SandiC. Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 Since starting to use a laptop a couple of years ago, we've had nothing but trouble with our wireless network. Sometimes works right and sometimes I can't get it to connect at all. The original laptop used windows XP and we had a G router, with cable internet access. After the convention, I could not get connected to our network and borrowed our neighbors open network. Just got a new laptop with Vista and the rent a geek guy came and set it up for me. Since we were having so much trouble, we got a new N router. It worked well for an hour or two then it was super slow then disconnected then I couldn't reconnect. So here I am, back on the neighbors net and the geek company is closed on the weekend. I think part of the problem is with the setup and partly an interferring signal. I just don't know what to do. I have to have easy access for work, plus I'm totally lost if I can't get here a few times a day. I just wantto get this fixed once and for all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becca Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 Sandi, I was having problems with ours not long ago. A tech friend of mine suggested trying to following things - - Make sure you have the latest firmware updates to your router. - Make sure your router isn't near other electrical appliances, specifically cordless phones, radios, microwaves. - Check that all your connections are in tight and secure. - Call your ISP and talk to one of their techs. Maybe there's something specific to their service. My problem turned out to be my router. I did a search of the geek forums online and found that it was a common issue. I ended up buying a new router. My friend also said it might have to do with the construction of my house. We have a very old farmhouse that's been added on to. Some of our interior walls were still made of brick, yet covered in drywall. Hope you get it solved, Sandi. I remember being so frustrated trying to get mine working properly. EDITED TO ADD: Oh, I had also tried replacing all my network cables, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnie2004 Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 I agree withwith Becca & the only thing I can offer is try shuttting down your router but beofre you do that there is a reset button on it hold it in for a few sec you will see it resets it self, when that is all down shut it off & restart & do what Becca says & see if it helps. alt of times the router it self needs to be reset . HOpe something works for you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveUK Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 Don't know if you have tried this, but place the router in as central a location as you can. I know the houses over there tend to be bigger than here, but it works for us. My system is in our conservatory, and the kids are in their respective upstairs rooms. DD is furthest from the router and can get a low signal (handy at mo, but when she turns teenager, I might be changing things!) DS room is right above the router and I have a 30ft Ethernet cable running from me to the router (in the wall). DS has excellent signal. DW can use her laptop anywhere, even in gets a medium signal in the garden!! I too will have to change up to an N router in the not too distant future! Hope this helps Edit:- try a de-install and re-install with the latest firmware and drivers for the router, usually cures most ills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kricket Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 I just spent hours with Apple trying to fix my connection. It was on again, off agian and I couldn't get on any sites that needed a log in. My son said my modem was old and had me go buy a new modem. That fixed all my problems. Good luck finding the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SodScrap Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 No guru here, but when mine messed up a while back, I finally unplugged my "box" from my service provider, then when I plugged it in, all worked fine. I love technology, when it is working!! When it isn't, it is soooo frustrating!! And, the don't realize how important it is for us to be able to connect to SG at any given moment! Good luck!! Oh- my network at work is N (at home it's G), but at work I all the time have to "repair" my network connection. I'll be connected and most usually when I hit my second or third internet page (on SG of course) it will never load that page. Then I will hit repair and it's good. Now, my work computer is an ancient eMachine, so, it is naturally slow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debubbie Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 I had problems recently with my laptop not wanting to connect and I did all of this crazy stuff from dell and nothing worked. I went to Staples and bought a new wireless card and set my computer up for it. I then had to contact my provider and they reset the settings and I haven't looked back since. You may want call your provider and see if they need to reset anything for you, or see if you need a new wireless card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B&K Mom Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 DOn't have a clue, Sandi. I just wanted to say hope it gets better soon. Wacky internet stuff makes me cringe! Debbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandiC. Posted November 9, 2008 Author Share Posted November 9, 2008 Well, right now its a-ok. i reset both the cable modem and the brand spanking new router. After I had done that our digital phone and internet (the direct connection with the PC) were out. So I called Comcast (ugh, don't even get me started about that company) and they reset from their end and I reset everything else once more and now its screaming along just fine except it sort of renamed itself and is now an unsecured network. Still have to work on that but things seem to moving in the right direction. Thanks for all your suggestions. When I get frustrated my first inclination is just to throw my hands up and give up, but hours later I'm a happy camper again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrappinchar Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 No knowledge about such stuff here. (No laptop!) Just wanted to say I love your new avatar! Of course, there could be a thread about that and I missed it. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reyn Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 I am having major problems as well. We live in the stix so we have to have satellite internet. It is our only option for "high speed". LOL! High Speed! HA! So I had my network set up and all was good. My mom lives next door and connects to my network. She needed me to remove the password from our network for something. So the linksys people said the only way I could do that was to reset the whole thing. So I did. I had to reset everything on my network (huge pain). I currently have everything reconnected and Mom has no problems what so ever. I, on the other hand, have one problem after the other. I can connect for a few mins and then I get disconnected. Says signal low but I am sitting right beside the router and when I click to reconnect it says signal strength excellent. It is so confusing. Called Linksys let them do remote access and the girl did something to the computer and it shut down 3 times in a row and gave the dreaded blue screen. I have had this laptop about a month. I almost freaked out. So I am really reluctant to call them back. I think I will just call gateway and see if they can figure it out. Sounds to me like it is a setting problem since Mom's computer works perfect on my network. Who do you think I should call? