WiFi Problems

[AmpedNow]

This is driving me crazy. I don't know what else to do...

I'm trying to set up a home wifi network. I got a Netgear wireless G router that seems to have a mind of its own.

I have an XP desktop with a Belkin wireless card, and a Vista laptop. I'm trying to get them both to connect wireless. I want the network protected, but open enough to where other people can also connect easily if the had the passkey.

Anyway, I've went through the setup process three times already. I've tried unsecured, WEP, and WPA security, and every time my network disappears, and reappears with no internet connectivity. This is on both PCs. It's like the wifi is being bricked after setup.

I got it working briefly with the laptop for about 10 minutes, until I tried to connect the desktop. It seemed to brick again and disappear.

I've googled the problem, and everything seems to go back to checking the SSID signal to make sure it's broadcasting. That's not the problem. Also, the desktop is connected by ethernet through the router with no problems. So the modem and internet access is fine.

I've never seen anything like this. Hopefully, it's a simple setting I'm overlooking... Or not?

[Lester]

Have you used multiple systems on a router from this location in the past (wired and/or unwired)?

What are you doing that restores Internet (even temporarily). Is it a modem/router reset, or just resetting the router?

[AmpedNow]

Hard resets. I did it every time i went through the setup process.

This is a brand new router. However, the cable modem was used when they brought it to me.

[AmpedNow]

After disappearing for about a half hour, the network just showed up twice on the laptop...

"The capability of your network adapter does not match the requirements of this network."

[Arp2]

I got a Netgear wireless G router that seems to have a mind of its own....I've tried unsecured, WEP, and WPA security,....connected by ethernet through the router with no problems. So the modem and internet access is fine.

Ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto.....I gave up long ago and left it open. Oh, wait....I guess that's not exactly the same...mine works as long as there's no attempt at security....

What are you doing that restores Internet (even temporarily). Is it a modem/router reset, or just resetting the router?

I have to pull the plug on the router about every 2-3 days.....

[Lester]

First off, make sure you're using the latest drivers for both network cards. Check the vendors support websites. (This goes double for the Vista system).

Your best, and easiest, bet for encrypted is WPA-PSK. Set the router to this, then set your network cards to it as well. Just for troubleshooting purposes, configure the wireless card on one with the other turned off. Once one is working, shut down that system and move to the next.

You might also try plugging into a wired port on the router and see what happens to the Internet for that machine as well.

(One possibility that I alluded to earlier was that your provider/cable modem is intentionally shutting you down for running a NAT'ed network. I don't think that's a very common practice anymore, but you never know.)

[AmpedNow]

Ironically, the XP desktop has given me more fits than the Vista laptop...it did connect for about 10 minutes. I can't get the desktop to connect at all.

BTW, the network has disappeared again.

I've been using the desktop to config. Do you think configing from the laptop would make any difference?

I'll also check the drivers.

[genlock]

Take it back to the store where you bought it.

It is broken or otherwise defective.

[cgarison]

I got a Netgear wireless G router that seems to have a mind of its own....I've tried unsecured, WEP, and WPA security,....connected by ethernet through the router with no problems. So the modem and internet access is fine.

Ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto.....I gave up long ago and left it open. Oh, wait....I guess that's not exactly the same...mine works as long as there's no attempt at security....

What are you doing that restores Internet (even temporarily). Is it a modem/router reset, or just resetting the router?

I have to pull the plug on the router about every 2-3 days.....

Sounds like the Comacastic-Netgear experience that I have. I am about ready to throw out my Netgear Wireless G and just go all wired, again.

Wireless G has been the pits. I have purchased Netgear, Belkin, Linksys, and D-Link and had issues with all of them at all price ranges. Never had this kind or problems with my Wireless B equipment.

[AmpedNow]

Take it back to the store where you bought it.

It is broken or otherwise defective.

That's crossed my mind, too.

If this is a very common problem, I'm surprised that there isn't more info dealing with it.

I'll go through everything one more time, if not, then I'll take it back and exchange it.

