to the speedstream and only the wireless computer
>>>connects to the linksys.
>>
>>Did you update the firmware? That specific model was updated on jan
>
> 3rd..You
>
>>may have one that was built before that update. (fixes for xp2 disco's
>>also). The linksys website has installers/info etc. (sorry typed the whole
>>update thing before, but am getting ready for a nap and am too tired)...
>>
>>
>
>
>
> I tried that, appeared to fix it at first but then it started disconnecting
> again.
>
> However, I started moving usb plugs around with the idea of trying a
> different slot, and when I disconnected the keyboard and heard windows make
> the noise, (and did manual disconnect/reconnect testing) I realized that
> windows isnt making that sound because the link to the router disconnected,
> its making it because the usb card has disconnected. (ie, windows xp makes a
> noise when usb devices of any kind are plugged in or unplugged, and not
> because the internet access was just lost like I originally thought)
>
>
> so, its in a different slot right now and so far is working fine, now the
> question I gotto figure out is, is/was the card disconnecting from the
> computer, or was the computer disconnecting from it.
>
>
I presume you have things like energy save turned off , xp does turn off
network cards and maybe usb unless you tell it otherwise , in particular
gig nics I have found .

"atec" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> wd wrote:
> > "Peter Pan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> >
> >>wd wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>any suggestions are apreciated.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>also, incase it is relevant, the linksys router is setup as a gateway
> >>>and connected to my speedstream 2602 router. all wired computers
> >>>connect directly to the speedstream and only the wireless computer
> >>>connects to the linksys.
> >>
> >>Did you update the firmware? That specific model was updated on jan
> >
> > 3rd..You
> >
> >>may have one that was built before that update. (fixes for xp2 disco's
> >>also). The linksys website has installers/info etc. (sorry typed the
whole
> >>update thing before, but am getting ready for a nap and am too tired)...
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > I tried that, appeared to fix it at first but then it started
disconnecting
> > again.
> >
> > However, I started moving usb plugs around with the idea of trying a
> > different slot, and when I disconnected the keyboard and heard windows
make
> > the noise, (and did manual disconnect/reconnect testing) I realized that
> > windows isnt making that sound because the link to the router
disconnected,
> > its making it because the usb card has disconnected. (ie, windows xp
makes a
> > noise when usb devices of any kind are plugged in or unplugged, and not
> > because the internet access was just lost like I originally thought)
> >
> >
> > so, its in a different slot right now and so far is working fine, now
the
> > question I gotto figure out is, is/was the card disconnecting from the
> > computer, or was the computer disconnecting from it.
> >
> >
> I presume you have things like energy save turned off , xp does turn off
> network cards and maybe usb unless you tell it otherwise , in particular
> gig nics I have found .


are there any options for energy saving besides in the control panel/power
management or whatever its called? I think everything in there is turned off
but ill double check when im next door again where that machine is.

wd wrote:
> "atec" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>>wd wrote:
>>
>>>"Peter Pan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>
>>>
>>>>wd wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>any suggestions are apreciated.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>also, incase it is relevant, the linksys router is setup as a gateway
>>>>>and connected to my speedstream 2602 router. all wired computers
>>>>>connect directly to the speedstream and only the wireless computer
>>>>>connects to the linksys.
>>>>
>>>>Did you update the firmware? That specific model was updated on jan
>>>
>>>3rd..You
>>>
>>>
>>>>may have one that was built before that update. (fixes for xp2 disco's
>>>>also). The linksys website has installers/info etc. (sorry typed the
>
> whole
>
>>>>update thing before, but am getting ready for a nap and am too tired)...
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>I tried that, appeared to fix it at first but then it started
>
> disconnecting
>
>>>again.
>>>
>>>However, I started moving usb plugs around with the idea of trying a
>>>different slot, and when I disconnected the keyboard and heard windows
>
> make
>
>>>the noise, (and did manual disconnect/reconnect testing) I realized that
>>>windows isnt making that sound because the link to the router
>
> disconnected,
>
>>>its making it because the usb card has disconnected. (ie, windows xp
>
> makes a
>
>>>noise when usb devices of any kind are plugged in or unplugged, and not
>>>because the internet access was just lost like I originally thought)
>>>
>>>
>>>so, its in a different slot right now and so far is working fine, now
>
> the
>
>>>question I gotto figure out is, is/was the card disconnecting from the
>>>computer, or was the computer disconnecting from it.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>I presume you have things like energy save turned off , xp does turn off
>>network cards and maybe usb unless you tell it otherwise , in particular
>>gig nics I have found .
>
>
>
> are there any options for energy saving besides in the control panel/power
> management or whatever its called? I think everything in there is turned off
> but ill double check when im next door again where that machine is.
>
>
System manager /nic/ untick allow system to turn of this device to save
power .

