This afternoon I installed a wireless network and am having a problem
with one of my laptops on the network occasionally dropping the
connection. Basically it'll work fine for 10 to 15 minutes and then I
can't get a connection. A desktop computer with a wireless connection
sitting right next to the laptop receives a connection without a
problem. Here are the details of my set-up:
-Verizon DSL, Linksys 802.11b Wireless Router, one wired desktop, one
wired laptop, one wireless desktop and one wireless laptop
-Wirelss laptop is running Windows XP Professional
-Using a non-default SSID and WEP security
When the laptop can't connect I get the following message after
running the ipconfig utility:
"Media State.........:Media disconnected"
An ipconfig /renew produces
"No operation can be performed on Wireless Network Connection while it
has its media disconnected."
If I go to "View available wireless networks" I do see my network
listed there.
If I hover over the "Wireless Network Connection" icon I get the
message "Wireless connection unavailable".
Again, the connection was working previously and I did not change any
setting between when it worked and when it did not work. Also, as
stated previously, a computer located within a few feet of the laptop
with the same wireless settings has no problem connection.
I'm sure I'm omitting some information but hopefully this will be a
good start and I can clarify any additional information that is
necessary. |
Request for Question Clarification by
aht-ga
on
21 Sep 2003 19:29 PDT
jpbischke-ga:
As a suggestion, try using a different channel for your network, one
that is significantly different from your current one (ie. choose a
different group from Channels 1-3, 4-6, 7-11... if you are channel 2
right now, for example, try a channel from one of the other groups).
There is a possibility that you are now experiencing interference on
your current channel, and the laptop's Wi-Fi adapter is the most
susceptible.
Also, please list the makes and models of the various Wi-Fi adapters
you are using in the laptop and the desktop, as well as the model of
the wireless router.
Regards,
aht-ga
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Clarification of Question by
jpbischke-ga
on
21 Sep 2003 21:14 PDT
OK, I will try changing the channel. I live in an apartment complex
and I'm sure there are other wireless networks within a fairly close
proximity.
As for the makes and models, here is that info:
*The laptop has built-in wireless with Intel's Centrino chip
technology. Let me know if you need me to be more specific than that.
*The desktop has a Linksys Wireless PCI Card (2.4 GHz, 802.11b, Model
No. WMP11)
*The wireless router is a Linksys Wireless-B Broadband Router (2.4
GHz, 802.11b, Model No. BEFW11S4
Let me know if there is any additional info that would be helpful.
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Clarification of Question by
jpbischke-ga
on
21 Sep 2003 22:35 PDT
I changed channels (from 6 to 1) on the router. Immediately the
laptop started working. However, 15 minutes or so later it was dead
again with the same syptoms that I described before. This one really
has me scratching my head...
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Request for Question Clarification by
aht-ga
on
21 Sep 2003 23:32 PDT
jpbischke-ga:
No need to scratch your head too much (you'll go bald otherwise!),
this is actually typical behaviour when mixing and matching Wi-Fi
equipment. In spite of the Wi-Fi label (which is supposed to indicate
that each component has passed the Wi-Fi Alliance's interoperability
testing), this is invariably what happens when using components driven
by different chipsets and/or drivers, and WEP. I've been living and
breathing wireless networks in home and office environments for the
two years, and am still very pleasantly surprised when Wi-Fi labelled
components actually DO work together without needing lots of fiddling.
What level of WEP encryption are you using? I have found that when
using 128-bit encryption, different chipsets will have trouble
inter-operating. If you are using 128-bit, try using a 64-bit key
instead (also referred to as 40-bit by some vendors). Other than an
interference source, the encryption level is usually the next most
likely suspect. The Linksys components will work together without any
problem as Linksys subjects their own equipment to greater
interoperability testing than what the Wi-Fi Alliance does. The
802.11b module in your laptop, however, is based on an Intel design
using components from Royal Philips and Texas Instruments. So, it may
well be an interoperability problem (although at this point, I have to
mention that other Centrino laptops I've played with have been able to
operate with Linksys wireless devices without any problems).
To start eliminating possibilities, it is always advisable to start
with a bare minimum network. Therefore, I suggest that you do the
following:
1. Ensure that you have changed the default admin password for your
router.