[sportsvoice]

I'm using a router from Buffalo Technology with the DD-WRT open-source firmware. Things have been fairly bulletproof. However, I've had a lot of problems with routers since using an older 802.11b router with a print server. I've gone through an SMC, a D-Link, and a Linksys router.

I did run into an odd problem with a Belkin USB wireless adapter. Whenever it was active, none of our other wireless devices could connect. It had a lot of issues for some reason. Everything worked fine when the Belkin adapter was shut down.

I've heard of issues with Netgear routers overheating. Some folks have put their own heat sinks on the chips to make things work better.

Have you checked to make sure MAC address filtering is disabled? If that's enabled, your devices possibly won't be able to connect to the wireless or may associate but then not lease an IP address.

Currently I am running WPA2-PSK with MAC filtering and SSID broadcast disabled with no problems on an XP machine, my wife's Vista laptop, and my Linux laptop. Since I've got something that works, I won't mess with it now.

[Dave Harman]

I've had Zonealarm issues that make the internet unreachable, but I can still see the router. Sometimes.

Still, you might disable any firewall software and make sure.

[AmpedNow]

I've redid everything, and still no luck... So I went and got a Belkin wireless G router instead.

Now, I have a different set of problems, though not as bad.

Ethernet is super fast. The laptop took right to the wifi, without any problems. In fact, I'm using it now... But the desktop is still giving me fits. It shows a degraded signal, even though the router is only 8 feet away in a different room. It also doesn't connect to the internet very good.

As for the router, I went through the steps of setting up WPA security, and named the network. But it still shows up as the default "Belkin 54g - unsecured network", without asking for the passkey. I don't know why it's still showing the default.

I never thought I would have so many issues with this... My old Verizon DSL wifi router practically configured itself.

[Dave Harman]

Delete all the wireless networks as shown on "change order of preferred networks" after right-clicking the "wireless network connections" on the task bar (or at least, the unwanted old one that's showing up), then set it up again.

[ashton]

Are you sure that your provider will allow for more than one mac address? You may need to clone the original in your router's settings.

[Clay JD Walker]

I've had lots of luck using MAC filtering as security, and haven't had any issues with anyone in the neighborhood jacking my stuff up...I've also had similar issues with my Linsys router when I was in Charleston, with the wireless simply disappearing, and thinking that maybe the station's STLs or the RF from WVSR was knocking everything out (stupid thoughts, I know), but I later found the problems being the 2.4 ghz cordless phones getting in the way. I have since upgraded the cordless phones to that new standard that works above the wifi...

[AmpedNow]

Well I got the Belkin router secured ok... The laptop connects to it automatically.

Still having problems getting the desktop connected to it, though... It will connect to it for a bit, then lose it and say "no networks found". So I think my biggest problem all along wasn't the Netgear router, but the desktop wireless card. I'm using ethernet instead.

uTorrent cranks on it now...

[Cameron]

The most annoying Wi-Fi problem I've had was a loose RJ-45 connection on the back of a cable modem.
That caused all kinds of intermittent crap for a couple of weeks until it was found.
Cat 5 to RJ-45 connectors have been bad out-of-the-box as well.

[AmpedNow]

My wireless network once again "disappeared" from the laptop, and I can't get it to show up again.

Don't even know how it happened... It just stopped connecting. Had WPA-PSK security on. SSID broadcasting.

Crap.

[AmpedNow]

Okay. I reset the router again, and changed a couple of settings along the way. I've found that the network disappears, then reappears intermittently. But only in certain rooms of the house, and in a certain direction.

I think I got it narrowed down to interference, but can't figure out what's causing it... There's a 5.8 ghz cordless phone nearby, but I already ruled that out. Wireless G uses 2.4 ghz, plus I noticed no difference with it unplugged.

Could it be a strong electrical field or something? It is an old house with old wiring.

I would mind upgrading to N, but can't afford it right now. N is supposedly better than even ethernet with speed.