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandiC. Posted November 9, 2008 Author Share Posted November 9, 2008 Mala, that's one of the problems we are having, who does help with this sort of situation. I will call my geek guy tomorrow, but I just cannot believe how strangely this whole thing behaves at times. I think Gateway might be a good starting place. For now I've got good connection, but don't know if it will last long or not. And I need reliable access for my work. I think there must be a wireless network poltergeist out there. Let me know if you learn anything and I'll see what my geek guy says tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reyn Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 Sounds good. I plan to call them soon. I have been busy the last little while and haven't had the chance to call. When I use mined wired it works fine it is just that stupid wireless signal. GRRR! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fit2walk Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Okay, this created a whole big fiasco at our house. After reading this, I innocently asked dh if he'd ever upgraded the router. No, he said. Will you? I asked. Okay, he said. He downloaded an upgrade, it said it successfully downloaded, we walked away and went on with our day. When I tried to log on later, no connection. We thought maybe the download messed up the router, so we went and bought a new one. My dh installed it. Now my laptop won't log onto it. Thankfully, our desktops can go online, but my laptop - which is where my PSE6 and all my SB supplies are located - won't connect. Arrggghhh!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justpattyanne Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 I bought a Vista laptop a couple of months ago - to supplement our XP desktop & other XP laptop... went through many of the same problems. Connections that were fine before went askew. It was as if one would knock off the other but sometimes we'd have 2 on... I beat my head against the wall for 3 days before I finally called our broadband provider (AT&T). Here is one time when I got a tech support guy (while English was not his 1st language, he was easily understandable) that was thorough, patient, and kept with me while we had to work through mulitple settings on every single computer. Heck, I was in DOS altering my config sys files! That guy spent over an hour with me. Here is one time that I can report that I was so completely thrilled with my tech support. I asked to speak to his supervisor he was so good (as opposed to the other usual alternative.) SO, maybe another call to your internet provider might be in order? Best of luck and may the computer gurus be with you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandiC. Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 Patty Anne, you were so lucky to get such a good tech support guy. I've had nothing but frustration with our internet provider (Comcast) that I get palpitations just dialing their number. They don't have a clue. And they said they'd charge to make a service call. They did reset the modem for me yesterday. We live very close to their business, so I'm thinking we just take the modem in and say it not working and they'll exchange for a new one and set that up to see if it helps. I think the location of our modem and router may be part of the problem, but there's not much choice. The wireless phones can interfere, but they are seldom used (my work requires I have a landline or we'd all just use our cells). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fit2walk Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Update: my laptop is working again - hurray! Just in time for the SG sale, too! LOL. I called our provider and they were no help, so I once again went through the install step by step and this time it gave me options it hadn't previously given me??? Go figure! But now it says the install was successful, the desktops are connecting fine, and my laptop is now online, so I'm a happy camper again. Time to get into town, but I'll be cruising the boutique later today. Sandi and all the rest of you, I hope your computer troubles are over, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reyn Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 GRRR! I have been online with Gateway Chat support all day. I have reinstalled all of my wireless drivers and that didn't work. Now they are telling me to do a FULL SYSTEM RECOVERY!!!! The problem seems to be the built in wireless card. This is a new computer! I shouldn't have to be doing this. I just backed up all of my stuff so that isn't an issue but putting all of that junk back in can be a hassle and if that doesn't work I have to send it back for repairs. I am so frustrated. This is driving me NUTS! Wish me luck, I just don't know if I can be without a computer for a couple of weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandiC. Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 I know its not just my new computer, because I had the same problems with the old one. Same with the router, problems with the old and the new one. What gets me is no problems for several weeks then nothing but problems for a couple of weeks. Sure wish I knew more about computers. Now that I'm back at work, don't have the time to be fiddling around with this. Will check it out again when I get home tonight and if not will call Friendly Computers again and have them send Jeff (our favorite rent a geek) out again. It took him about three tries the last time we were having major problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
April Showers Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 We would have occasional problems with Vista and our wireless router not getting along. When we switched that computer to XP, it has been fine. Out wireless router is several years old, and is separate from out broadband modem. Now, my dd Annette has an older laptop away at school, and they just changed their routers there and now she can't connect... Now if Dad were there.... he told her to go make cookies for some techie downstairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeschaff Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Hey, Sandi, I solved all my tech issues by marrying a computer geek! If all else fails... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandiC. Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 Jo Ellen, does your techy DH have any techy friends? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reyn Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Well I have to send my computer back to gateway. Now that I have restored to factory default my computer will not even detect the router at all. Tech says the wireless card is bad. At least it is still under warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeschaff Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Jo Ellen, does your techy DH have any techy friends? None that I would introduce you to! I mean that I would want to introduce to you except they would make me not want to face you ever again for the shame of doing that to you!!! Let me try this one more time: I wouldn't do that to you, sorry I ever mentioned it to you...sometimes trying to be funny is just not a good idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fit2walk Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Well I have to send my computer back to gateway. Now that I have restored to factory default my computer will not even detect the router at all. Tech says the wireless card is bad. At least it is still under warranty. I'm SO sorry to hear that! I hope you won't be without it for long. How incredibly frustrating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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