2. Access the MAC address filtering screen in the router's config, and
add the MAC address of the Intel PROSet Wi-Fi adapter in your laptop
to the list of accepted clients (the MAC address should be on a label
on the bottom of the laptop, there may be two MAC addresses so enter
both to be safe)
3. Turn off WEP encryption completely in the router.
4. Reconfigure the laptop for no WEP encryption as well.
5. Restart the router (pull the plug, wait ten seconds, plug it back
in, let it start up).
6. Surf the web on the laptop for a while to see if the connection
drops now that WEP is turned off.
If the connection is stable, then it's a compatibility problem with
WEP, try 64-bit.
If the connection is still unstable, then there's a compatibility
problem between the PROSet and your Linksys router. Search the Linksys
website for a firmware update for the router, and update it if
necessary, then try again. Also search the Intel website for an
updated driver for the PROSet, and apply it too if found.
Let me know if any of this changes things.
Regards,
aht-ga
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Request for Question Clarification by
aht-ga
on
21 Sep 2003 23:38 PDT
Forgot one step, let's call it step 2a:
2a. Turn on MAC address filtering in the router.
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Clarification of Question by
jpbischke-ga
on
27 Sep 2003 10:11 PDT
I performed all of the steps that you listed with the exception of
turning on MAC address filtering (I couldn't find a setting to do this
so I did enter in the MAC address in a "Private MAC Filter" setting
and am assuming that this automatically turns on MAC address
filtering?). After re-booting the computer here's where I'm at:
-I seem to be getting a connection fine. Signal strength is
"Excellent".
-I receive a valid IP address and other associated info. I can ping
the gateway IP address with no problems.
-I can communicate with other computers on my local network.
-I CANNOT communicate past my local network. I think the problem may
lie with me being unable to get DNS resolution. When I run a
"tracert" on any domain name I get the message "Unable to resolve
target system name..."
What is bizarre is that I do not have any problems with domain name
resolution for my computers that are hard-wired. Strange...
Anyway, I am guessing that this problem might be an ISP-related one so
I am currently on hold with Verizon to try to get this figured out.
If anyone has any additional suggestions, please feel free to post
them. I'll post a follow-up once I'm off the phone with Verizon.
Thanks!
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Clarification of Question by
jpbischke-ga
on
27 Sep 2003 15:36 PDT
I contacted Verizon and their response was that they couldn't help me
because I did not have a "simple network" (their definition being only
one computer on a DSL modem). So essentially I am left with two
problems:
1. The wireless computers cannot communicate outside of the local
network.
2. The laptop still intermittently drops its connection. When I
restart the router the connection picks up again but then seems to
drop in 10-20 minutes.
To reflect the increasing complexity of my problem and the time
sensitivity I have raised the amount I will offer for an answer to
$10.
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Request for Question Clarification by
aht-ga
on
29 Sep 2003 11:14 PDT
jpbischke-ga:
My apologies for the lack of response over the weekend. The cause of
your problem is actually due to the Private MAC address filtering
option that you've turned on... that option actively prevents the
device with that MAC address from going outside of the local network.
The purpose of my recommendation (to turn on MAC address filtering)
was to prevent other users from using your unsecured wireless
connection. However, I had confused the Linksys capabilities with the
capabilities of some of the other wireless access points I use.
Unfortunately, the Linksys does not have this feature.
Please remove the MAC address from the Private MAC Filtering list to
re-enable your wireless access to the Internet.
Unfortunately, the experiment has confirmed one thing, and that is
that the 128 bit WEP encryption may be the cause of the problem. The
problem is not ISP related, as the ISP cannot affect past the router.
Were you able to use the 64-bit WEP encryption setting? If so, then
you are still secure to a certain extent. Linksys units are supposed
to be compatible with Centrino wireless radios (Netgear, on the other
hand, has compatibility issues).
At this point (ie. after you turn off the Private MAC Filtering so
that you can get back on the Internet!), I am uncertain whether we
have reached a satisfactory conclusion to your question. I do not ever
recommend that anyone operate their home WLAN without either WEP or
MAC address filtering (the type that only allows the specified MAC
addresses to access the wireless network, not the type used in the
Linkss).
