Wireless Networking Gurus, I Need HELP!!!

[nsxtasy]

The background: I have a Dell PC running Windows 98. In January 2003 my wife bought a Dell PC running Windows XP. At that time, I bought and installed a Linksys wireless 802.11b router, which is hard wired to my PC. I also installed a Linksys wireless 802.11b adapter that plugs into the USB port in my wife's PC. My wife's PC is several rooms away from the router, a straight-line distance of perhaps 40 feet in a wood frame house.

My computer works just fine going through the router. However, my wife's computer frequently has intermittent problems connecting to the internet for browsing and e-mail. Sometimes it works, but more frequently it times out for either operation. Even when it is having problems, the icon in the tray at the bottom says that reception is excellent.

For a long time I was trying to work with Linksys technical support to get it to work; we changed parameters several times, and set it to 5.5 MBps instead of the 11 MBps maximum. It would work for a while, and then act up for a while. It is now having problems again.

I am at a point where I would like to try something else. I would be happy to replace the adapter (and, if necessary, the router) if that has a good chance of fixing the problems. Therefore, I have a few questions...

1. If I replace the adapter, will this have a good chance of fixing the problems? Or am I likely to need to replace the router too?

Assuming I replace the adapter, either with another wireless adapter (that plugs into the USB port) or with a wireless network card (to plug into a slot in her computer)...

2. Does it need to be the same brand as the router, or can I use any brand, as long as it is 802.11b?

3. Can I use an adapter or network card with 802.11g, and will it automatically work with my 802.11b router (albeit at the slower 802.11b speed)?

4. Are there advantages to getting a wireless network card (to plug into a slot in the computer) rather than a wireless adapter (that plugs into the USB port)? I thought that the adapter would give better reception due to the ability to move the adapter around for best reception, rather than a card in a slot where its position was fixed at the back of the computer, but based on my poor results, perhaps that is not the case...

5. Anything else you would suggest?

Thanks in advance!

 

[hyuan]

What channel are you using? Switching to 1, 6, or 11 may help if there others in your area with networks (although based on your description it sounds like a hardware compatibility issue).

Check out this article:

http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/972261

In answer to your questions:

1. If I replace the adapter, will this have a good chance of fixing the problems? Or am I likely to need to replace the router too?


This is too hard to say. You won't know until you try it. That said, I am less than impressed with the range of some linksys routers I've used.



Assuming I replace the adapter, either with another wireless adapter (that plugs into the USB port) or with a wireless network card (to plug into a slot in her computer)...

2. Does it need to be the same brand as the router, or can I use any brand, as long as it is 802.11b?


The standard should be interoperable. That said, if you buy from the same manufacturer, you would hope they did at least some compatibility testing.



3. Can I use an adapter or network card with 802.11g, and will it automatically work with my 802.11b router (albeit at the slower 802.11b speed)?


Theoretically yes. I've heard anecdotal evidence from friends that they've had some compatability issues. I would not recommend it for now.


4. Are there advantages to getting a wireless network card (to plug into a slot in the computer) rather than a wireless adapter (that plugs into the USB port)? I thought that the adapter would give better reception due to the ability to move the adapter around for best reception, rather than a card in a slot where its position was fixed at the back of the computer, but based on my poor results, perhaps that is not the case...


Actually, you are probably right. In some cases, USB adapters also have a an antenna which can be extended. This can also improve performance.

In general, most PCMCIA based adapters do not have an antenna that can be pointed straight up and down.

Laptops with built-in antennas generally outpeform PCMCIA cards because they thread the antenna through the lid.




5. Anything else you would suggest?


Try my tip above first. Its the least drastic and may save you some money.

 

[SCS2k]

Don't use your 2.4GHz cordless phone when you're online.

 

[jcjcf1]

wireless alternative

I wasn't satisfied with my wireless connection from my D-Link router. I bought 2 Netgear powerline ethernet bridge units - plugged them in to convenient outlets and they worked great.
Very satisfied with this solution. They cost me about $120 from CompUSA several months ago.

John

 

[Eric5273]

Wireless networking is not very reliable and depending on where you live (and who your neighbors are), there may be some device that someone has nearby that is causing interference. The best thing to do is the old fashion way....run some cable and use a regular hard-wired connection. As much as it sucks, that is really the best way.

 

[PHOEN$X]

Hi Ken,

Sorry to hear of your wireless troubles. I assume you have the BEFW11S4 wireless router and the WUSB11 USB adapter? If so, here are some things you can try:

1. 40 feet is rather far for a wireless B setup, in my experience. I think Linksys routers have removable antennas that can be swapped with higher gain models. Here are some products from one vendor that may extend the signal to an adequate range for you:

http://www.hawkingtech.com/prodList.php?FamID=58

2. Change the USB adapter to a PCI wireless card such as the WMP11, which can also be used (I believe) with an external antenna.