in wireless advanced settings;
set MTU to 1400
RTS Threshold to 2304
Beacon interval to 200
"wd" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message newsw9ee.55785$WI3.27089@attbi_s71...
> the router is linksys WRT54G
>
> and the nic is a Linksys Wireless-G 802.11 Portable USB Adapter
>
> I also have the nic connected to about 15 ft of usb2 extension cable so I
> can get as close to the router as possible.
>
> I get 4 bars out of 5 of strength with a signal of 'very good' yet
> everytime I initiate a high speed internet download, or a local lan
> download
> I instantly get disconnected. it also randomly disconnects on its own
> when
> im not downloading. sometimes loading a webpage causes it to disconnect
> too
> but usually it can handle that.
>
>
>
> any suggestions are apreciated.
>
>

Also throw away the stock firmware.
goto www.linksysinfo.org get a 3rd party one
or even better invest 20$ usd in www.sveasoft.com
and get thier Talisman firmware which rocks and increases your router range
by 900%
"tzar" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:5dxee.18825$(E-Mail Removed). ..
> in wireless advanced settings;
> set MTU to 1400
> RTS Threshold to 2304
> Beacon interval to 200
> "wd" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> newsw9ee.55785$WI3.27089@attbi_s71...
>> the router is linksys WRT54G
>>
>> and the nic is a Linksys Wireless-G 802.11 Portable USB Adapter
>>
>> I also have the nic connected to about 15 ft of usb2 extension cable so I
>> can get as close to the router as possible.
>>
>> I get 4 bars out of 5 of strength with a signal of 'very good' yet
>> everytime I initiate a high speed internet download, or a local lan
>> download
>> I instantly get disconnected. it also randomly disconnects on its own
>> when
>> im not downloading. sometimes loading a webpage causes it to disconnect
>> too
>> but usually it can handle that.
>>
>>
>>
>> any suggestions are apreciated.
>>
>>
>
>

"tzar" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>Also throw away the stock firmware.
>goto www.linksysinfo.org get a 3rd party one
>or even better invest 20$ usd in www.sveasoft.com
>and get thier Talisman firmware which rocks and increases your router range
>by 900%

Sveasoft has Satori (free, with no documentation or support) and
Alchemy, which you pay for and can get docs and support as long
as you do not redistribute it.

In any case, the 900% is how much you can increase the WRT54G's
transmit power, but that does *not* equate to a 900% increase in
range, or for that matter necessarily any range increase at all!

A 6 dB, or 4 times increase in power, relates to just about
doubling the distance a signal will go, so the transmit range of
a WRT54G can be increased maybe 2 or 3 times. Unfortunately the
receive signal is not improved, and a client that is too far
away will still be too far away!

I use Satori firmware. I've been setting mine to either 56
milliwatts (3 dB more) or 84 milliwatts (a 4.8 dB increase). It
could be set as high as 254 milliwatts, which is a 9.6 dB
increase (and is where the 900% claim above comes from), but
that is a lot of extra heat for the chip to dissipate and
provides no likely benefit; hence it unnecessarily risks
damaging the chip.

--
Floyd L. Davidson <http://web.newsguy.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska) (E-Mail Removed)