Wireless PCI drops out, then in then out then in then out

[stevenriz]

I installed a wireless PCI card in my desktop one floor above where the AP is. It is a trendware wireless PCI connecting to an SMC wireless router both 802.11b compatible. I also have two laptops with SMC wireless PCMCIA cards that connect to the router. The desktop is a Win2k NEC Powermate PIII 500mhz with all patches up to date. It has onboard NIC but it is disabled. It drops it's connection then reestablishes it in and out over and over. The strength meter goes up and down like the wind. I cannot figure out what is happening. HEre is what I tried. Changed PCI slots. No avail. Hard selected channel 1 and SSID. No change. Changed channel to 11 per other post suggestions. No change. Worse even!! Preamble = short. No change. Tried long for the heck of it. No change. All along, the laptops have a strong connection, solid, no dropouts, two floors up, in the back yard, anywhere in my house. I don't understand it.

 

[joeyc514]

hey did you figure anything out. I'm having the same problem with my d-link adapter pci...It seems that this is becoming a common problem.

 

[stevenriz]

Haven't been able to figure it out so I am returning it for an SMC USB adapter. They are hard to come by though but I found them at Compusa.com for... get this.... $20. $50 with a $30 rebate if you purchase this week I think!! Go get it!!!!

 

[joeyc514]

Ok...I hope you guys get this before you take your cards back...I solved the problem I was having. Before I installed the router and the cards I was using zonealarm firewall. When I installed it I made sure I wasn't using it anymore just to get the configuration settings right. Plus the firewall on the router is sufficent. So I never had it auto-run and I never had it running. I just decided to uninstall this to see what would happen, and it worked. Apperantly there is a service, I can't remember what the name of it is, that runs with zonealarm that runs all the time whenever zonealarm is running or not. Well, at least in my experience it was. To make a long story short, make sure you have all your 3rd party firewalls uninstalled because they may be blocking some or not sending an acknologment request from the router itself. I hope this helps...

 

[stevenriz]

Hmm, that is a good find. Unfortunately for me, I did or do not have any personal firewalls running.... Thanks for the tips though!
Steve

 

[bcastner]

A PCI adapter is the worst possible wireless solution. The antenna is blocked by the case of the computer, and your orientation options are few.

You will be much happier with the USB option. In the alternative one could use an external antenna for the PCI device. Many companies sell small units that would sit on your desk and could be manipulated more freely than the antenna on the PCI itself.

 

[stevenriz]

I have to agree. I have seen external antenni but for the cost, they don't seem worth it.