# Wireless Connection Issues Pleas Help



## Sarn Darkholm (Apr 1, 2008)

I recently bought a new desktop computer (yay for me) and I also bought a Belkin Wireless G PCI Adapter card with it, because where I live, I cannot run an ethernet cable to where I would ideally want to place this computer.  The issue I am having is that the wireless card drops the signal every now and then.  I have a good signal, and it says I got a local connection but no internet.  Also a laptop I have gets a perfect signal everywhere in the house.  I have a Belkin Wireless G Router as well.

The only thing I can think of was I was having issues with the modem before and for some reason the router was not handling the connection, but I was still getting wireless (i.e. I would type in the router's IP addy but it wouldnt let me connect to it, but I could type in the modems IP addy and manage internet connections through that.)  That minor problem was rectified by my ISP when I called them with modem issues, now I can manage my router.  Also my ISP sent me a new modem.

I moved my computer close to the router (within 10 feet of it, more like 8 feet come to think of it) and still the wireless card drops the connection, but the hird wired is fine (this was before I solved the router problem and new modem was sent)  

I am going to test the wireless card again, but I would like some feedback from you tech heads that know more about this stuff than I do.


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## Dranslin (Apr 1, 2008)

I don't have a card but yes i have had this problem for a very loooooong time. no matter what the router eventually gives out, whether its every 5 minutes or every week is another story though. I have noticed that when i went into my router settings (we've got linkys >.<) and changed the channel it did go and improve how long the connection lasted.


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## Sarn Darkholm (Apr 1, 2008)

Dranslin said:
			
		

> I don't have a card but yes i have had this problem for a very loooooong time. no matter what the router eventually gives out, whether its every 5 minutes or every week is another story though. I have noticed that when i went into my router settings (we've got linkys >.<) and changed the channel it did go and improve how long the connection lasted.



I have been on two hours now and no problem.  I am gonna move my computer upstairs in my room (yay privacy) and try it there.
well i moved the comp.   what is happening is that the wireless card cannot connect to the Router.  My 360 which is also wireless connects fine, so does my laptop.  it drops after 10 mins in my room.  I think its a signal quality issue.
I changed the channel to 10, was 11.  Reinstalled my wireless card and used the setup cd that came with my router.  The only other thing i may do it get an antenna extension cable for my wireless card after my state refund comes in


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## Dranslin (Apr 1, 2008)

*nods* also of course i would not suggest placing your computer near any cordless phones because those interefere quite a bit, and of course microwaves.


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## Sarn Darkholm (Apr 1, 2008)

Dranslin said:
			
		

> *nods* also of course i would not suggest placing your computer near any cordless phones because those interefere quite a bit, and of course microwaves.



good idea, my computer was near a cordless phone tho it was a 5.8 GHz phone.  I disconnected the phone and also I changed the channel my router broadcasts on just like you suggested

Been on 2 and a half hours straight and no issues so far.


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## Sarn Darkholm (Apr 1, 2008)

well it finally dropped the connection after 4 hours.  Not a bad run really.  I just wish this was a little more stable.  I am going to try and find an antenna extension for my card.


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## Dranslin (Apr 2, 2008)

*nods* I have to say the  best possible thing you can do for net drops is just wire your network. At home we got some 100 some foot ethernet cord that ran from one end of the house where the modem and router was to the other end where my computer is. My network drops out anywhere from 4 hours to 2 weeks.


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## Sarn Darkholm (Apr 2, 2008)

Dranslin said:
			
		

> *nods* I have to say the  best possible thing you can do for net drops is just wire your network. At home we got some 100 some foot ethernet cord that ran from one end of the house where the modem and router was to the other end where my computer is. My network drops out anywhere from 4 hours to 2 weeks.



i wish I could hard wire it.  My parents don't want me running a cable from the router (downstairs in my dad's office) and into my room (up two flights of stairs)  and they definitely do not like the idea of drilling a hole through the ceiling into my floor.

