what can i do to test/improve constant wireless internet con

[tommydickfinger]

hi folks, completely in the dark when it comes to comps so please be specific and go in as much depth as poss. im constantly losing internet connection- this only really poses probs when im in an interactive forum/chat room but its really getting on my nerves, is there settings i can check., im on a cheap laptop, belkin wireless router, bt broadband.

kind regards

 

[kjacko]

Are you sure its ONLY when you are in chat rooms?

Ok, by saying you do not know much about comps does that mean that you have NOT set up any wireless security on your router?
Security would require a SSID login, using either a WEP or WPA encrypted passkey. If you have not done this yet then it needs doing urgently.
Also, if you have not already changed the default login credntials for your routers admin page you need to do that urgently too, otherwise anyone picking up your wireless broadcast could piggyback onto your network and actually alter all your settings so that you get booted out and they get all the bandwidth.

So, please check that your network is secure as far as those to settings go.

Once security is in place;

do you get a decent signal strength and at what speed does it connect? You can check this by hovering your mouse over the wireless network icon in the sytem tray (bottom right of your windows screen).
Lets us know what is reports and we can move on.

The most common cause of wireless interruptions are interference from other sources, ie. microwaves, other devices using the 2.4GHz frequency.

See what you can find out, report back and we'll see what else we can do to help.

 

[tommydickfinger]

im in awe- and no, im not being sarcastic. i think i get the bit about security, i set it up- and i did need a password that came with it- i could also do with retrieving it if possible, if you know how?? anyways my wireless networks detected page says it security enabled, and my speed is mostly 36-56 Mbps, signal strength verygood/excellent.
not sure if ive changed my default login credentials tho- how would i do that mate- i looked earlier on FAQ's of a particular site- and it said to disable any aftermarket security??? i did this-McAfee always pops up but must have come on the laptop, and this worked for 30 mins, and then went back to normal??? thanx in advance, kind regards

tommy

 

[cjard]

You can use a program called NetStumbler to assess the wireless signal strength in various parts of your house. Additionally, I've seen routers using WPA that drop the connection all the time. It reconnects quickly, but it does make things a nuisance. Try disabling your router's security for a while.

Further things to note:
Are the aerials on your router screwed on properly?
Signal radiates from them perpendicularly. Are they oriented so as best to serve your whole house (in a terrace, you should have the aerial(s) horizontal and pointing at the party walls
Is your rotuer sat on top of or obscured by a filing cabinet, microwave, other metal or radiation emitting object etc. Remember that next door's microwave can upset your router.

For beard talk, see here:http://www.wirelessforums.org/alt-internet-wireless/angle-antenna-make-any-difference-2219.html

 

[kjacko]

Ok, so your belkin wireless router will have a web admin page where basically you can alter all the settings like ip addressing, security etc.
If you have your instruction booklet about logging in to the admin page use that to do so, if not, then let us know the model of router. I can probably tell you the default login details.
Belkins can be a bugger to configure cos they tend to want resetting after every config change, which usually takes about 30 secs or so.
If you do manage to log into the web admin page then you can reset the SSID to a password of your choice, but i'll bet its on a sticker on the underside of the router?

It seems like your signal strength etc is fine. It still could be 3rd party interference that causes you to drop out.
but lets get the security sorted 1st eh?

 

[cjard]

Are you sure its ONLY when you are in chat rooms?

I expect that's the only time it is noticed because of the requirement to have a persistent TCP connection (usually). Stateless applications such as web pages do not require persistent connections, so it is less likely that an intermittent failure of the router that periodically kills all connections will be noticed. If the OP was running downloads he'd notice them cut off too

Also, if you have not already changed the default login credntials for your routers admin page you need to do that urgently too, otherwise anyone picking up your wireless broadcast could piggyback onto your network and actually alter all your settings so that you get booted out and they get all the bandwidth.

Mmm, but it's a good idea, when borrowing someone's internet connection, to NOT take such actions otherwise they notice, and then secure it better.. Therefore the borrower loses his toy.. All the borrowers I know (some on my own network) behave responsibly. The OP can get software to check whether someone else is using his net connection, and should do so before chasing this up too much. At the very least, he can take a look at the "active clients" list on the router and see if there are any PCs on there that are not his

So, please check that your network is secure as far as those to settings go.

Note that security affects throughput and in some (bugged?) routers can affect reliability of connection too

 

[cjard]

Ok, so your belkin wireless router will have a web admin page where basically you can alter all the settings like ip addressing, security etc.
If you have your instruction booklet about logging in to the admin page use that to do so, if not, then let us know the model of router. I can probably tell you the default login details.

All the belkins i've used actually tell you the default password on the web page

Belkins can be a b*****r to configure cos they tend to want resetting after every config change, which usually takes about 30 secs or so.
If you do manage to log into the web admin page then you can reset the SSID to a password of your choice, but i'll bet its on a sticker on the underside of the router?

Just to clarify some of kj's points:

The SSID is the name of the network, and is probably defaulted to something like Belkin54g. You can change it to whatever you want and it is what you see when you "View Available Wireless Networks" in windows

The router runs a web server that is used to configure it. It has (maybe) a login and (definitely) a pasword. This password is unrelated to the security of the wireless radio

Security on wireless is achieved by:
MAC address filtering; only wireless cards with certain hardware addresses can use the router. You can see your hardware's MAC address in the device manager pages for your wireless card, or by typing IPCONFIG/ALL at a DOS prompt. This option does not encrypt traffic; anyone on your network can see the data you send, though passwords, credit card details etc are usually communciated to websites over secure conenctions that are not observable

WEP - wired equivalent privacy; a way of encrypting the data. Relatively weak encryption and most routers can be attacked and tricked into divulging enough information to calculate the WEP key.. but it's fast, light and keeps out most idiots

WPA - wifi protected access; much stronger security, but can be much weaker if you set it up with too simple a passphrase.

Many web pages are devoted to discussing security of wireless networks. I woulndt recommend living in fear that someone is going to steal your online banking details if you don't have a secure wireless though.. For the most part securing wireless has caused me more of a nuisance than it's saved

 

[MarkBarl]

The make of wireless card can make an inexplicable difference. A friend of mine kept loosing connection to a netgear access point when he used his Dell's internal wireless card. Tried a Netgear card and it worked perfectly. Do you have a belkin card? If not and all else fails, it might be worth a go.