Networks Wireless Networking Problems

My house is set up with a wireless network to network out the houses cable internet computer to all of the computers of the house. The problem is with the recent eddition of my computer. My computer is on the third floor and the transmitter is on the first floor. My computer will have no problem getting on the internet at first, but after a few minutes it will stop receiving information and only send. It still says I have a good connection but I cannot access the router or use the internet. If I turn the router off, then back on, it will work for a couple more minutes but stop again/ Any body have any idea what this could be?

Thanks in advance.


EDIT: Also, all the otjher computers in the house are not having this problem, just mine.

Thank again.

 

Is your new wireless card the same as the others?

 

Originally it was the same, then I changed it to a different one because I thought the problem I was having was with the originall AP. I have changed out both router and AP several times and it always has the same problem. Both the router and AP are the same brand though (netgear).

 

ok that's my first option shot down in flames, sometimes the wifi gear isn't allways 100% compatible between different brands.

It sounds like the signal is degrading, so first I would check the cables between pc and ap, then look at the fabric of the building between the ap and the router. For example cinder block walls or foil back plasterboard will stop the signal dead. Is the ap over the top of the router ? can you try moving the ap on a longer cable to see if you get a better signal?

 

Hmmm, do you really think it is a signal strength problem? The little signal strength monitor says it has good reception. Could it be lying to me?!?

 

not so much the strength as the quality, I'm sitting in the litchen at the mo', the strength is only about 30% but the quality is over 90%, so I don't get any drop outs. Just to give you an idea of mt layout, the ap is on the 1st floor and I get good recption here in the kitchen, but if I move to the bedroom on the 1st floor the link quality drops sharply because of the two cinder block walls between me and the ap

 

Ok then, to answer your question before, no cinder block walls or tin oil is between me and the router. Also, it isn't really an acces point, it is a pci card. And yes, my computer and the PCI cards antenae is above (maybe not directly, but more or less) the router.

I am going to move my computer downstairs to see if proximity helps things. If so I guess I will have to buy a wifi repeater to boost signal strength. Would that fix it?

 

it might do, what colour do you have on the signal strength indicator?

 

Ok, I moved the computer downstairs and the problem has cleared up completly. So obviously the signal is degrading by the time it reaches my computer. The question now is how do I boost the signal so it reaches my computer?

PS my PCI card does not allow for after market anteneas so adding a new ones is out of the question.

 

Correction, It is NOT working. No sooner then I had posted that did it stop receiving information from the router just like before. It was running perfectly, then all of the sudden it stopped receiving. The signal is quality is excelent and my computer is less then a foot from the router so signal is not a problem. I turned off and turned back on the router and it works again, for a while then goes out again. It says the signal is good and it still sends info, it just doesn't get anything back.

Does anybody have any idea what is going on??

 

well to be honest, with out starting to mess about with MTU's it sounds like a duff card

 

does the laptop have a built in wireless card, or is it PCMCIA?

if it is PCMCIA, i would try it in another computer and see if the problem persists.....if it does, it's the card. at that point, look for firmware updates or trash it and get a new one.

if it is built into the laptop, you might consider reinstalling windows or reinstalling/updating drivers. if still nogo, i'd be calling the manufacturer