Limited or no connectivity, apparently!?!

xzibit

I have a question. I have done a search, and found nothing to answer my question, hopefully, I haven't missed anything, apoligies if I have.

Anyway, my question is this.

My g/f has wireless adsl at her parents house. They use their PC wireless, and my g/f sister uses her laptop wirelessly. I also take my laptop there occaisionally.
When I started taking it there, it'd connect, then after a while stop working on the internet, with a message down in the sys tray saying "limited or no connectivity", although strength said excellent! I could repair the connection and it would be fine for 5 minutes, and the same would happen.
Then I took it round another day, and it was fine. Last night, went round, and both my laptop and their pc were doing the exact same thing. Kept kicking us off. So I went onto the router, and changed the channel from 3, to 2, thinking there was some interference, but it still did it.
About an hour later, I went back on, and it kicked me off once, but then was fine for about an hour.

Innitially, I thought the problem was with my laptop on their router, although, I have wireless at home, and never had a problem, and I have the same 3com router!! It wasn't until their PC had the trouble then I realised there's something up.

Anyone shed any light on the subject?

Thanks.

sandroad

There are a number of things you can try but I also have similiar problems but not as bad as yours.

* Check if there is any updated firmware for the route.
* Download NetStumbler and do a scan the next time you are over to check if there are any other wireless networks using the same Channel.
* Update your wireless card drivers

Try the above and let me know.

WestonDave

I could be barking up the wrong tree here but I think there are two seperate issues which need to be seperated - you get "excellent signal" because your laptop etc can get a good reception from your 3com box. However that same box will report a limited connectivity when it loses its ADSL connection either due to a line fault, or due to problems with the filters. Try sitting with your laptop near the router and seeing if the ADSL light (if it has such a thing) goes off and tries to reconnect around the time the error appears. If it does then you need to check the filters and also check the line.

I'm getting to the limits of my knowledge here but there is such a thing as contention which is where too many people are trying to use the same capacity on lines and I'm beginning to suspect this in our area because I get the problems mainly in early evenings when I suspect lots of people log on, but I don't get it so much later on. Of course BT etc will claim there is plenty of capacity etc and maybe I am just talking rubbish but there has to be a reason why its more difficult at "busy" times than at others.

Hope this at least gives you some ideas and I'm not totally wasting your time!

xzibit

Yes, it says that the wireless signal is excellent on the laptop and the pc, just comes up with limited or no connectivity. I will sit next to the router next time I go round and see what the lights do. It does seem to be early evening it happens, never late at night. Could be an issue. Thanks.

espresso

Is this wireless connection encrypted?

xzibit

espresso wrote:

Is this wireless connection encrypted?

Yes it is, WPA, though not very well, I'd have to say!! Quite a short WPA key, and it is the same as the password for the router!!!!!!! I did mention to them that I thought it was a bit poor, they told me the bloke that set it up calls himself an IT guy! My wireless at home is more secure, and i'm an architect lol.

espresso

OK well at least there is some encryption! Just one point though, changing from Channel 3 to Channel 2 might not have much effect due to the way that the channels overlap each other:



As you can see, there are not many channels which do not overlap with each other and now that wireless is getting more and more common, this may well prove to be a problem! Try to find out what other channels are in use locally and then try to change to one as far away as possible.

HTH