Constant problems connecting to my wireless router?

Question

For quite awhile I have had intermittent problems on my laptop where I would lose connection to my router and in order to get connection back had to disable and enable the wireless card. Recently it has been happening every single night, only going through windows troubleshooting nor disable and enable work, neither does rebooting. I have also been having the same problem with my Iphone at the same time, but when I check available connections it is in there with a strong signal. This has been resulting in having to use my Iphone as a hotspot. If I use an Ethernet cable it works fine, but I am unable to run a cable across the hall as my dad is in a wheelchair. I am less than 20 feet away from the router and have even tried an external wireless with no luck. I first thought it may be windows 7, but with my phone having problems have ruled that out.

The router I am using is a Belkin N+ and my fathers computer has no troubles with it, but I am baffled, especially because it only happens at night.

Answer 1

I hope I can help Have worked with networking and apple corp. for three + years so I hope I can help. Network issues are iffy and have multiple things that can be the reason for your particular problem. By giving you a list of things to try I just hope something works for you.



1.Try surfing into your router... you can do this by going to your 'start button' and typing in the word 'command' when command comes up, it will show a small black prompt window. Type in 'ipconfig/all' once it generates a list of info look for something that will say 'wireless LAN adaptor' under it look for your default gateway address should start with a '192.1.X.X'. Write this number down. Close the command prompt window and open your internet explorer window and once that is open go to your address bar ...clear everything out and type in the '192.1.x.x ' number. hit enter. It should open Belkin router interface page.



2.Once in your router interface page you want to look for your wireless settings. your wireless settings will give you your network name and your network key and your network channel information. You want to make sure your network security key type is a WPA PSK 2...and that you have an alpha numeric key type .



3. If you have it already set to a WPA PSK key type then you may want to try to rename your network name. Give it a personal name. After you have made the changes save your changes and reconnect your computer to the new network name.



4. Also change the channel that it connects on helps. Some frequency channels that your router uses are the same channel frequency's that cordless phones use and can cause interference.



5. You can also check to make sure your router is not near any halogen lamps, or cordless phone bases, or near anything that could cause it interference,



I hope this helps

Answer 2

Although WiFi is convenient for mobility, wireless interference can cause it's connection speed and quality to vary wildly.



Wireless signals are affected by many factors including distance, wall density, electrical interference, directional antenna range, etc.



All of these factors will affect your actual wireless range. As wireless connection quality varies the connection speeds are renegotiated. The WiFi connection between your device and the wireless router may start at 300 Mbps and end up at less than 10 Mbps or drop entirely.



You should try to centrally locate your wireless router or gateway up high and away from dense walls and electrical and 2.4 GHz wireless interference such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, baby monitors, etc.



For serious gaming or video streaming your best bet is a direct Ethernet connection. Ethernet is unaffected by wireless interference and will give you a rock solid, stable network connection.



That being said,



I would have guessed WiFi drivers, however you mentioned that you tried another adapter, which would have used a different driver.



Since you mentioned that the problem occurs at specific times, electrical interference would be my next guess. As you have noticed, a Ethernet cable will resolve WiFi interference problems.



If it is not feasible to run Ethernet cable your next best option is to use powerline network adapters. I wrote a review here: http://isp1.us/reviews/netgear-xavb2101-powerline-adapter/



You plug one in by your router and one in the room where you need access and connect them to the devices with standard Ethernet patch cables. The network signals are transmitted over your existing home electrical wiring which will not be affected by wireless interference. There is still overhead in the connection but it is much more stable than WiFi.



If you decide to replace the router.



It pretty much comes down to what features you want and how much you want to spend.



The router brand is not as important as the model. Some manufacturers release a good model but the next is crap. I would look at the Amazon reviews of models that interest you. Even if you don't buy from Amazon the reviews will tell you a lot about which models to avoid. Look for at least 15 or more reviews with a 4 star or better rating.



For under $50, this Medialink is the most popular and highly reviewed model. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A3YN0Z0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00A3YN0Z0&linkCode=as2&tag=excharge-20



If you want to spend a little more, many quality dual band wireless routers are available. http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&keywords=dual%20band%20router&linkCode=ur2&qid=1374595143&rh=n%3A172282%2Cn%3A541966%2Cn%3A300189%2Ck%3Adual%20band%20router%2Cp_72%3A1248879011&rnid=1248877011&tag=excharge-20



Dual band routers have multiple wireless radios enabling broadcast on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands simultaneously. Using the 5 GHz band cuts down on interference from cordless phones and microwave ovens.. Not all devices can use the 5 GHz frequency. Many laptops and other devices only operate at 2.4 GHz. Thus the need for dual band routers.



Good Luck...

Answer 3

I would suggest trying to use a separate wireless adapter via USB. See how that works and if the adapter works fine with no issues I would suggest getting a new wireless card or having it looked at. Hope this helps

Answer 4

Routers have a lifespan of about 5-6 years.



That may be your problem depending on how old it is.