# Solved: Wireless connection keeps dropping



## golddust (Jan 2, 2005)

Using Linksys wireless usb network adapter with Linksys g broadband router. Wireless connection keeps dropping every five or ten minutes. Equipment is only three months old and has been working fine up until yesterday when we switched wired versus wireless connections. Daughter was wireless (e-machine running windows xp home sp2) now wired (new computer built custom with windows 2003) and mine was wired(HP) now wireless (still HP running windows xp home - sp2). She never had a problem with connection dropping now I do.


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## krazeecrw (Oct 25, 2002)

Check to make sure you have updated drivers for the wireless adapter and also that you have the latest firmware update for your router


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## Tapeuup (Apr 6, 2005)

is the router in an area by itself, I had problems when I was a virgin to wireless and had my wireless phone receiver sitting about 12" from the router.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Also what is the signal strength when you can connect. Might be a good test just to move the computer that is having problems next to the router to eliminate at least that as being part of the problem.


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## golddust (Jan 2, 2005)

Bob Cerelli said:


> Also what is the signal strength when you can connect. Might be a good test just to move the computer that is having problems next to the router to eliminate at least that as being part of the problem.


Signal strength is 11 mbps (excellent) when connected. As a matter of fact, since my daughter moved her computer into her room she is now closer to my computer than she was before when she was using the wireless connection and I was hard wired to the router. She needs the hard wired connection for her online gaming. But this problem exists whether she is on line or not so it isn't as if she's 'drawing' from my signal with her new gaming computer.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

I wouldn't think the wired computer would have anything to do with the wireless problem. Just wanted to check what the signal strength was on it.


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## golddust (Jan 2, 2005)

Tapeuup said:


> is the router in an area by itself, I had problems when I was a virgin to wireless and had my wireless phone receiver sitting about 12" from the router.


Got rid of the 2.4 ghz cordless phone a while back. Router is in a similar setup as I had it when it was by my computer.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Are there any power settings on the USB wireless adapter?


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## golddust (Jan 2, 2005)

Bob Cerelli said:


> Are there any power settings on the USB wireless adapter?


No settings of any kind on the adapter. I'm set to Channel 11 on the router


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

What do you need to do in order to get the connection working again? Reboot the computer? Restart the router? Wait?

Can you check what IP address you have when you disconnect.
Can you ping the router when you disconnect.

To confirm that the wireless USB adapter is not part of the problem, can you use the wireless card that was being used before when it did work.


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## golddust (Jan 2, 2005)

Bob Cerelli said:


> What do you need to do in order to get the connection working again? Reboot the computer? Restart the router? Wait?
> 
> Can you check what IP address you have when you disconnect.
> Can you ping the router when you disconnect.
> ...


Sometimes it will reconnect automatically, other times I have to click on "View available wireless networks" to reconnect.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Since it drops so quickly, as a test and only as a test, see what happens if you remove any security. Again, this is only for testing and not recommended to leave it this way for any long duration if you are worried about neighbors using your Internet connection.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Keep going with Bob's suggestions, but also make sure that this is not a problem of the USB adapter being powered down. I have that problem on my desktop, and on my old laptop when running on battery. You hear the sound of a USB device being disconnected, the adapter has no power, then you hear the sound of a USB device being plugged in, and the adapter goes back to work.


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## golddust (Jan 2, 2005)

TerryNet said:


> Keep going with Bob's suggestions, but also make sure that this is not a problem of the USB adapter being powered down. I have that problem on my desktop, and on my old laptop when running on battery. You hear the sound of a USB device being disconnected, the adapter has no power, then you hear the sound of a USB device being plugged in, and the adapter goes back to work.


Not getting anything like that. I'm sure it has something to do with my computer since my husband just got daughter's old computer working with the wireless card built in and it works fine - and he's farther from the router than I am with an additional wall in the way.

Anyway, we ran the wires for wired connection today and a friend is coming in tomorrow to crimp the adaptors ( or plugs or whatever you call them ) on the ends so we can all be wired to the router.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

TerryNet said:


> Keep going with Bob's suggestions, but also make sure that this is not a problem of the USB adapter being powered down. I have that problem on my desktop, and on my old laptop when running on battery. You hear the sound of a USB device being disconnected, the adapter has no power, then you hear the sound of a USB device being plugged in, and the adapter goes back to work.


That's why I asked the same question fairly early on.

As a test, if you have a wireless card you can use, even for just a few days, it might help determine if it is just the USB adapter or not.


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## blaqDeaph (Nov 22, 2005)

Just another thing you can try, I remember I had the same thing with a Centrino laptop connecting to a Linksys router until i unchecked the "require 802.11xx authentication" somewhere, i don't really remember the exact settings. But you could give that a shot and see if it works.


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## golddust (Jan 2, 2005)

Thank you all for you suggestions. We just completed hardwiring all our computers so the problem is gone.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

That's how I solve flaky wireless connection issues.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Good to know at the end. Other options are to use something other than a USB wireless adapter. For example. a PCI or PCMCIA adapter can sometimes work better than a USB one.


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## golddust (Jan 2, 2005)

Bob Cerelli said:


> Good to know at the end. Other options are to use something other than a USB wireless adapter. For example. a PCI or PCMCIA adapter can sometimes work better than a USB one.


Probably, but to tell the truth, this HP computer has been such a pain, I'd replace it if I could.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

Know what you mean. Not too impressed with the ones from at least the past several years. Actually have a 3 GHz one that is so bad a customer just gave it to me.


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