OT: Wireless

boomhower wrote on 10/7/2005, 11:50 AM
For you wireless folks out there:

I'm having a problem with my laptop wireless connection. When I first get on the wireless network, I can go for a few minutes but then my laptop is unable to access the internet. The signal strength will remain at "excellent" and no connection is lost as far as the network is concerned. I have to go into -network connections- and disable my wireless network connection and then immediately enable it. If I do that, I'm good to go for as long as I want. This problem happens from a fresh computer startup.

Other than that, the wireless works great. I just can't figure out why it hangs like that when there is no apparent disconnect with the network. As far as the network knows, I'm still in.....

I have a desktop hooked directly into the internet and it will, from time to time, hang on the internet if it sits idle for a period of time. I found out that was ZoneAlarm freaking out. This situation happens on the laptop with or without ZoneAlarm running.

Would like to figure this out and look into doing some network rendering.

This is a fairly new laptop - Dell 9100 Inspiron

Any ideas....I considered calling DELL but....oh my....like I said, any ideas?

Comments

seanfl wrote on 10/7/2005, 11:56 AM
I've seen some cards that won't come out of standby well. Not that's it's related, but I was able to fix one of them by installing new firmware for the card, and a new updated driver.


Sean
pjrey wrote on 10/7/2005, 2:21 PM
boomhower...
many variables here....
are you having problems after coming out of standby? just leaving it be for a little?
have you tried to disable ZA and see what happens? i have an inspiron 9200 with ZA as well...
are you using windows client? or intel PRO?
what kind of router are you using?
do "repairs" work? you could goto run type "ipconfig /flushdns" then "ipconfig /release" then... "ipconfig /renew"

here is the place for you: http://www.computing.net/networking/wwwboard/wwwboard.html

let me know if you still have probelms after doing a couple searches over there...

pj
boomhower wrote on 10/7/2005, 2:39 PM
Thanks Sean and PJ

I'll give that site the once over and see what I can find.

To answer some of your questions:

"are you having problems after coming out of standby? just leaving it be for a little?"
The only problem I've had with standby on the 9100 deals with the fans coming on so fast the laptop almost levitates. :-) On my desktop if I leave the internet idle and "on screen" for a while, ZA will glitch out and I have to disable it to make the internet work again. ZA doesn't make a difference with the 9100 wireless issue. It does it with or without ZA.

"what kind of router are you using?"
Motorola WR850G

Haven't tried the repairs you mention....

Thanks again...will let you know what I find out. I also sent DELL a warranty email - I'm sure they will tell me to reformat my hard drive....

Keith
pjrey wrote on 10/7/2005, 2:54 PM
is your desktop connected wirelessly or is it wired?
are you having internet connection problems with both machines?

sounds like a router issue...

when you say ZA will glitch out... what happends extacly?
what are you settings like for program control...
i recommend going into program control, and deleting all enteries... and starting fresh... open firefox.. netscape whatever.. it will warn you its trying to access the internet, allow it, and hit "remember my setting" but just with programs you know need the internet.. everythying else, i ether allow or deny, but do not click "remember this setting"..
make sense?

whats your firewall setting like?
are you using antivirus? if so what?

windows firewall is set to off correct!!?
that can run your internet amuch.. two firewalls...
make sure your justi using ZA's!

let me know whats up

pj
dmakogon wrote on 10/7/2005, 7:25 PM
One more thing to check...

it's possible that you're picking up someone else's wireless signal, and that it is overriding your local connection because it's further up in the "preferred" list. Typically, a very low signal wireless network hangs on for a little while, and then fades off into the sunset (I see this all the time at my office with a wireless network in a home across the parking lot. This happened to me recently... my wireless card seemed to have a crush on that other network and would not connect locally.

Go into your network connection's properties and there should be a tab for wireless settings. On that tab you'll be able to see a list of all the wireless networks your computer has seen. Maks sure your local wireless network is at the TOP of the list. Also, delete any ones you don't recognize. Then OK yourself out of the dialog box.

Good luck!
David
boomhower wrote on 10/14/2005, 10:21 AM
Thanks for the replies...sorry for the delay in reporting back -

I sent Dell an email as the laptop is still under warranty - as expected they responded by giving me solutions to problems I don't have (gotta love those guys). The closest he came to actual help was a brief dissertation on the definition of "Page Not Found" in IE and its inevitable economic impact on the egg industry in China.

Anyway, I've checked the firewall etc and everything seems as it should be (other than ZA glitching out from time to time). No stealth networks or anything like that either. My ZA issue is not associated with the wireless problem although it does hang on my laptop just like it does on the desktop. I have to turn it off and turn it back on to keep moving along. I don't see a cause and effect since the wireless issue was present prior to installing ZA on the laptop.

I'm going to try and REload the drivers etc and see what happens....I'm thinking it may be a hardware problem.....bad card? I went through a similar situation with dell on a power supply.
craftech wrote on 10/14/2005, 5:52 PM
Completely uninstall Zone Alarm then download and install Zone Alarm version 5.5.094 or 5.5.062. Later versions were flaky. I would try 5.5.062 first.

John
mattockenfels wrote on 10/14/2005, 6:03 PM
Try changing the broadcast channel on the wireless router. A few months ago I had the same problem after a neighbor put in a router ... and both of us were using the default channel, 6. I changed mine and all was right with the world .... good luck!

-Matt
pjrey wrote on 10/15/2005, 9:28 AM
remove your netword card via device mangager... right click it, and uninstall...
when windows boots back up it will install again...
but, you will need to install intel pro manually if you want to use that again...
get that from the site, or cd..

good luck
pj
jimmyz wrote on 10/15/2005, 10:13 PM
Google the flush dns command.
Thats what happened on my network to my
wired and wireless computers.