Internet Connection Failing

[Mr Darn]

Hey, any of you techies shed some light on this?

Windows XP home desktop SP2 (not gonna upgrade to SP3 just yet

Wireless lan card

NVidia 512mb graphics card

Soundblaster audio card

1GB Ram

Netgear wireless router: 1 wireless connection, 0 wired connections. WEP security on a 128bit encription

AOL broadband silver

i rarely use this machine as i've had my laptop for so long, i just let the kids use it, so i'm unsure when this started.

i dont have this problem with my vista laptop, although its in the shop under warrenty at the moment so i cannot be sure.

since this started i have:

Changing the wireless channel on my router

Changing my routers network key

updated and ran Avast! antivirus.

Scheduled a boot scan with Avast!

ran disk check with both options checked (the one you access by right clicking c: - properties - tools tab - error checking)

Updated and ran CCleaner.

Updated and ran Malwarebytes

Updated and ran Spybot Search and Destroy

Updated and ran Superantispyware

Updated and ran Hijack This, and submitted a report to the Help2go detective at www.help2go.com

Checked for updated drivers for my wireless lan card

Checked the Device manager for warnings or conflicts both before, and after this occurs.

during the above things i detected alot of tracking cookies, but little else, and even after cleaning and re-running the scan (which was then clean) the problem still exists.

The problem:

At first i just thought this was a power setting, as if i left the computer running for a while, i would come back to a message saying "wireless networks could not be detected" which a quick restart solved.

thinking nothing more of it, i just carried on regardless, then the disconection would happen in the middle of me browsing. suddenly all connections would drop, and no wireless connections are seen to be available, even though i know where are 3 in the area which i normally pick up. Only a restart seems to solve it, with the connection becoming available as soon as the computer reboots. This does not happen at an interval, and can last days before dropping, then drop twice in an hour.

on startup all i have is my logmein software, avast, msn messenger and my firefox browser (because i only use this computer to browse the internet and store photo's, it seems sensible to have these start then.) as well as the normal startup stuff such as nvidia drivers, sound etc

Any ideas where to look next?

[Andy Brown]

Hey, any of you techies shed some light on this?

Windows XP home desktop SP2 (not gonna upgrade to SP3 just yet

Wireless lan card

NVidia 512mb graphics card

Soundblaster audio card

1GB Ram

Netgear wireless router: 1 wireless connection, 0 wired connections. WEP security on a 128bit encription

AOL broadband silver

i rarely use this machine as i've had my laptop for so long, i just let the kids use it, so i'm unsure when this started.

i dont have this problem with my vista laptop, although its in the shop under warrenty at the moment so i cannot be sure.

since this started i have:

Changing the wireless channel on my router

Changing my routers network key

updated and ran Avast! antivirus.

Scheduled a boot scan with Avast!

ran disk check with both options checked (the one you access by right clicking c: - properties - tools tab - error checking)

Updated and ran CCleaner.

Updated and ran Malwarebytes

Updated and ran Spybot Search and Destroy

Updated and ran Superantispyware

Updated and ran Hijack This, and submitted a report to the Help2go detective at www.help2go.com

Checked for updated drivers for my wireless lan card

Checked the Device manager for warnings or conflicts both before, and after this occurs.

during the above things i detected alot of tracking cookies, but little else, and even after cleaning and re-running the scan (which was then clean) the problem still exists.

The problem:

At first i just thought this was a power setting, as if i left the computer running for a while, i would come back to a message saying "wireless networks could not be detected" which a quick restart solved.

thinking nothing more of it, i just carried on regardless, then the disconection would happen in the middle of me browsing. suddenly all connections would drop, and no wireless connections are seen to be available, even though i know where are 3 in the area which i normally pick up. Only a restart seems to solve it, with the connection becoming available as soon as the computer reboots. This does not happen at an interval, and can last days before dropping, then drop twice in an hour.

on startup all i have is my logmein software, avast, msn messenger and my firefox browser (because i only use this computer to browse the internet and store photo's, it seems sensible to have these start then.) as well as the normal startup stuff such as nvidia drivers, sound etc

Any ideas where to look next?

Hi Mr Darn, personally it looks like it is that laptop as your other machine has no problems, and since it drops connection when using it and you can't pick up any networks not just your own says that it's the wireless card on the laptop. I see you have updated your drivers, but what about the power settings, go to Control Panel, System, Hardware, Device Manager, then right click on your wireless card and select properties then select power management tab and make sure there are no ticks in ay of the available boxes. Let us know what happens.

[Mr Darn]

sorry, my post may have been confusing.

the laptop works fine, but is in the shop. i have a wireless card in the desktop, which is having the trouble.

on another site i was asked about low energy light bulbs, and alas, there is one directly between the router and the pc.

i've moved the routers location for now to see if it makes a difference.

as i said, i had considered the power settings as a first thought, thinking i may have it switch off the network connection after a period of inactivity, but it was not that.

I've never heard about this low energy light thing, so it'll be interesting to see if thats what the problem was...

[threegee]

threegee's first law of computer problems:

If no one thing fixes it then that's because you have more than one problem! Divide and conquer!

Are you using a wireless mouse and or keyboard? Is there a Bluetooth device somewhere close? As advised disable any flossy lighting fittings (includes LE lamps). Are there any CB'ers/radio hams in the area? I'd change channel again too.

[Mr Darn]

threegee's first law of computer problems:

If no one thing fixes it then that's because you have more than one problem! Divide and conquer!

Are you using a wireless mouse and or keyboard? Is there a Bluetooth device somewhere close? As advised disable any flossy lighting fittings (includes LE lamps). Are there any CB'ers/radio hams in the area? I'd change channel again too.

no wireless mouse or keyboard, only blutooth thing is my phone.

there is a cber nearby, but he's been there years, and this problem is only a month or two old.

since moving the position of the modem, it has not disconnected again (well, once, but the wireless signal was still there to reconnect to, so no restart.)

if it persists, i'll try yet another channel.