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Netgear 5ghz with AP's keep dropping out 2

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genenj420

IS-IT--Management
Feb 28, 2002
50
US
Ok let me explain the setup.
5ghz
Netgear HR314
802.11a Cable/DSL High-Speed Wireless Router (in the basement)

Netgear HE102
802.11a Wireless Access Point (1 in the attic, and 1 in first floor laundry room)

Netgear HA311
802.11a Wireless Integrated PCI Adapter on the PC on third floor. and in the basement.

Netgear HA501
802.11a Wireless 32-bit Card Bus Adapter (for laptop)

The AP's are connected via Cat5 to the router.

The router issues DHCP to clients (no problem with that)The ISP issues dynamic IP.
The AP's are setup in Infrastructure mode. The SSID are the same name (MASTERS). (I read that the workgroup name needs to be the same as the AP's SSID. I also read that with WEP enable there issues with printer and file sharing.
I'm not using Turbo Mode. I do have WEP on with 128bit shared key. The system names for each AP is diffrent.
I have not upgraded firmware (I have to see if there is an upgrade).

SO I have decent siginals and Internet access the entire time I'm working on them. After I leave the client i get calls a few days later telling me the wireless is down. The wireless looks like it's always up when I'mt there. (today it was only 2 hours after I left, and I was there all morning with it up fine.) I think I have been back there 8 times and only 1 time the system was down. Wireless was working but no internet. I noticed the Activity light not blinking on the router so I powered it off and on and the internet came back up on all boxes. (Bad storms the past few days here.) A few other times they called because the 3rd floor pc wasn't connecting to the net. When I arrived it was up and running fine.

The laptop is xp, the third floor pc is XP, the pc in the basement is 98SE.

Now on the xp boxes i never turned off wirless zero. So both the netgear utility and the wirless zero are shown in the task bar. I also don't beleive that i turned off 802 authentication and the firewall option. Could this be part of my problem?

Also with this I'm having trouble sharing files or PC seeing each other. The 98se box says cant browes network as soon as entire network is clicked. The XP laptop when clicked on entire network says something about permissons error and nothing in the browser. The XP box on the third floor looks as if it's ready to see the other boxes if they could could get on themselves. When clickin on network places and entire network I can see that box alone in the browser.

Talking about the laptop now i notied when i ran network setup wizard it showed me the config that it was going to setup. It stated the workgroup name, the pc name, and the internet connection was Netgear wirless. When I scrolled to the bottom it showed for the network connection was the on board nic that I disabled. Now I'm not sure if that's the problem cause I don't know how to force it to the wirless for Network.
Now the majority of the time i was there the internet was up and running on all pc's, laptop stayed online the entire time as I moved from basement to 3rd floor. And had 9% signal on the patio.

It seems to me everything is working fine except for sharing files. Obviously theres something wrong if they keep calling and tell me it's down. They don't know the diffrence between the wireless and internet being down so when they call it's alwasy the wireless is down. I hope that it is still down when I arrive tomorrow. At least I can maybe see what's going on.

I'm still learning lots about XP. But I've shared files with other wirless networks without a problem so I dunno what's going on here. Those where xp boxes also. Someone was telling me about Simple sharing problem with wireless. I just don't know where I should focus next. I thought I only had a sharing networking problem going on but maybe the wireless is acting up like something bugging it after 8 pm. They have an electric dog fence! ahah ok i'm stretching but somethings gotta to be causing it.

Could there be a problem with TTL or becon intervals or something to that efffect.

I was thinking of trying to setup static IP's to maybe help the pc see each other easier.

Any help would really help
If i missed any importaint info that would help just ask.


thanks
gene
 
Ok i just read a thread that bcastner replyed to that said to use either Netgear utility or wirless zero. One or the other.

 
The dropouts are likely due to enabling 802.1x authentication on the client side. Turn this off.

Use either the Netgear client, or Wireless Zero Configuration on the XP clients, not both.

The SSID does not have to be the same as your Workgroup name, it can be anything. Just remember that it is case sensitive.

The APs should be on different channels, same WEP, same SSID. Try channels 1, 6, 11 for the APs.

Check the client configuration for the adapters, you do not want any power management enabled.

Check the client adapters to make certain that Client for Microsoft Networking, file and Printer Sharing, are both applied to the wireless adapter. The wired NIC does not matter. Check the TCP/IP properties for the wireless adapter to make sure that obtain an IP automaticly is enabled, and that under Advanced, WINS, that LMHOST is uncecked and Enable Netbios over TCP/IP is enabled.

Check the Netgear web-site for both router and client adapter firmware or driver upgrades.
 
You might also check to make sure Service pack 1 is installed on the XP's. It solves a lot of networking issues.

Of all the things I've ever lost, I miss my mind the most......
 
fantastic,

great info. That link is importaint info to know.

I bet it will work well now after I make the changs.

I'll post the results.

Thanks
gene
 
I can't seem to locate the 802.1x to turn it off or on. I followed to where you said to find it and I'm not seeing it. All I have is the firewall option from the advanced tab. Does that mean it's not enabled?

I changed everything else and hopefully it will work better.

Thanks
gene
 
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