I updated Vista to SP1 cause i heard before SP1, Vista was funky with wifi.  So I hope this helps.


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## lilEmber (Apr 2, 2008)

This is simple you have a router on the connection and that wireless card acts like a router as well, because you have two routers on the same connection it will not work, routers have a lot of data the send through the line and having two doubles that data and they conflict and eventually one or both have to restart so that would explain the disconnection. But it is simple to solve this. EITHER Turn the router into a switch so you're card works as a wi-fi router and the other one just switches. OR Go buy a wireless router and remove the wi-fi card and the old router out of the connection, set it up and ... TA DA! Working on every level and is what I would suggest.

Seeing as you prolly have a wi-fi router just perhaps a wi-fi USB for the PC upstairs would work fine, rather than that card.


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## Sarn Darkholm (Apr 2, 2008)

Windows Vista is known to be fucked up when it comes to Wifi, no matter the hardware, it is software side on Vista's end.  The router I have is a wirelss router.  the wifi card is needed to get a connection from the router.  I will check on the USB wifi, but from what i researched on them they tend to get real hot real fast.


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## Dranslin (Apr 2, 2008)

Another reason why i have to say... EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWW!!! VISTA!!!


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## Cray (Apr 2, 2008)

I don't want to call anyone out, but there's a lot of misinformation in here.  I'd be glad to help you diagnose this.  I do tech support for a living, and have for years (in various capacities).

*Sarn Darkholm*, can you tell me if the following is correct?

You have cable internet service.  Your cable modem is connected directly to a Belkin Wireless G router.  Your computer has a Belkin Wireless G PCI card, which you use to connect to the router.  There is no other router attached to your network.

If that's all true, I would first suspect the drivers for the PCI card.  Vista is a new OS and handles drivers differently from XP, so the chances for bugs in the drivers are pretty high.  That being the case, make certain that you have the latest version of drivers installed (get them from Belkin's website, not the CD), and also the latest firmware installed on your router.  Also make sure that you've installed all of the latest updates for Vista.

If you already have the latest drivers and firmware, or if updating them does not solve your problem, I would next look to see if there are updated drivers for your motherboard.  You can get those from the company that manufactured your PC.

If you still have the same problem afterwards, I'm afraid it won't be easy to definitively track down the cause.  It could be a faulty Wireless PCI card.  It could be a faulty router.  It could be faulty RAM, or a faulty motherboard.  Or it could even be random interference from an outside source.

When you lose your connection, does it drop permanently (until you reset the computer), or only for a few moments?


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## Sarn Darkholm (Apr 3, 2008)

Cray said:
			
		

> I don't want to call anyone out, but there's a lot of misinformation in here.  I'd be glad to help you diagnose this.  I do tech support for a living, and have for years (in various capacities).
> 
> *Sarn Darkholm*, can you tell me if the following is correct?
> 
> ...



1. Its a DSL Connection (if that matters)
2. There are no other routers besides the Belkin one.
3. Other people on tech sites have reported the same issue with different hardware (i.e. Linksys, Netgear, whatever)
4. Seems to be permenent until I dsable the PCI card then re-enable it, or reboot.  Connection lasts up to 5 hours before it drops.
5. Installed SP1 for Vista yesterday.  Seems to have helped some, increased connection time from 3 to 5 hours.
6. Belkin says I have the most up to date driver available, I just have to wait and see if they release a new one.
7. Router has the latest firmware.

The driver that is on my wireless card is 6.1099.312.2007.
Belkin's website label is as Windows Vista 32-bit beta driver.
It came out in Feb. 07.
There is one other driver on the site with a version number that starts with a 4xxx that was released in May of the same year that says Vista 32-bit without the beta part at the end.  Windows will not let me "downgrade" to that driver.  Do you know if it wise to delete the 6xxx version and replace it with the 4xxx?


