Hi everyone,i was hoping some of our more computer savvy members here could help me.
Well, as it says on the tin, my laptop keeps disconnecting / dropping the wireless internet link at home. It only happens on my personal laptop, my sons works ok as does the wireless connection on my iphone.
It happens whether im sitting 5 feet from the wireless router (belkin) or in a room on the other side of the house and occours every 2-5 mins. it drops the connection then I either wait quite a while for it to reconnect itself or flick the little button the activates the wireless mode to the off position then back to on again. Then it finds the link in about 10 seconds and connects automatically but disconnects again after another 2-5 mins.
Anyone got any ideas please, in plain, non computer speak,English!!
Whilst I’m not a computer expert, if all the other machines are having no problem keeping connected to your home network router, my money would be on your wi-fi modem in your machine being on the blink and about to go belly-up.
I’d be tempted to blame the router . . . . because it’s Belkin!!!
Short version - they offer a lifetime warranty & replacement policy so wouldn’t refund me for a blatantly faulty design of router. After the third replacement (that was doing the same thing) they tested the router in their workshops (I’d said I’d pay for an independent test/assessment and the take them to the cleaners when an expert ‘proved’ what I already knew!). They came back to me saying that ‘the tests were inconclusive but as a one-off goodwill gesture’ they would refund me along with associated costs. Me thinks they found the problem I was pointing out but couldn’t/wouldn’t lose face. Strange then, how a week or so later, all of the same routers were removed from Media Markt (and I’m sure, other retailers) never to be seen again.
In your case Bullitt, try changing the channel that your (problem) laptop and the router are using. It can be set to automatic but try and find the manual settings and you choose the channel rather than leaving it up to the router to choose. In your instruction manual it should tell you an address to get into your routers settings page.
All of the above was around 2004 or whenever it was Pre-N was first available. Fast forward to now and in our house there are 4 Powerline kits (they use the electric power sockets as a wired network throughout the house) as my girls rooms on the third floor struggle to get a Wifi signal. Trust me, I didn’t buy them, they were a freebie otherwise I wouldn’t have anything Belkin in the house again! Anyway, they do work but you can’t leave them plugged-in (even though the instructions tell you that you can!) as they overheat and then only work intermittently at best! Sounds familiar . . . . My girls have to unplug them for 30 mins or so (if they forgot to remove them after their last Internet session) and then they’ll work again for a couple of hours. As soon as I get time, I’ll buy replacements and go back to the policy of ‘No Belkin’ in the house!!
Funny I had this issue yesterday after replacing my Linksys router with a new Linksys one the other week.
Finally traced the problem the security I’d chosen. The wifes lappy and Daughter No 1’s PC
couldn’t connect properly till I changed the security level from WPA/WPA2 to WEP. Their wireless
kit couldn’t handle the newer security protection.
Hi use the device manager - and remove the wireless controller and hardware off the computer
do not remove the driver at this stage
once removed restart the laptop
let the computer find the device and install the drivers etc
try it again
if it doen’t work - locate the driver from the internet and save to the desktop
repeat step one and also delete the driver
then reastart and point the computer to the driver on the desk top
if this doesn’t work its serious
regards
Steve
Hi all and many thanks for taking the time to reply.
I will take on board all the points and possible solutions and see what happens. The problem has been getting steadily worse over the past couple of years and like i said, it now drops the connection every 2-5 mins!!
Marcus, I contacted Belkin quite a while ago and after a long phone call they talked me through the procedure and changed the channel (■■) to channel 11. Not sure what that was supposed to do but it didnt change anything.
GM, I will try your ideas out over the next few days, many thanks for the info.
The laptop is a Toshiba Quasmio if that means anything■■?
In addition its worth checking the firmware of the router - normally the vendor website will have free firmware downloads
connect the cable for this - download the firmware to the desktop and unzip it if required
Then enter the router control panel normally 192.168.1.1 or .1.0
enter the user name and password - normally admin admin or guest guest
loacate the firmware upgrade section and point the browse box to the desktop and let it update
cheers
Steve
and have a look at “support for your laptop” on the left hand side of uk.computers.toshiba-europe.com/ … mio/96787/
check if you have the latest drivers on your machine
if you hav 2 laptops and an iphone working on wifi, it most likley that there is problem with your laptop
Well it finally died on me, its last act was to de-install then re-install AVG free…now nothing!!!
It was getting worse over the last few days, dropping the link more and more but now it cant find any wireless signal, usually pick up the neighbours as well as my own signal but now it cant locate anything!! all the other gadgets work ok.
Tried the various solutions offered here but to no avail, it just wouldnt play.
Looks like Santa will be getting an expensive xmas list!!
Thanks once again for all your help and advise chaps.
