Wireless connection drops out after 5 mins 1

[moleproductions]

Hi,

I'm running a brand new laptop with Windows XP Pro and have a MSI wireless mini-PCI card factory installed. I connect to an ADSL router (Vigor 2600g) which has wireless enabled. I have 128 bit encryption turned on. WEP is enabled. This is the only wireless device we run. There are 3 other PCs connected to the router - but this problem still exists when all are turned off.

The problem: When I boot the PC I have to manually tell the laptop to connect to the wireless network (click on the network icon in the task tray and click "Connect"). All works fine for about 10 minutes. Then it disconnects. I then click on the icon in the task tray and click "Connect" again and it re-connects. Why does it drop out all the time? Can I set it to auto-connect?

The signal strength is "Excellent". Speed is 54Mbps. Windows is currently set to manage this adaptor, but even if I use WLanUtility (which came with the installation of the card) I still have the same problem.

Can anyone help?
Many thanks,
Tim

 

[G0AOZ]

I assume the other 3 PCs don't have this "drop-out" problem... How about a power saving setting somewhere in the laptop?

ROGER.

 

[moleproductions]

Roger,

Thanks for your reply. No - the other PCs are all totally fine and never loose their connections to the network.

Also, I've checked through the laptop for power saving features and there is nothing. In the Device Manager section, under the wireless card there is a power save feature which is diabled. Under the other Windows Power Management settings there is nothing set, apart from the sleep after 2 hours!

Any ideas?
Thanks.

 

[G0AOZ]

Ok, here's another few points to mull over...

(1) What sort of distance are we talking about between laptop and Access Point?

(2) Do they have clear line of sight, or is there furniture, walls/doors/floors etc., in between?

(3) If you're doing a BIG file transfer (taking say 15 minutes or more) from the laptop to one of the other wired PCs, does the laptop drop out after a few minutes, or is this only happening when it's apparently idle?

(4) Although signal strength may show as excellent, that doesn't mean quality is good as well. The "excellent" rating can vary quite significantly from card to card. Some show "excellent" when anything less than this turns out to be unacceptable. In other words, there appears to sometimes be a fine line between a solid connection and a poor one.

(5) Is anything else in the vicinity likely to upset your wireless transmissions? Some cordless phones work on 2.4GHz. Microwave ovens are also in same frequency band. Are there other WiFi setups elsewhere in the building or next door perhaps?

(6) If you've got more than say 12ft between laptop and Access Point or you don't have line of sight, temporarily move the laptop so it's right up close to the AP, and then see if it still drops out.


ROGER.

 

[vipergg]

Might want to read this article , almost sounds like your problem . Seems XP can have a real problem in some cases .

http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,63705,00.html

 

[moleproductions]

Hi,

To answer some questions above - firstly Vipergg: thanks for the link. It's not quite what I get - Windows shows it disconnecting and then allows you to reconnect. I tried what the link said and it re-started it then, but soon disconnected. But thanks anyway!

Roger: lots of things to try. Firstly, it's not something that happens when the connection is idle. I downloaded a big file and it cut off half way through. We very rarely ever use the microwave and it certainly wasn't on when I was using it. I mainly work from home, and don't have many neighbours. Certainly nothing comes up in my connection list though. One set of neighbours are in their 80s! We do have portable phones so maybe I'll try turning them off. Also, it doesn't matter whether I have the laptop 1 inch from the router or downstairs from the router - the same happens.

I'll keep looking though...

 

[usnavyvet]

Your problem is a Microsoft issue. Read Article Q305618. It has to do with standy of processors. Microsoft by design, will silently disconnect your wireless connection if your processor goes into standby. Your icon will show it still as active and strong. You must bring your pc back out of standby and right click on the communication icon and view your network connection. All you have to do is disconnect and recoonect. Since I'm on the latest version of XP Prof SP2, the procedure is pretty straight forward. Hope this helps you.

us navy vet

 

[moleproductions]

Thanks - it's actually not the processor going into Standby - I can be in the middle of doing something and it still happens.

I'VE SOLVED THIS PROBLEM:

I eventually discovered that there is a program called WLANUtility on the laptop and if I tell Windows not to configure the wirless adaptor, and use WLANUtility instead then it is fine. It connects immediately that the laptop is switched on, and stays connected all the time - without dropping out. It's been fine now for almost a week.

So, if you're reading this - try and find the configure software that came with the wireless card and get that to control the card, and not Windows.

Thanks everyone for your help.
Tim

 

[littlecrab]

Hi moleproductions:

I have the similar problem. But if I start the WLANUtility, the window pops up and then closes itself
after 2 secs. So there is no chance that I can configure
the card. How can I ask XP not to configure the card?

Thanks

 

[jamespkeane]

Hi,

I am having the identical problem as the person who posted this, but with a Dell Latitude D600 with an internal adapater. Other laptops work totally fine on the network. I have a wireless printer that works fine also.

The laptop keeps disconnecting, then re-recognizing the wireless network - this is such a killer - any ideas?

jpk


James Keane
Accenture, Inc.
917-452-7857

 

[moleproductions]

Hi - this was quite a while ago and all I can remember was finding the WLANUtility software, opening it and making it the default wireless network controller - rather than using "Gateway mode" which on my laptop is the other alternative.

For James's Dell problem - not sure. Try out the Dell forum website

http://www.dell.com

- I found some good solutions there. All our PCs are Dell.

Good luck!