Wireless connection problems

[Simon]

Since about an hour ago, my wireless connection seems to keep dropping.  I'm sitting right by the router, and I've not changed anything on the laptop or in the router.  All that's happened is a Windows Update was installed.  I don't think the router is dropping the internet connection, it's just the wireless connection to the laptop that seems to be unstable.

Any ideas?

[Sebby]

Have you tried changing the channel? I has the same trouble with my 2Wire, yet I hadn't had problems with my SpeedTouch set on the same channel. Changing the channel fixed it, though. Try 1, 6, and 11 before others.

[Simon]

OK, will do, thanks Seb.  Back on main PC now, as it was driving me nuts.  How can the channel be OK one minute, and not the next?

[Rik]

I'm having the same problem today, though only with my 2700, other networks around seem fine, so I was blaming the 2700. Odd. I did try re-booting and changing channels, but it didn't solve anything. Possibly, therefore, it's something in the update which is affecting the WPA security. I need to dig some more...

[Simon]

Same here, Rik, and I've just reinstalled my security suite, in case it's that, but I feel a System Restore might be the only way forward.  This definitely happened immediately after the WU. 

[Rik]

I haven't used the wireless connection until today, so you're probably right. ATM, I've dropped to WEP, and that's holding up fine, so I'm going to try moving back to WPA shortly, with a new key and see what happens. Oops, spoke too soon, it's just dropped the WEP connection.

Anyone seeing this on other routers?

[Simon]

Just attempted a SR, which failed.  Now trying in Safe Mode.

[Rik]

I'm not yet sure of this, Simon, but I have removed and then re-created the connection, and it seems more stable, though I have seen it drop out once briefly.

I had a look at the update history, and nothing there would appear to apply to wireless security, so I'm puzzled at the moment. If it continues, I'll pull the Netgear our of the cupboard and see if it behaves the same way.

The moment I hit post, the wireless connection dropped momentarily... 

[Simon]

Also puzzling, yours is XP and mine is Vista, but I guess some of the WUs would be compatible.  This isn't looking good.  I also removed and recreated the connection, and it now won't connect at all, and the system restore seems to have gone to sleep half way through. 

[Rik]

I noticed I got an updated driver for the 10/100 connection, so the next thing for me to try will be to roll that back.

[madasahatter]

Anyone seeing this on other routers?

My Netgear DG834G wireless connection seems to be behaving itself - but then I haven't installed any WU this week, so.....

[Rik]

You might want to wait while Simon & I do battle with it, Mad. I think I may have an answer - a little left field, but I'm testing now.

[Simon]

Nothing working here, Rik.  Tried system restore, and it did restore, but hasn't fixed the problem.

[Baz]

Dont know why or its anything to do with this post but mine is going crazy....blinking lights all the time when it normally doesnt. none of the other machines on the system are doing anything so I dont know why.  Did a re-boot but its still the same. its the  Internet  led and the Wireless one thats kicking off. Netgear dg834pn

[Rik]

Nothing working here, Rik.  Tried system restore, and it did restore, but hasn't fixed the problem.

OK, what appears to be working for me - but I'm still testing - I rolled back the 10/100 driver which was updated by WU (though why that should affect wireless...) then I moved from channel 11 to channel 1. That seemed to give me stability, so I tried ch11 again, and it immediately start to drop out. I've got ch1 selected again, and am running ping graph to monitor the connection. I'll post back in a while, but I made 10 minutes before.

Explaining it may take longer though...

[Rik]

Dont know why or its anything to do with this post but mine is going crazy....blinking lights all the time when it normally doesnt. none of the other machines on the system are doing anything so I dont know why.  Did a re-boot but its still the same. its the  Internet  led and the Wireless one thats kicking off. Netgear dg834pn

Is the wireless connection dropping, Baz? Are you losing sync as well (in which case it would be a very different cause).

[Simon]

Hmm... I just checked my 10/100 driver, and there was no option to roll back, so I uninstalled it, Windows immediately reinstalled it, and I'm now connected on Channel 1 with the usual WPA security.  Just waiting and watching now.

[Rik]

I'm running ping graph to test it - it seems as good a tool as any. Eight minutes so far.

If this proves to be a cure, I'm going to be hard-pushed to explain why ch1 should resolve things...

[Baz]

No its ok Rik.   found out it was Limewire on the wifes lappy sitting in the hidden bits on the taskbar constantly trying to connect.

dont know how many times Ive told her about that 

[Rik]

 

[Simon]

  Down again, after less than a minute.    Back to the Netgear, I think.

[Simon]

It started downloading WUs again immediately, so I'm going to let it install them, then try the 10/100 thing again.

[Rik]

I'm at 24 minutes without a drop... Crossing fingers like crazy.

[Simon]

OK, did the above, and back on.  BUT, I now have 'Terredo Tunnelling Pseudo-Interface' in Device Manager, under Network Adapters.  WTF is that??  It has a yellow triangle by it, and it hasn't started, so I wonder if it's safe to remove it?

[Rik]

Wiki says:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teredo_tunneling

Never seen one myself. It's as if there's an element of the updates they haven't old us about. ;(

30 minutes and OK so far...