# Solved: Keep losing wireless connection



## khevlan (Jul 30, 2007)

Hi all

I keep losing my wireless internet connection. Intermittently, my connection is lost and I get the message that the page cannot be found. I need to repair my wireless connection in order to surf the net after that. Its quite grinding. Here are the details of my PC and my internet connection;

Motherboard	GF8100VM-M5
Motherboard Manufacturer	Elite group
Motherboard Serial Number	15-K67-011003	
Processor	AMD TRIPLE CORE PHENOM X3 8450
Processor Socket	AM2 Plus
Memory	3GB DDR2 800MHz 
Power Supply	CiT Pentium P4 500 Watt
Operating System XP Professional Service Pack 3
CD ROM Device	XAFIFA Z0XUJ0D SCSI CdRom Device
Audio chipset	VIA High Definition onboard audio VT1708AB
Operating System	XP Professional Service Pack 3

Internet Connection
Connection type	Wireless
Wireless Adapter	Buffalo Nfinity
Network provider	BT Broadband
Router BT Home Hub 2
Encryption type WPA2
Internet browsers in use	Chrome and Firefox, same problem with both
Firewall used	Zonealarm - It is not the firewall; I have turned it off and still had the problem

The router is in another room but is not too far away. 

Thanks in advance for helping me.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Please show for when you have a connection and for when you do not ...

*Start, Run, CMD, OK* to open a command prompt:
(For Vista or 7 type *CMD* in the Search box after *Start*)

Type the following command:

*IPCONFIG /ALL*

[Note that there is no space between the slash and ALL.]

Right click in the command window and choose *Select All*, then hit *Enter*.
Paste the results in a message here.

If necessary use a text file and removable media to copy the results to a computer with internet access.


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## khevlan (Jul 30, 2007)

That information contains my I.P address. Is it safe for me to give out my I.P address on the internet?


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

People have programs running all the time probing all possible IP addresses for vulnerabilities. If you are not using a firewall and not behind a router it is far, far more likely that you will be attacked that way than by somebody patiently waiting for somebody to post a particular IP address. Besides, you imply that you are using a router, so unless it is defective or you have it configured incorrectly all you are going to show are private IP addresses.


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## khevlan (Jul 30, 2007)

Thanks;

WHEN I HAVE A CONNECTOIN

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>ipconfig/all

Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : computer
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : home

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 8:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : home
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : BUFFALO WLI-U2-G300N Wireless LAN Ad
apter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-16-01-5E-48-13
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.68
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 04 April 2010 14:25:02
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 05 April 2010 14:25:02

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

WHEN I DON'T HAVE A CONNECTOIN

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>ipconfig/all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : computer
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : home

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 8:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : home
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : BUFFALO WLI-U2-G300N Wireless LAN Ad
apter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-16-01-5E-48-13
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.68
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 04 April 2010 14:25:02
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 05 April 2010 14:25:02

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>

I should say that when I lose the connection the Operating System doesn't show that the connection is lost (the connection icon doesn't change), I just can't open any webpages. The browsers say the page cannot be found.

Thanks


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

> I should say that when I lose the connection the Operating System doesn't show that the connection is lost (the connection icon doesn't change), I just can't open any webpages. The browsers say the page cannot be found.


OK; and the ipconfig /all information is in agreement.  Let's try fixing three possible areas of corruption (driver, firewall, stack/WINSOCK). Try them in whatever order you wish.

Make sure you have the latest driver for the wireless adapter. If you are sure you already have the latest you can just use Device Manager to uninstall the wireless and then reboot and let Windows discover the adapter and reinstall the driver.

Uninstall ZoneAlarm (turning it off does no good if it is corrupted) and run the Removal Tool.

(From a JohnWill post)

*TCP/IP stack repair options for use with Windows XP with SP2 or SP3.*

*Start, Run, CMD, OK* to open a command prompt.

Reset WINSOCK entries to installation defaults: *netsh winsock reset catalog*

Reset TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. *netsh int ip reset reset.log*

Reboot the machine.


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## khevlan (Jul 30, 2007)

Hi 

I believe that the problem is mostly solved. I tried the last solution first as it seemed the most promising. When I re-started the computer afterwards, it automatically connected to the internet which it does not usually do. I thought the problem was solved but the connection did go again. However it seemed to reconnect without me doing anything when normally I would have to re-start the connection. 