3. Update the router firmware to the latest version. However, this can be a risky procedure and should not be used unless as a last resort, if you have not performed firmwarke updates before.

In my case, adding an external antenna to my desktop card did the trick. However, my PC is only about 20 feet away from the wireless router, so you may need to take extra measures.

Good luck!

 

[Ojas]

...the icon in the tray at the bottom says that reception is excellent.

When the PC is experiencing problems getting on the Internet, I wonder if you are still able to get on the local network. One way to check is to try to access the router. Typically, you can open a web browser to http://192.168.1.1/ to access the router setup interface. If you are able to do this, it means the problem does not lie between the adapter and router.

Also, on my Linksys network, I have had intermittent problems connecting to the wireless network after the computer resumes from hibernation. Does the problem still exist if you shutdown and restart without hibernating (or going into stand-by)?

 

[jadkar]

Ken,

Most likely the problem you are experiencing in regards to your network connectivity is from you USB network adapter. I have seen this problem at Merrill, my present job Duetsche Bank, as well as several of my family’s homes. I actually had the problem myself about 3 years ago when I purchased one, my connectivity was intermittent, sometimes I’d be downloading a file then gone, disconnected. I returned it thinking it was defective, and to be on the safe side I purchased one from a different manufacturer and the same thing happened. Like I said, since then I have heard and seen the same problem in other environments and infrastructures. Nobody can ever explain why, and it doesn't always happen to everyone. Here at DB the desktop guys won't even help a home user with remote access issues if they find out they are using a USB network adapter. Every now and then the problem shows up on my desk because someone is complaining that one of my servers dropped their connection. The first thing I ask is if they are using a USB adapter, if they are I don’t help them either.

I believe, that it may be related to the way a USB port polls every few minutes for new hardware. I think this may screw with the device if it is already discovered and working. This may be why some PCs have no issues and others do. Depending on the vendor of the USB port on your PC it's possible it behaves differently because of different drivers. I also think that many people have no issues with their USB adapter because they just don’t realize it. Meaning, most people are surfing, they download a page and read it. Many wouldn’t even know that their connection just dropped because they’re sitting at a downloaded page. By the time they click another link the connection is back. It usually happens when you try to do something that requires a steady connection, either downloading a lot of email, streaming media, have a constant RAS connection open to your job, etc. Also, whenever this drop occurs you don’t see a “found new hardware” window popping up. In other words it’s not a very noticeable hardware problem, it more like a very fast hiccup, just enough to disrupt the connection.

Now, it’s also possible that this isn’t your problem. It could be something completely different. Regardless, I would try using a PCMCIA network adapter and see if the problem goes away.

 

[PHOEN$X]

Good point, Ojas. Unfortunately most wireless equipment I've used have not been as solid as their wired counterparts. I guess the Linksys is no exception:

http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/remark,9681493~mode=flat~days=9999

If it is a problem with (the wireless portion of) the router, an (expensive) alternative could be to install a couple of these puppies:

http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=33&scid=35&prid=563

QUOTE:
For even more versatility, the Wireless Access Point can act as a Repeater. If you're already using one WAP11, you can extend your wireless network's range by installing a second one that ""bounces"" received data further down the line. The repeating Access Point can be installed nearly anywhere, because it works entirely by radio -- no data cable is necessary.

 

[JOPRIMO]

I have exact same setup (everything exact). Dell PC's with XP, same wireless router, etc. I had same problem. Please post your Linksys model # (see under for exact model and version #) and post the version of firmware running on it. Make sure the firmware is the latest just published by Linksys not long ago. PM me if you need help on this.

The 5.5 Mbps suggestion was bs. First thing to do is set your wireless PC back to 11 Mbps and make sure its set to full duplex (the Linksys is a switch which is full dup).

Then on your wireless router, press and hold the black button on back for 30 seconds (not 15 seconds as many say) while powered. This will restore all factory defaults including the password. Depending on the version of firmware, this should solve your problems. If not, PM me and we'll try a couple other things.

 

[nsxtasy]

Wow! Thank you all so much for all the suggestions! I really do appreciate it. I'm working through them - and (just like with car problems) trying to do the easy things first.

The router had been configured for channel 1. I changed it to channel 11 but this did not help.

The model numbers I am using:
Router BEFW11S4 ver 3
Adapter WUSB11 ver 2.6

I'd like to set the speed back to 11 MBps but I'm not sure how... ...especially since I can't access the configuration user interface from the wireless PC.

I guess I'll try upgrading the firmware too...

EDIT: Corrected router model number.

 

[JOPRIMO]

The speed setting i mentioned is for your PC, not the router.

Check this link as well if you still have problems after you upgrade the firmware.

 

[nsxtasy]

The speed setting i mentioned is for your PC, not the router.

