Connection dropping

Prisoner6409

I have an Eircom wireless modem(2247NWG) and a Netgear W111T adapter. My internet connection is fine through Ethernet. I set up the wireless system using a WEP Key generated from the CD(input serial No.) and got a connection but the connection keeps dropping. Usially when it does connect it shows the signal strength as "Very Good", although mostly 54Mbps and not 108Mbps as the adapter is a 108Mbps adapter. The adapter and modem are no more than 3 feet apart. Also the connection comes back on all by itself. Sometimes when I go into windows to "refresh network list" it tells me "No wireless networks were found in range", but then it will come back on all by itself. Any ideas what is going on and how I can remedy the situation.

irlrobins

Firstly you will never get more than 54Mbps connection as this is the maximum speed the eircom router supports.

If you switch off the WEP do you notice any loss of connection. Have you updated the drivers of the netgear card? Are you using windows xero config to control the card or it's own utility?

Prisoner6409

Yes tried switching off WEP and it made no difference. I downloaded the newest release of drivers for the Adapter before I started and I'm using the Windows config to control the adapter. One thing, in between writing the first post and this reply I went into the routers 3DWireless setting, advanced config options and changed "AutoChannel Setting" to continuous, I think it was set to "Off - Use Default". The connection came back on with the signal strength as "Excellent" and it has not dropped since(previously it had been dropping about every minute or 2). Could this be it and would changing this setting have another adverse effects espicially on the security of the system. I am a bit hesitant to change settings willy nilly on the router unless I know what I'm doing it for and why. The connection is still stable, I wonder.

irlrobins

From Netopia Manual:

AutoChannel Setting: For 802.11G models, AutoChannel is a feature that allows the
Netopia Gateway to determine the best channel to broadcast automatically.
Three settings are available from the pull-down menu: Off-Use default, At Startup, and
Continuous.
• Off-Use default is the default setting; the Netopia Gateway will use the configured
default channel selected from the previous pull-down menu.
• At Startup causes the Netopia Gateway at startup to briefly initialize on the default
channel, then perform a full two- to three-second scan, and switch to the best channel
it can find, remaining on that channel until the next reboot.
• Continuous performs the at-startup scan, and will continuously monitor the current
channel for any other Access Point beacons. If an Access Point beacon is detected on
the same channel, the Netopia Gateway will initiate a three- to four-minute scan of the
channels, locate a better one, and switch. Once it has switched, it will remain on this
channel for at least 30 minutes before switching again if another Access Point is
detected.

Prisoner6409

Well there's a slap on the wrist, I know I probably should have consulted the manual, just did not think as this thing had me flustered since last night into the early hours. Anyway everything seems fine now. I would have expected the wireless setup to work fine on the default setting.

irlrobins

It prob would normally. I say the problem might have been that a neighbour of yours has wireless too, operating on the same channel as your own router. By switching channel the interference is gone so connection stays solid. That's my guess anyway.

Foxwood

Prisoner6409 wrote:

Well there's a slap on the wrist, I know I probably should have consulted the manual, just did not think as this thing had me flustered since last night into the early hours. Anyway everything seems fine now. I would have expected the wireless setup to work fine on the default setting.

The problem is probably with the Windws Zero Configuration, rather than with the router. It should handle the switch smoothly, but apparently it decides that the new channel is a new router, and tries to initiate a new connection.

From what I've read, WZC will switch back and forth between nearby routers, even when you're successfully logged into one, constantly conecting and disconnecting you, instead of just getting connected and staynig connected. This behaviour is fine in an environment where there is only one signal, but a major hassle in a "noisy" environment.

Prisoner6409

Would you know if I bought the network adapter that Eircom sell is it likely to work better and would I be able to install it using the cd-rom that comes with the router. It would appear there is a utility on that disk for managing you wireless network. I tried installing it with the Netgear adapter but it hung. It appears the Netgear adapter needs it's own drivers to operate which I suppose is not that unusual..

Foxwood

Prisoner6409 wrote:

Would you know if I bought the network adapter that Eircom sell is it likely to work better and would I be able to install it using the cd-rom that comes with the router. It would appear there is a utility on that disk for managing you wireless network. I tried installing it with the Netgear adapter but it hung. It appears the Netgear adapter needs it's own drivers to operate which I suppose is not that unusual..

Just about all wireless adapters come with their own drivers and client utilities. Wireless Zero Config will work just fine for some people, the cards own client will work better for other people. If the change that you made on the router doesn't work for you, try installing the Netgear drivers, and disabling the Wireless Zero Configuration Service

To disable a service, go to
Start/Cntrol Panel/Performance & Maintenance/Administrative Tools/Services

(You may not have a "Performance & Maintenance" step, depending on the configuration of your Control Panel).