Wireless Help!

RWB

I have this annoying problem where I get dropped by my wireless router if there isn't any activity for like a minute I figure.

It's a Linksys WRT54G router and a Linksys Wireless USB 802.11b Network Adapter.

Basically, when I get kicked off(which happens a lot) I have to go in check for my router and reconnect every damned time.

Please help!

kryyst

How far are you from the wireless router, are you using static or dhcp, do you use any encryption like WEP or WPA. Do you have a microwaver or a cordless phone that is used frequently. Have you updated the firmware on your router? Lost of possiblities. Need some more answers be for any real help can be provided.

RWB

The router is in the other room, not too far, this is happeniong any time even when no one else is around. There are no other wireless routers around here and the only real interferance possible is from my wireless keyboard and mouse, but I moved the wireless network adapter a ways off to keep it from screwing with my keyboard again. However, it was only messing with my keyboard and not the other way around.

I am using DHCP, and I haven't done a firmware update yet. I didn't want to go into that but I'll try it out.

RWB

firmware seems to have fixed it.

Didn't wanna do it, but I guess I had to. Wanted to see about overclocking it :P

kryyst

YOu can't overclock your router. YOu can put some really powerful 3rd party firmware on it but you can't overclock it.

RWB

I think it was just a saying, to get the wireless distance extended pretty far.

Either way, it's appearently still not working properly.

kryyst

OH you wanna boost your signal. Yup that you can do but again you need 3rd party software seasoft for example can boost the signal by slightly tweaking the mhz of the broadcast. However keep in mind that it puts more stress on the router and can cause it to burn out. A better way is to just get an antenna booster and leave the router working within it's normal range.

RWB

All I care about right now is being able to keep my connection, I can connect pretty far as it stands right now. But it never stays connected. Says I have a EXCELLENT connection, but it won't stay alive unless I constantly surf the web or something

kryyst

Unfortunately this problem isn't un-common. For most people it's just a matter of updating firmware. For others they just exchanged the routers.

RWB

This thing is weird, seems to happen almost randomly, only had to reconnect like twice today, I can leave for hours and come back with my PC still connected. But sometimes I'll leave for a minute, restroom break or something and it'll disco.

Maybe it is the distance... gonna have to fiddle around with it.

kryyst

Switch to a static IP and see if that improves the situation.

fishsauce

lol I have the exact same router, what a bugger eh? Whenever I experience a problem like that I have 2 simple rules. #1: reset the router (it has a realy small button you need to click on the back with a ballpoint pen) hold down the button for a few seconds. #2: Get the client computer (the computer with the adapter) to reboot, which allows it to see the connection. I don't even bother with using the encryption it just makes matters worse.. I have win xp home and so does the client pc. I hope when I install xp pro on my new system it won't make matters worse

Btw, my server now wont see the client pc even though its up and running and i've done the above and rebooted both pc's 2 times. ARgh. :kaka: :kaka: :kaka: :kaka:

2nd edit: Ok fixed it, I accessed my router through 192.168.1.1 which worked for now, man why can't they make the most popular router more user friendly.

RWB

kryyst wrote:

Switch to a static IP and see if that improves the situation.

I'm on DSL though, a dynamic IP. Unless you mean LAN IP? Do I do this within the router or on my adapter?

kryyst

I mean the LAN IP. Your router will have a DHCP range usually it's set to .100 so what that means is when you connect to it via DHCP your machine will get an IP in the range of .100 and up.

So on your PC if you turn off connect automatically in the TCP/IP setting and give it an IP below the .100 range like .10, .50 whatever it won't use DHCP to establish the connection.

So you'll need to give it an IP, a subnet mask, a gateway and at least 1 DNS. If you don't know what those are. Go into DOS and do ipconfig /all (before you turn off connect automatically)

It will then give you all your current settings for those. Just plug in all of them accept put in your own IP below the .100 range.

stoopid

Same issue here with a few different routers and wireless cards/PCs.

The encryption is always a problem, seems that there's some sort of signal strength requirement in the protocol/security specification. If your signal strength is weak it will continually drop you. I've basically given up encrypting my data and just use an access key to keep people from stealing my bandwidth.

Other problems I've had seem to have more to do with the PC and NOT the router. I'm finding not all wireless cards are built the same.

kryyst

Another trick if you can't keep the connection stable through WPA or WEP is to just set your dhcp so that it only accepts a number of connectiong = to the number of computers you'll be connecting it to so generally speaking in most houses that'll be 1 or 2. Then in your router you should be able to put on MAC filtering so that only wireless cards with specific MAC address can connect to it. Turn off broadcast SSID and you should be pretty secure.