Wireless Router Help

niaud

Hi guys, I'm hoping someone can help me!

I have a ZyXEL wireless router (post office broadband account) which I am running a PC and laptop off, and a wireless printer. These are connected into Cat 5 cable which we have in the house.

My problem is that although the laptop always has good signal strength, we keep losing the connection to the router. This was bearable, but it is getting worse now and to top it all the PC is now losing connection (and it is connected directly into the router).

I have tried talking to the tech guys at the Post Office, but they can't help. They sent a new router, but to be honest it is no different. They told me to move the printer, move the router etc, etc, which I did and nothing has helped. Maybe I should be buying a new router?

Be gentle with me, I'm no expert at this sort of thing and I'm hoping some wise soul out there can help me!

(I should say I downloaded InSSIDer and everything is okay there).

Thanks!

Figment

Can we start by clearing up some confusion?

From what you've described thus far, you have a PC connected to the router using ethernet cable (Cat 5) and a laptop and printer connected via wireless?

As the PC is wired directly to the router, I'm going to guess it's the internet connection that's being lost, not that between devices and router.

You say the laptop always has good signal strength. When you lose the connection, what does the wireless network icon (near the clock) look like?

niaud

Thanks for replying so quickly!

A blue circle going around will appear over the network icon and when the connection is back again the circle will disappear.

Figment

OK a few questions:

Is that the same as happens on the desktop PC?

Which version of Windows on each machine?

How many telephone points in the house/flat?

If more than one, is it plugged into the main one or an extension?

Do you have a microfilter plugged into every telephone point that has a device of any kind plugged in (router, telephone, answer machine, fax, sky box etc)

Is the router connected to the telephone point via a telephone extension lead?

Any other electrical / electronic devices in close proximity to the router?

niaud

OK a few questions:

Is that the same as happens on the desktop PC? No, that icon is not at the bottom of the screen. I will just notice that the internet is not responding.

Which version of Windows on each machine? Windows 7 on both.

How many telephone points in the house/flat? 3 The third in an upstairs bedroom has a phone plugged in.

If more than one, is it plugged into the main one or an extension? The main one.

Do you have a microfilter plugged into every telephone point that has a device of any kind plugged in (router, telephone, answer machine, fax, sky box etc) Yes

Is the router connected to the telephone point via a telephone extension lead? No

Any other electrical / electronic devices in close proximity to the router? No, nothing.

Don't know if this has any relevance to the whole thing, but our house is relatively newly built, four years ago, and foil backed insulation was used. Maybe this could be interfering?

Figment

Everything looks OK there.

The foil backed insulation could possibly make a difference to wireless connections between laptop and router, but this theory is negated by you saying the laptop always has good signal strength. It also would not explain the loss of internet on the desktop PC as that is hard-wired and not reliant on wireless.

If the front of your master telephone point looks similar to this:



undo the two screws (removed in this image) and pull the lower part off. Behind this you will find the master/test socket. Plug the microfilter directly into this for a while and see if the problem persists (Note that, depending on how extension wiring was installed, your phone upstairs may not work while you are testing this, so make sure you also have a phone plugged into this microfilter)

Figment

niaud wrote: »

OK a few questions:

No, that icon is not at the bottom of the screen. I will just notice that the internet is not responding.

To show the network icon, follow these instructions

niaud

Thank you so much Figment!

I will try this and let you know in a few days if it is working.

Thanks once again for all your help, you're a star!:j

System

If the internet on the wired machine stops working AND the laptop loses its wireless connection then that is a pretty good indication that the router is doing a full reset. Been there, done that, got the T shirt with a BT business hub and never did find out why.

Anybody using p2p heavily?