Please advise if you were able to use the 64-bit WEP setting.
Regards,
aht-ga
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Clarification of Question by
jpbischke-ga
on
29 Sep 2003 13:17 PDT
I removed the MAC address settings and here is the latest update:
*The desktop with the wireless card appears to be working fine. It
seems to get a very good signal strength and link quality and can
connect to the Internet with no problems.
*The laptop is still having problems. It doesn't list my network in
the "List of Available Wireless Networks". It can connect to other
non-secured wireless networks however. I have tried re-booting the
router and the laptop but this does not seem to help. In addition,
the laptop is located in close physical proximity to the desktop which
is working fine.
I haven't tried 64-bit WEP yet as I would like to get the laptop
connected before moving to secure the network.
Any additional suggestions for things I might be able to do to get the
laptop online again?
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Request for Question Clarification by
aht-ga
on
29 Sep 2003 22:43 PDT
jpbischke-ga:
You can try repeating the channel change procedure, to see if that
causes the laptop to see the network again. While the antennae in a
laptop are often not as good as either a USB adapter for a desktop, or
a PCI adapter with an external antenna, you should still be able to
see the wireless router. I'm assuming that you've already tried moving
the laptop closer to the router as well?
Yes, these are starting to be shots in the dark, as there are no
"known" issues with your equipment that would result in the behavior
we are seeing.
aht-ga
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Clarification of Question by
jpbischke-ga
on
01 Oct 2003 22:54 PDT
I repeated the channel change procedure and rebooted and laptop and
the router and it didn't help. I also hard-coded the IP address and
gateway info but that didn't help either. In addition, I tried moving
the laptop so it was physically only a foot away from the router. No
dice...
It seems like I'm getting down to the end where the only option might
be to try a different router. The only last things I can think of
that may help would be either an upgrade to the firmware for the
router (how would I install this?) or an upgrade to the Centrino chip.
I'm not sure quite where to track down either of these though.
Anyway, my desktop PC with wireless has been working fine for the last
couple of days so at least that's good. But the laptop... Anyway, if
we do get this thing working they'll be a nice tip in here. I'm just
not sure of what else, if anything, can be done.
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Request for Question Clarification by
aht-ga
on
02 Oct 2003 00:45 PDT
You can try seeing if there is a firmware upgrade available, by
logging into the router, going to it's "Help" page, and clicking on
the link you should find there to get to the Linksys support site.
For the Wi-Fi adapter in the laptop, there may be a driver update
available; if so, it should be available through Windows Update.
Before you buy another router, though, it's time to go test out the
laptop, either at a friend's place or at a public hotspot, to confirm
that you aren't dealing with a faulty Wi-Fi adapter.
If I can think of anything else for you to try, I'll post it here. If
any other Researchers can think of any causes for this problem,
hopefully they will also post it here. This is the sort of problem
that almost requires one to be there to fix, unfortunately!
To restore your laptop back to the condition it originally was, try
disabling the adapter (there should be either a configuration tool to
allow you to disable the radio... or, it is possible to go into
Windows' own network control panel applet and disable the adapter
there), rebooting, then re-enabling the adapter.
Regards,
aht-ga
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Clarification of Question by
jpbischke-ga
on
02 Oct 2003 10:25 PDT
The laptop *does* seem to work fine with other wireless networks (OK,
I've only tried it on one other but it worked OK there.) I sitll do
have the problem of it intermittently dropping the connection but it
appears this might be a power management issue as that only seems to
happen when the laptop isn't plugged in.
I'll try the updates and see if those help. I'm hoping to not have to
scrap the equipment but at this stage I'm starting to run low on
options.
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Request for Question Clarification by
aht-ga
on
02 Oct 2003 13:27 PDT
jpbischke-ga:
For the power save polling issue, please read:
"Intel® PRO/Wireless 2100 LAN MiniPCI Adapters
PSP (Power Save Polling) Causes Connection Issues With Some Access
Points"
http://www.intel.com/support/network/wireless/pro2100/sb/cs-006205-prd944.htm
As well, if you've been diligent about applying MS' updates, this may
apply:
"Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) Patch (Q815485) Can Cause Connection
Loss"
http://www.intel.com/support/network/wireless/pro2100/sb/cs-006131-prd944.htm
In the second link above, Intel has posted links to IBM, HP, and
Dell's websites for a driver update. If your laptop is one of those,
you can use this to try to see if this is the issue.
