[Crashby]

I have a Roadrunner account that gets 1.5Mbps transfer rate... a very stable connection.

I also have a Netgear MR814 wireless router... that I use for my laptop. Non encrypted... straight wireless connection. I used this router for more than a year with good results. About a week ago, its become just about useless. It will load one page slowly, then just about dies completely with no data transfer. I have thoroughly checked for spy-ware, ad-ware, and a fresh run for viruses... Its clean. I also placed the laptop 1 foot away from the router and get the same poor results. In fact, the signal on my laptop is reportedly "Excellent".

Lastly, I connected the Ethernet directly into my laptop... I get lighting fast transfer rates...

Any ideas of what I can do/check to get my wireless working again?

 

[binary visions]

First thing I'd probably do is check for both firmware (for the router) and driver (for the wireless card) updates from Netgear's website.

The best test would be to have a secondary computer try to connect to the router and see if it experiences the same problem - that would show you where the problem lies. Maybe a friend's laptop, or can you borrow one from work?

 

[jimmydean]

Check your firmware version and run some tests like "test my connection speed" websites. Make sure the router is updated and look at what your connection to the router is strength wise. Also, do you have a cordless phone that is the same frequency as your wireless setup? Might want to upgrade your phone.

<edit>

 

[binary visions]

<snip> run some tests like "test my connection speed" websites. <snip> look at what your connection to the router is strength wise.

Connection is good and signal strength is good, as indicated in the first post

Also, do you have a cordless phone that is the same frequency as your wireless setup? Might want to upgrade your phone.

Excellent call on that... Crashby, has anything been installed recently that might interfere with the 2.4ghz signal? New phone, or another wireless device?

The other thing you can try is switching channels on the router setup. Might be some kind of interference on the default channel.

 

[Crashby]

Two "new things" in the environment... I installed the software for a Verizon Aircard - Wireless broadband on Verizons network... but that comes in as a dial up connection in my network list. I deleted that connection and uninstalled the drivers and application that supports it. I am also using a blue-tooth device, but I completely power off my cell and the blue-tooth device and have the same poor results. I have no land line / cordless phone in my house...

 

[Crashby]

The other thing you can try is switching channels on the router setup. Might be some kind of interference on the default channel.

Hmmmm... I don't see any way to get "into" my router... its just a pass-through for the Ethernet right???

There are no switches or anything on the router itself to change anything...

 

[MtnBikerChk]

Hmmmm... I don't see any way to get "into" my router... its just a pass-through for the Ethernet right???

There are no switches or anything on the router itself to change anything...

flip it over to see which version it is and check the manual

http://kbserver.netgear.com/products/MR814.asp

it probably has a 192.168.x.x address to "get into it"

 

[jimmydean]

1. Plug into the router with a cable
2. point your browser to 192.168.0.1 OR 192.168.1.1
One of those should be the address of your router, my Netgear is 192.168.0.1
3. You should get a login dialog, "admin" is the login and I think the password is empty, or it's "admin" also (change the password while your here too)
4. There you will get a web interface with all the setings and whatnot associated with your router. Make note of those settings and change as you see fit.

One of them will be the firmware upgrade. You can also look at channel settings too.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

One of them will be the firmware upgrade. You can also look at channel settings too.

plug the router directly into the computer if you upgrade the firmware - don't do it wireless.

 

[jimmydean]

plug the router directly into the computer if you upgrade the firmware - don't do it wireless.

Yes, see step one.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

Yes, see step one.

it was just a reminder :angry:

 

[Crashby]

OK... great advice...

upgraded firmware and actually setup my WEP security encryption (something I should have done from day one)... but the durn thing is still pokey as molasses is January dang gum it!!!:angry:

The router has been in my basement near my wood shop, so I though it may be overheating due to sawdust and whatnot in the innards, but took it apart... clean as a little girls behind in church school...

 

[jimmydean]

it was just a reminder :angry:

I meant no offense.

Also, WEP is a good start, but you should have in the "wireless settings" area, a button for "Access List". This allows you to put in the MAC address of each device you connect to the router. It is a sure fire way to be secure.

WEP can be hacked, not that hard to do. but to find a MAC address, then spoof it is far too much work for most people.

 

[syadasti]

Before you go configuring all this stuff, why don't you try a hard reset (load firmware defaults). Its always a good thing to do when you load new firmware and maybe thats what is causing your problems bad settings.

Hold down the reset button for 30 seconds to load the firmware defaults.

If your router supports it, change the encryption to WPA or WPA2 w/AES.

 

[syadasti]

Oh yeah, if it does support WPA2, you need to patch XP to support WPA2 (or download the proper client driver if its another OS).

If you need a new router, I'd check out one of these. I have one at home and have setup a few - one of the best consumer routers I've used and a great deal.

Trendnet TEW-611BRP

 

[Crashby]

I think I fingered it out... I added my personal email account to my laptop outlook a couple weeks ago. I use outlook for my work through a VPN, and I have to set it to check for mail every 60 seconds. It looks like the personal mail account (retrieve) was hanging. I don't know about how different priorities work with server requests, but its my theory that the mail request took priority over everything else and hung my intarweb connections while outlook was choking on my personal mail server.

 

[binary visions]

I don't know about how different priorities work with server requests, but its my theory that the mail request took priority over everything else and hung my intarweb connections while outlook was choking on my personal mail server.

Definitely possible. The router prioritizes packets (which can actually be customized in many routers, to give certain requests higher or lower priority). I've never had a router actually hang my other requests but it's certainly possible.

 

[Crashby]

Definitely possible. The router prioritizes packets (which can actually be customized in many routers, to give certain requests higher or lower priority). I've never had a router actually hang my other requests but it's certainly possible.

I think the router was doing its job just fine... it was actually my outlook hanging everything else on the laptop itself...

anywhoo... working much much better after I eliminated that account.

Thx all for the help.

 

[jimmydean]

outlook sucks! Glad to hear your running now though.

I use the latest verion of Evolution and it works well enough for the Exchange servers I tend to deal with from time to time. Intel is currently working on a newer version of both Evolution and Open Office that will be much more robust and stable than the previous offerings.