Yes, I know. (It's the PC's setting for the connection.) I figured out how to set it back to 11 MBps, so that's done. I also updated the firmware for the adapter. At the moment it's working, so we'll keep an eye on it. If it happens again - and I'm betting it will (just gut feel, no reflection on anyone here) - I now have a bunch more things to try, including updating the firmware for the router, etc.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[Sig]

You did not reply to SCS2K re: cordless phone use, so I gather you are not using 2.4ghz phones.

Just in case you are using that phone spectrum, it will most certainly disrupt your signal. My house is now equipped with 5.8ghz phones and no more signal contention

 

[nsxtasy]

You did not reply to SCS2K re: cordless phone use, so I gather you are not using 2.4ghz phones.

Just in case you are using that phone spectrum, it will most certainly disrupt your signal. My house is now equipped with 5.8ghz phones and no more signal contention

We have one but don't use it much and there is no correlation between our problems and usage of that phone. My understanding is also that channels 1 and 11 are not as likely to have contention problems.

Thanks, though!

 

[Sig]

My understanding is also that channels 1 and 11 are not as likely to have contention problems.

That sounds about right. I run mine on channel 6, which is probably why I ran in to so many problems. In my neighborhood, there are about 4 other wirless networks that my computer will pick up...... most of which run on ch1 or 11. Ch 6 helped with that issue, but exaggerated the phone contention.

How close do you live to your neighbors? If you are less than a couple hundred feet, it is possible that they're phones may be assaulting your signal. I have found that the wireless signals for both my routers (same as yours) and phones are capable of fairly respectable distances... I have been just over 100 feet away with my laptop and retained a good signal. With my cordless phones I have been even further.

These are long shots, but you never know.

 

[PHOEN$X]

Interference from Cordless Phones:

http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/print.php/2191241

 

[NeoNSX]

Ken, i haven't had a chance to read all the replies, but there is a VERY high chance this is your problem here:


http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,63705,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1


It's just Windows XP. Lots of users with Wireless have complained about the same problem as you yet Microsoft denies there is a problem.

 

[MJK]

FWIW, I use a Netgear 802.11b WAP with a 3com PCMCIA card all over the house and yard and never have reception problems. As an example, I stream shoutcast in the garage while working on the car. The WAP is on the other end of the 2nd story.

Assuming you get to the point where you are ready to try some alternative hardware, I would strongly recommend Netgear over D-Link from my experience. I also agree that a PCI car will give better results than USB. Newegg is my vendor of choice.

Good Luck.

 

[Ojas]

The model numbers I am using:
Router BEFWS114 ver 3
Adapter WUSB11 ver 2.6

Do you mean BEFW11S4 instead of BEFWS114?

For what it’s worth, I am using this setup, which may be the same as yours:

Router: BEFW11S4 ver 3
Adapter: WUSB11 ver 2.6

I have had no major issues other than the hiberation/stand-by anomalies I mentioned before. I did upgrade the firmware on the USB adapter several months ago.

 

[CokerRat]

Ken, I had a similar problem with a remote machine approximately 50-60 feet away from my .11b router. I found that the USB adapter on the remote machine was terrible for reliability of the connection. A regular adapter card with a larger antenna for the remote computer worked much better. Even better now is a .11g built-in wireless adapter in my notebook PC.

One option would be to borrow a wireless-capable notebook PC and see if it suffers from the same maladies as your second machine.

 

[Yellow Rose]

Wireless networking is not very reliable and depending on where you live (and who your neighbors are), there may be some device that someone has nearby that is causing interference. The best thing to do is the old fashion way....run some cable and use a regular hard-wired connection. As much as it sucks, that is really the best way.

Although Eric and I do not agree on gasoline pricing policy, I do agree with him on this issue.

Ken - I had the exact same problem you do.....first I changed the router / adapter.....next, hard-wire cable if that does not work.

 

[nsx1164]

Don't use your 2.4GHz cordless phone when you're online.

2.4 GHz phones can definitely cause problems (I run a DLINK 802.11 g setup using their "Super G" feature, enabling a theoretical 108 MBps rate)...

Microwave ovens can cause signal drops as well -- my sister runs Linksys 802.11b.

re: Firmware upgrades, I ran into that problem with DLINK -- there are "compatibility" issues (router vs. adaptor) with certain firmware releases, e.g., to take advantage of rev X of router firmware, your adaptor card (Cardbus in my case) must be at least at Y version of adaptor firmware.

Also, for your current USB configuration, are you running USB 1.x or USB 2.x (higher speed) ??

 

[NsXMas]

cheapest way is to try another wireless card. they're almost a dime a dozen now.

I love my Orinoco cards, but you NEED to check this wi-fi card out.

They mean what they say - one mile range for their wi-fi card. I've heard stories of co-workers who have gotten amazing range with this card.

Well worth the money, if you are having problems with your wireless network.

 

[nsxtasy]

Do you mean BEFW11S4 instead of BEFWS114?

Yes. Sorry!