Sounds like a weak signal, do you have a bunch of walls between you and the router? Or interferance from a wireless telephone or a nearby neighbor is using the same radio channel as your router.

You know how to do a wifi survey to see how many channels you are seperated from others ? Channels 1, 6, 11 are the good ones. But if you share one with an immeadiate neighbor,,, you can have problems like you describe. Wireless 2.4ghz phones can play intermitten havoc too.

Mikie - I read this with interest but could you explain how to do a wifi survey to see how many channels you are separated from others? I don't, know but would like to.

Elaine

It depends...
The easiest way for you, maybe... if I make the assumption that you are using windows zero wireless configuration presently.
Try Right click on your wireless connection tray icon and one option probably says Don't use WZC, or Windows Wireless Zero Configurator or something about use the wifi card Manufacturers wireless Configuration Utility.

That configuration utility supplied by the wifi card maker should show all available connections, their names, and their channels and signal strengths, security, etc.

Manufacturers utility's are usually the most simple to use, you wont need to mess with changing or adding a driver, but there are a few other freewares that maybe a bit complicated for some. netstumbler comes to mind.

Oh seperate by as many channels as possible. Wifi by design overlaps a couple channels each way. Tnats why 1 6 11 are the most popular used channels.

and.... heh
If your routher uses the default ssid name like Netgear and your neighbors is named Netgear too... that can cause problems . Change your ssid to something unique that doesnt actually id who or where you are. Mine currently are Private.apt(rear guest house) Private.rtr(main router)
(one of the neighbors is actually named a bit x-rated, i wouldnt do that either:)

You certainly did your best to answer my question, but it's a bit "over my head". I was curious, but mine works ok as is, so I think I'll leave well enough alone.

If I rt click on the icon I get - Disable, Status, Repair, View Available, Change Firewall Settings and Open Network Connections.....that's it.

I hope mine continues to work well - so I don't have to worry about things I don't understand. Fortunately I gave my router a name that is unique when setting it up and it's security enabled - so I'll leave it at that.

Thanks again - Elaine

I dont have XP at the moment but I think if you were to click the 'View Available' it has a option on the left margin to quit allowing windows handling the wifi connection.
.. which normally would hand control of the connection over to the manufacturers software... and then you'd get a new icon in your system tray.

Manufacturers connection utility probably wouldnt have your security key coded in so it most likely would not make a connection with out adding the key, but should show the channels of your router and your neighbors channels too - at least the ones the laptop is within ears reach of.

Toshiba config util on vista desktop ..'Radar' showing neighbors router with its mac address and radio channel...

That is so neat Mikie - with XP, when I click on view available - on the left, I have Refresh Network List, Set up Wireless Network for home or office, Learn about Wireless Networking, Change the Order of preferred networks, change advanced settings.

If I click on chg. advanced settings and click on wireless networks, I see a check mark where it says use windows to configure my settings. I took the check mark out - and got a warning that I had chgd the settings. Looked down in the icon tray and still had the same icon - so I clicked on it and went back the same way and it stuck the check mark back in.

Neat to be able to see your own channels - as well as your neighbors! Must be a vista thing.

Elaine

I have three different CardBus slot wifi cards for my xp laptop and each one has its own configuration utility.

Once you stop windows from handling the wifi settings the card makers configuration utility starts and replaces the windows icon in the system tray. They Show everything around you wifi - one or more of them even show other laptop cards in addition to the available router or access point connections.

I have a Dlink card, a HawkingTech card with a little directional panel antenna built on, and a Compex card with remote antenna connector. All have their own unique different connection utilities and all show channels, and signal strengths in percentages and decibels and levels of interference and modifications for settings,, much more detail and configurations than the default windows Zero configurations item.

Tnis Vista laptop came with windows wireless configurations and additionally two other Toshiba wifi configuration utilities that work with the windows wifi configurator. I havent seen any method to disable windows configurator... yet.