[ssilk]

OK, here's my situation. I have a D-Link AirPlus DWL-G650b wireless card on my laptop. My router is a Linksys Wireless-B BEFW11S4.

The network I have setup at my home is security enabled. Usually when I startup my computer, I get a connection during the startup process, or shortly thereafter. However, I will then sometimes lose this connection. Then, when I try to reconnect to my network, it seems as if my card is dead or disabled, as no lights will flash on it. I can try several times to connect to my own network, and nothing will happen. It will just say "Connecting to Network" for a long time and then either return with couldn't connect to network (little red X on taskbar) or Limited Connectivity (Yellow Triangle with Exclamation mark).

But, if after losing my connection, I try to connect to one of the other networks around my area (several show up), my card seems to come back to life. It will flash lights, and start acquiring an IP adress. Then, after doing that, if I try to connect to my own network again, I get on no problem.

So, it seems like when I lose the connection to my network, my card goes dead, and can be revived by tring to connect to someone else's first, then returning to my own. Unfortunately I don't know much about networking, so I can't think of why this is, and I don't even really know what other info I should provide.

Can anyone help? I just installed the most up to date drivers for this card. I don't know much about router settings, so maybe something needs to be changed there?

Thanks.

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How far away is your laptop from the linksys wireless router when it 'goes dead'?

[Fenor]

How far away is your laptop from the linksys wireless router when it 'goes dead'?

[ssilk]

Not what I would consider far. Usually it is in my bedroom, which is in the basement, almost directly below the router. I would say the direct-line distant is no more than 15 feet at that location. When it happened to day however, I was working in the living room on the main floor (same floor as the router), and probably about 8 feet away, through a wall. On the "strength" meter, I always get 7-8 bars out of 8 from this network.

The other network that I use to "revive" my card is in another house, I don't know where, but I get 1-2 bars out of 8, and the connection is still strong enough to start acquiring an IP adress. (Note: once it start acquiring, so as hopefully not to mess around with someone elses network).

So, I'm thinking distance shouldn't be an issue unless one of the devices (my router or my card) is known for particularly poor range.

Thanks.

[kd1966]

There are lots of factors that can cause "dead" spots/areas, also remember that Wireless runs at 2.4ghz, the same freqs. that are used by your friendly microwave oven and those really cool portable phones.

Another issue I recall is the OS; there is a HUGE difference between wireless signal reception using 9x and XP, XP receiving the better signal strength.

As for router positioning - I've found, and been told - that placing your router high is a good thing, as the wireless signal propogates out and down.

Edited by kd1966, 25 September 2005 - 09:20 PM.

[ssilk]

Well I'm running XP SP2.
As for dead spots, these card dyings will happen when I'm not moving. Like I can be one my computer surfing for several hours, no problem, and suddenly go dead.
So, I'll try to watch out and see if these occurences coincide with any appliances or phones being used.
But what I find weird is how it only seems to go dead for my network, and then will stay dead indeffinitely for it until I try to connect to another one.