For your Linksys, it's best to go through the router's Help page link
to get to the firmware download page. That's the best way to ensure
you get the correct firmware package. Updating the firmware is easy:
download the firmware to a computer that is wired to the router (do
NOT use a wirelessly connected computer for this), unzip the package,
then use the firmware update page in the router to select and upload
the firmware BIN file into the router. After the router reboots, you
may need to reset some of the settings (such as the config password,
the wireless SSID, etc).
Regards,
aht-ga
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Request for Question Clarification by
aht-ga
on
02 Oct 2003 13:35 PDT
jpbischke-ga:
According to the Linksys website, the latest version of the firmware
for your wireless router is version 1.45.3. One of the issues
addressed by this firmware includes:
"5. Fixed connection issues with certain wireless clients in power
save mode"
which might be related to your problem (in a cryptic, admit-no-fault,
way).
Please check the current firmware version of your router (found on the
Status tab of the router configuration pages), and if it is older than
1.45.3, go to:
http://www.linksys.com/download/firmware.asp?fwid=182
to download the update.
Regards,
aht-ga
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Clarification of Question by
jpbischke-ga
on
08 Oct 2003 14:34 PDT
Well, I did a firmware upgrade and made another channel change and
still can't connect. It's really bizarre because the laptop connects
to other wireless networks fine and the wireless desktop that I have
sitting right next to the laptop has no problems either. It just
seems to be this combination of the wireless laptop and this
particular router that causes the problem.
I'm still trying to figure out a solution so here are a couple of
things that I am thinking of:
1. Buying one of the small wireless devices that they sell right now
that plug into the CAT 5 port. For example, something like this:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051384261897&skuId=4125770&type=product&productCategoryId=cat01028
I'm figuring if I go LinkSys here I probably would minimize
compatibility issues. It's a pain in the ass to have to buy something
extra to get this to work but I guess if that's what it takes...
Anyway, if you have any suggestions about devices to look for or to
avoid, that would be great.
2. Another option is taking back the router. I purchased an 802.11b
system and I've been thinking that maybe an 802.11g system would be
better. I'm not sure if this would solve the connectivity problems
but I figure it would give me another shot at making this work.
Any suggestions as to which of these options to pursue next?
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Request for Question Clarification by
aht-ga
on
11 Oct 2003 13:27 PDT
jpbischke-ga:
Sorry, was out of town for a few days.
While the USB Wi-Fi adapter route would probably solve the immediate
problem of wireless connectivity for the laptop, it isn't exactly an
optimal solution for the long run.
What I would suggest is that you try one of two things. The first is,
to bring the laptop with you to either a friend or a store that has
the exact same Linksys wireless router set up, explain your problem,
and see if you are able to establish a reliable connection (ie. walk
around with the laptop, surf away...).
The second is to bring the laptop to a store such as Best Buy, again
explain your problem, and have them help you experiment with different
wireless routers to see which one gives you the most reliable
connection.
Remember to test with WEP turned on, as that may still be a problem.
If you find that you are able to reliably connect to another unit of
the exact same Linksys router that you have, then I would suggest
replicating the exact same settings used for the test system back onto
your own router.
aht-ga
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Clarification of Question by
jpbischke-ga
on
11 Oct 2003 17:00 PDT
I went ahead and took back the router and purchased the Linksys
802.11g router (Model WRT54G) instead. I hooked it up and everything
is working fine so far. I haven't enabled WEP yet as I want to see if
I can maintain a consistent connection without WEP first. I'm going
to give it a day or two to make sure that it's fine before doing so.
I'm going to go ahead and accept this answer as it has been more than
helpful in getting me down the road. There's an outside chance that
the new router won't solve the problem in which case I might be back
here but at this point in time I feel I've received sufficient value
to consider this question answered. I'll keep you posted if there are
any future problems. Thanks!
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