Therefore the connection isn't 100% but it should be more liveable if this holds up. 

Thanks for your help!


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

You're welcome. With that new symptom I don't suspect a firewall. Top two suspects are that you need a driver update or are suffering from wireless interference. You can use the Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector to help determine the existence of other wireless networks. If you want help with that attach a screen shot of the Networks page output.

You could also try running those repairs again. Sometimes, for no logical reason, the 2nd time seems to fix a little more.


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## khevlan (Jul 30, 2007)

Hi 

I've managed to upload a JPEG of that screen.

I'm afraid my problem hasn't really been solved because the connection keeps going. I'll look at drivers next although I only very recently bought a new wireless adapter.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Good grief! Three strong signals all using channel 1! Change your channel to 6 or 11 and you should be able to kiss your disconnects goodbye (unless you also need a driver update).


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## khevlan (Jul 30, 2007)

Thanks 

I'm not sure if that's the problem. I live with somebody who manages the network and he says that, because it is BT broadband, the three services comprise only one signal. I don't know if this is true. What is true is that there are 3 computers connected to the network and I'm the only one having the problem. 

In terms of the drivers, I don't know how to check what version my windows driver for the adapter is. The latest driver that I can find was released in 2007 and I bought the adapter in 2010 so I 'd assue my driver is up to date. When I download that 2007 driver from the Buffalo site it contains no installation instructions; its just a folder you unzip that has some files in it that I don't know how to install. 

In all I'm somewhat at a loss about how to solve this problem. Should I ask the person who manages the network to move the netwrok to channel 6 or 11?


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## schang626 (Mar 2, 2010)

you might have 3 computers connected to the network, but terrynet is saying that there are 3 networks that's using the same channel so you get interferece.
so yes please ask the person who manages the network to change the network to channel 6 or 11


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## khevlan (Jul 30, 2007)

Hi 

Just to update you, switching the network channel did not solve the problem of periodic disconnects. Other things I have done are; I actually did not properly unstall my previous wireless utililty form Belkin and I did so but that did not solve the problem. I completely uninstallled Zonealarm, rather that just disabling it, and this did not solve the problem. 

Rahter vexing. 

Mine is the only computer on the network that seems to have the problem.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

What wireless utility are you using, and are you sure no other one is running?


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## khevlan2 (Nov 3, 2007)

I was using Buffalo Wireless Client 3.0. 

I recently uninstalled that and am now using only the windows utility. I have seen the problem again, but, touch wood, disconnects seem rarer. Additionally, it is easier to repair the network; I just right click the flashing network icon and select repair. 

I believe that the Windows Utility is now the only utility running as I have uninstalled by previous Belkin Utility and also my more recent Buffalo Utility. 

Thanks.


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## khevlan (Jul 30, 2007)

Does anybody have any further advice for my problem?

Thanks in advance.


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## khevlan (Jul 30, 2007)

Does anybody have any ideas on how I can solve my problem?

Thanks in advance.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

> In terms of the drivers, I don't know how to check what version my windows driver for the adapter is. The latest driver that I can find was released in 2007 and I bought the adapter in 2010 so I 'd assue my driver is up to date. When I download that 2007 driver from the Buffalo site it contains no installation instructions; its just a folder you unzip that has some files in it that I don't know how to install.


Sorry, I have overlooked that.

In Device Manager right click on your wireless adapter - Properties - Driver tab - you will see the Driver Date and the Driver Version.

From that same page you can do "Update Driver..." and direct Wiindows to the unzipped folder that contains the downloaded driver (_usually _the correct folder, if there is more than one, will contain at least a .inf file).


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## khevlan (Jul 30, 2007)

Hi 

I appear to have solved my problem, though the solution is very strange. I plugged an Ethernet cable into the BT home hub router in order see if a wired connection experience the same drop-outs and it did not. 

After I removed the wired connection and re-connected wirelessly, my wireless connection was fine. 

Like so many things about wireless networking, to me at least, this is very strange. 

Thanks for your help and if anybody know why this has worked I would be interested.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

The wireless adapter was afraid that you would discard it and use ethernet, and so decided to get its act together. 

Clearly I don't have a clue either, but am glad it's working now.  You can mark this Solved using the button at the upper left of the page.


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