wireless network woes

[GazK]

I've changed channels twice, still getting dropped connections. We regularly get drops from a work laptop running XP, a desktop running Win7 home premium, and a netbook running win7 starter edition.

@highlandsflyer - hahahahahah, it's a rare day when we don't reboot the router. It's our standard way of picking up a dropped connection! Even our 7yr old knows how to reboot it!

 

[GazK]

PS all windows machines are using the windows firewall. Would it be worth changing the desktop to Zonealarm to see if that helps?

 

[hamster]

I've got an old BT broadband router (the white one, I think 2nd generation) you are welcome to for £15.

 

[ajm]

I've changed channels twice, still getting dropped connections. We regularly get drops from a work laptop running XP, a desktop running Win7 home premium, and a netbook running win7 starter edition.

OK, when you say the connection drops... do you know if it's the WiFi connection between the devices and the router or the actual broadband connection that's dropping? And when it happens, do all the devices on the network lose their Internet access at the same time?

I wouldn't install ZoneAlarm, rather I would have uninstalled it if it were already installed. Even then, unless it were installed on all the machines affected there wouldn't be much point (as clearly it wouldn't be the main problem.)

Coincidentally my dad's router of almost exactly the same vintage died this morning! The ADSL modem part, at least. Draytek 2830n on order...

The BT home hub isn't much use unless you're actually with BT as your broadband provider... if you are, and have been for any length of time, I'd be requesting a new home hub from them for free to keep you as a customer for a while longer.

 

[rosstheboss]

If you are with bt give them a bell, their routers are pretty good domestically, and if anything goes wrong they fix it! I can't rememeber the number of simultaneous you are allowed but we regularly have

3x phones
3x laptops
tablet
ps3
wii
sky

All working together fine

And if you're a customer it's 'free'

 

[sylus]

have you tried running a direct cable from the modem to a laptop to see if the direct signal is okay?

if it runs from the direct cable fine but not as a wifi then you have your answer

 

[Neil]

If you are with bt give them a bell, their routers are pretty good domestically, and if anything goes wrong they fix it! I can't rememeber the number of simultaneous you are allowed but we regularly have

3x phones
3x laptops
tablet
ps3
wii
sky

All working together fine

And if you're a customer it's 'free'

I can remember when I first setup WiFi at home - and bearing in mind I use a MAC filter list on my WiFi router(s) so have a good idea of how many devices I've allowed access for.

At first it was probably about 4 devices, now it's something like:-

Nintendo Wii
Xbox 360
3 x Mobile phones
2 x Kindles
4 x tablets
2 x Nintendo 3DSs
1 x Samsung S 4.2 player
1 x Printer
1 x WiFi router as a repeater

Wired clients:-

5 x PCs (one wired to the upstairs WiFi router acting as a repeater).

Oddly, the separate BT connection I have (just for work) only tends to have a couple of wired connections (work PC and work laptop).

As to the load and number of connections, any type of P2P file sharing will soon ramp up the load on your router in terms of number of connections, so it's likely that would dwarf the number of connections you use from normal devices.

 

[MikeD]

As someone else said, it'd be useful to know if it's the wireless side or the internet side that's dropping out. I assume you've got an ADSL filter thing on all your phone sockets?

 

[Neil]

As someone else said, it'd be useful to know if it's the wireless side or the internet side that's dropping out. I assume you've got an ADSL filter thing on all your phone sockets?

In the original post, there is mention of the ISP side looking OK.

IP address conflict could be telling - perhaps the WiFi isn't very secure, and somebody else is, um, using it.

Quite difficult to diagnose WiFi issues, though, truth be told - using a wired connection may help diagnose, but only if it's usable for some time when you could expect problems to occur.

Personally, I haven't got loads of experience with lots of different routers, I do tend to use DD-WRT on the ones I use, though, and find the site survey and the WiFi network status sections very helpful.

If I had any advice it would be have the line checked, then try and rule out hardware. After that, setup a new WiFi environment with hidden SSID, decent security (WP2 AES) with decent key length, and MAC filter list only allowing the devices you've specifically configured - then hopefully you can remove outside "usage" as being a factor. That and site survey type functionality to try and establish which parts of the WiFi channels you can use without interfering / overlapping with any neighbouring WiFi networks.

 

[GazK]

Some updates and progress:

- I'm not on BT so thanks to all those suggestions but won't work for me
- I plugged the laptop into one of the router ports, super fast no issues. So definitely wireless issues
- I've just finished switching access control on and adding the mac addresses. All of a sudden my speed issues have gone away! It's like the internet used to be, ie reasonably fast.

Also, there is one mystery mac address sitting outside the party. Unless its our wii box (unlikely, currently on standby) then I think someone has been half-inching our wifi.

Thing is, the connection is secured with WPA-PSK - is this really so insecure that the kids/pensioners that live around me could hack into it?

It will be interesting to see if we still get the connection drops, i.e. is this the same issue or different.