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Author Topic: Wifi connection dropping out  (Read 3922 times)

Penbwlch

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  • Posts: 13
Wifi connection dropping out
« on: December 09, 2008, 08:10:48 PM »
I am trying to help someone who is having a problem connecting to a wifi site.

He has an Acer laptop and is having to spend a few weeks in his camper van while buying a house. The site has a wifi facility but his laptop will not stay connected. I have had a look at it and I am puzzled. The wireless light on the computer is flashing. I tried to repair the connection and the repair fails when it says it cannot clear the DNS cache. At that point the computer connects to the wifi link. However, after about 20 seconds it drops out again.

I also tied installing a Zoom usb wireless adapter that I have but that suffered the same fate so I presume that the computer is working correctly and that the problem is software/setting related.

Has anyone any ideas I could try, please?

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Mick

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Re: Wifi connection dropping out
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2008, 12:50:56 PM »
Many reasons could be causing this - the more likely are:

The distance and power settings of the Wireless access point (WAP) and/or laptop are not adequate for sustaining an authenticated session for any length of time.

The two wireless NICs may be containing the same type of chipset and the chipset driver(s) may be buggy.

The WiFi access point may be locked down in more ways than one (MAC Nos, domain authentication).

DNS server access may only be allowed for authenticated clients and your friend's machine does not authenticate successfully.

Can you get it to work (first associate, then obtain an IP address, then ping an Internet website) if you move the laptop closer to the WAP - like within a yard or so?
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Regards,
Mick

Penbwlch

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Re: Wifi connection dropping out
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2008, 01:53:02 PM »
Thank you very much for the reply. I have now cured the problem. The laptop's wireless adapter was automatically selecting channel 11. I switched it into manual mode and selected channel 3 (don't ask why I didn't start at 1, I don't know ;)). It instantly connected and stayed connected. I can only assume that whatever was radiating on channel 11 was a stronger signal that the wi-fi signal we wanted.

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