PCTech Forums

I just set up wireless broadband for my sister and it keeps dropping the internet connection.

I have to right click on the network icon and connect manually from time to time. Sometimes, the router neeeds to be re-booted for it to work. When i installed it, all i did was set up the WEP encryption with a security key. i set the laptop to "connect automatically" for this network.

Any ideas ?

What is the strength of the network connection on the laptop that keeps dropping?(please check this) It could be that it has a very weak signal. Check that first anyway.

Things you could do to improve signal are to:

1) Update the drivers for the network card that keeps dropping connection.

2) Buy a new network card and install this on the laptop.

or 3) which is a rather long procedure if you have the time :

Check the settings on the router and make sure it is a G or better connection (some will state that is B and G) If it states both try changing the router to G only as I have found out on my router that it has a problem when putting both the B and G modes on.

You should be able to get into your actual routers config (depending on the make and model by typing in http://192.168.2.1/ or http://192.168.1.1/ into your explorer bar/IE Bar.

When your inside your routers config look for Wireless > Channel and SSID. IF changing the router to G only does not boost the signal try on a different channel, mine is currently set on 12 (but remember your original channel setting just in case its worse when changing it around )

Hope this helps some, but wireless connections are really fragile due to weak signals and interference tell me how you get on with trying the above.

The strange thing is the signal is excellent !!! I can surf away no bother and it seems fine.

I go home and an hr later i get a call saying they turned back on the laptop and no internet. it might be something to do with authenticaton.

KenA,

I've seen some odd things affect wireless connectivity like microwave ovens, speakers and things with magnets, cell phones to close, even a wireless land line phone.

You can test the authentication theory by using a cable not the wireless.
If it drops then its authentication, if not then it could be interference.

cool...ill try that then

Well ,I have seen the similar issue and I reset the wireless router to manufacturer default setting, and it works.

I would also suggest you check the laptop wireless card setting as well.
If there is a power savings mode, try to disable that.
Some laptop after leave a while without internet activities will force the wirelss NIC to power savings mode, wake the NIC up may need some time or there is error with the driver.

By the way, reinstall the latest mainboard chipset driver and reboot may help you get a more stable system and thus better working NIC communication.

Hope this helps!
Happy New Year!
Bill

Thanks Bill...i did reset the router to factory default settings and all i set up was the network security.

I am using the usb adapter that came with the router Bill....if this makes any difference. When i take out the adapter i have no connection. There IS a wirelass card in the laptop but im not sure how to set it up. maybe this is the problem...maybe i should set this up.

Also, by the main chipset driver do you mean the firmware on the router ? Ive gone online looking for this and there seems to be none available.

the router is Azurewave NR580 .

Hi KenA,

The chipset driver is for the mainboard not the firmware for the router.

Now, you can try reinstall the laptop chipset driver, reboot to take effect then reinstall the wireless NIC driver again, check to see if there is any latest driver available on the laptop website for the wireless NIC. for xp OS, if there is driver for SP3, do not use the driver from SP2.

turn on the laptop wireless NIC and put the wireless router as close as possible to the laptop, preferably on the same table to test.

go through the wireless setup and search the wireless router from the laptop.
As soon as the wireless connected, remove the wired connection including the USB NIC as well to avoid confusion.

Keep the laptop online maybe downloading large movie file and see if the connection still break up. If not, power off the laptop and power on again to search the wireless again.

Some laptop also got switch button to switch on and off the wireless NIC, you may need to check that button as well to make sure it is not loose.

Cheers!
Bill

Bill i think i might have made a booboo...

On the set-up page of the router, the WAN section...COnnection type was at PPoe. there was provision underneath for a username and password. I didnt enter these. I think maybe I should have entered the username and password provided by the ISP to set up the wired router first day.

Would you agree with this ? ( Forgive me...im totally a noob at this)