Wireless router doesnt work well.

October 11, 2007 6:23 AM

WirelessFilter: My router has issues. A network cable gives me internet just fine, but if I am using wireless, the network often disconnects and will not connect. A little

This happens on all the laptops in my apartment at about the same time, so I am reasonably confident it is a problem with the router. When I am connected via wireless, my network will often choose to randomly dissapear, refusing to be found. That, or it will be found, but will not be able to be connected to. This happens often and for long periods of time, and is very frustrating.
Plugging in a cable connecting my computer and the router always works. My usual solution is unplug/replug but that doesnt ever work here. I have tried reseting a couple times. Nothing. Diagnosis?

posted by milestogo to Computers & Internet (16 answers total)

It might be interference: you could try switching to another channel.
posted by demiurge at 6:29 AM on October 11, 2007

Make/Model of the router?
posted by Nerro at 6:31 AM on October 11, 2007

Response by poster: it's a linksys Wireless-G 2.4 GHz Model WRT54G
posted by milestogo at 6:36 AM on October 11, 2007

Seconding the interference guess. Take a look at what other wireless networks you can see, and pick an open channel and lock it in manually on your router.
posted by COD at 6:56 AM on October 11, 2007

I have the same router, and the same problem. The guys at linksys told me that it is a stray signal from the cable-modem, and causing it to disconnect. They had me ground my coax coming in from outside.

It works a little better (placebo maybe?) I think it is linksys.

Mine tends to drop when another computer comes back from sleep mode (whenever the roommate comes home, he walks upstairs and my signal drops).
posted by rocket_johnny at 7:06 AM on October 11, 2007

I had the same problem, and it drove me nuts. I have an Airport Extreme now, and that works great.
posted by mpls2 at 7:14 AM on October 11, 2007

For me, turning of uPnP (Universal Plug and Play) in the settings helped.
posted by L. Fitzgerald Sjoberg at 7:21 AM on October 11, 2007

Do all your laptops have the same wireless card?

With my netgear router, connecting with my Intel Pro Wireless caused all the computers on the network to lose internet. Connecting with a cable or with a netgear wireless adapter was fine. Updating the router's firmware fixed the problem (we had to update manually because the router's software said no updates were available) maybe that will work for you
posted by missmagenta at 7:21 AM on October 11, 2007

Get NetStumbler and run it to see what other APs are in the area and what channels they are on. Switch to a different channel that's the furthest away from other APs (if most APs are between channels 6-11, use Channel 1)

If you don't need mixed mode wireless (a mixture of older 802.11b clients with 802.11g clients), set it to G only.

You will have to use your router's web interface to change these settings.
posted by chuma at 7:37 AM on October 11, 2007

Is it that the router used to work and now is failing? Consumer routers are pieces of junk and fail frequently. Usually the way they start to fail is like this; the wireless gets flaky. Once that happens the router has 1-4 weeks before it dies entirely.
posted by Nelson at 7:58 AM on October 11, 2007

I have a Billion 7402VGP wireless router. If I put my laptop on the same desk, and turn on its wireless card, my next door neighbor can no longer see my router. If my laptop is in the next room, no problem. So, now I just use a cable instead of the wireless card if I'm in the same room as the router.
posted by flabdablet at 8:00 AM on October 11, 2007

Same router, same problem. I think it's just a crappy router.
posted by solipsophistocracy at 8:09 AM on October 11, 2007

See my comment on changing your wireless channel.
posted by damn dirty ape at 9:36 AM on October 11, 2007

Do you have a 2.4 Ghz cordless phone? Since they can use the entire frequency range they can cause havoc with 802.11a/b/g routers. I got a found a cheap 5.8 Ghz phone to eliminate that threat. Since you're in an apartment, it could be a neighbor's phone.
posted by rdhatt at 11:00 AM on October 11, 2007

Make sure your laptop isn't hopping on your neighbor's AP by accident. This happened to a friend of mine, until we set her laptop to only associate with her AP.
posted by chengjih at 11:30 AM on October 11, 2007

speaking as an apartment dweller, I'd go for interference. I too had problems with a 2.4Ghz phone, also the microwave in between caused issues. The phones I switched out, the microwave I just had to learn to deal with.
posted by pupdog at 7:05 PM on October 11, 2007