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## jmac32here (Apr 3, 2008)

Sarn Darkholm said:
			
		

> Windows Vista is known to be fucked up when it comes to Wifi, no matter the hardware, it is software side on Vista's end.  The router I have is a wirelss router.  the wifi card is needed to get a connection from the router.  I will check on the USB wifi, but from what i researched on them they tend to get real hot real fast.



And once they overheat, they shut themselves off.


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## Cray (Apr 3, 2008)

Sarn Darkholm said:
			
		

> 4. Seems to be permenent until I dsable the PCI card then re-enable it, or reboot.  Connection lasts up to 5 hours before it drops.



That says to me it's either a problem with the driver, or with the way the driver interacts with Windows.  I say this because disabling and re-enabling the card really just unloads and reloads the driver from memory.



> There is one other driver on the site with a version number that starts with a 4xxx that was released in May of the same year that says Vista 32-bit without the beta part at the end.  Windows will not let me "downgrade" to that driver.  Do you know if it wise to delete the 6xxx version and replace it with the 4xxx?



Using Beta drivers is almost always asking for trouble.  I'd try to remove the 6xxx and use the 4xxx, if possible.

Since you say, though, that other people report similar issues with Vista and other wireless cards/routers, it may or may not actually help.  Like I mentioned earlier, Vista does handle drivers very different from XP, so it's very possible that the wireless manufacturers are having trouble with the transition, or even that Microsoft screwed something up (imagine that!).


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## Sarn Darkholm (Apr 3, 2008)

Cray said:
			
		

> Sarn Darkholm said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I installed the other driver, but still have the same issue.  Something must be screwy on Microsoft's end


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## Dranslin (Apr 4, 2008)

I have to say that wireless in general will drop no matter the brand. If it doesn't either you're extremely lucky, live in a cement house, or have done something right. But I havn't heard of a wireless router not disconning every 5-6 hours.


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## Sarn Darkholm (Apr 4, 2008)

I didn't want to do it, but I moved my computer downstairs next to the router so I could hardwire directly into it.  What I lack in privacy now, I make up for in a consistent extension.  I emailed Belkin and they basically said they cannot help with my problem, that I should contact Microsoft.  Yeah right, getting any information from MS is like pulling teeth out of an alligator.  Thanks for you help anyway guys.


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## Ron Overdrive (Apr 4, 2008)

Ok here's an idea most people don't think of, try doing a quick scan to see what other routers in the area might be on the same channel. If there's more then one on your channel change your channel. It may be interference from another wireless network. Most commonly used channel is channel 11, try switching it to 8 or 9 if there's issues. Also make sure your router has the latest firmware update which btw, what kind of router do you have?



			
				Dranslin said:
			
		

> I have to say that wireless in general will drop no matter the brand. If it doesn't either you're extremely lucky, live in a cement house, or have done something right. But I havn't heard of a wireless router not disconning every 5-6 hours.


Mine doesn't, works perfectly 24/7. I have a Linksys WRT54GS v1 router running the Tomato 1.17 firmware. Never had a dropped connection and I've moved from one town to another without a change to the setup.


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## Sarn Darkholm (Apr 4, 2008)

Ron Overdrive said:
			
		

> Ok here's an idea most people don't think of, try doing a quick scan to see what other routers in the area might be on the same channel. If there's more then one on your channel change your channel. It may be interference from another wireless network. Most commonly used channel is channel 11, try switching it to 8 or 9 if there's issues. Also make sure your router has the latest firmware update which btw, what kind of router do you have?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Belkin Wireless G Router, operating on Channel 10 Updated to latest firmware when i began having the problem.  Only one other router in the neighborhood and that operates on Channel 8.


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## Ron Overdrive (Apr 4, 2008)

Well if your router exits in this list you can attempt to use a 3rd party firmware (they're usually better) otherwise we can safely rule out the router and go with Cray's assessment that its your card's drivers.

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Supported_Devices#Belkin


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