Help with DLink Wireless card.

[fazalv]

Any techies shed some light on this problem it would be much appreciated.

I have been running a wireless network, DLink wireless router and Dlink pcmcia card in my dell laptop. All has been well for few months.

However, since last weekend I have been struggling to get a proper connection from the card.
Unless i take the laptop very close to the router and even then its very sporadic and lasts maybe few minutes before bombing out.

I have reinstalled the card, updated the drivers, rebuilt the laptop without avail.

Running windows XP Sp1 and 2, both give the same results.

Can ANYONE help?

pcmcia - DWL650
router - DSL-G604T

 

[Trader333]

It sounds like a hardware fault (things do go wrong and quite frequently you'd be surprised). Is it still under guarantee ?


Paul

 

[JonnyT]

Try changing the channel on the Dlink Access point as it may be that someone close is using a similar channel.

Move the new channel at least 3 channels away...

Please be aware some kit doesn't support channels 12 and 13 (UK Spec) and only supports upto 11 (US Spec)

HTH

JonnyT

 

[rossored]

A friend of mine had a very similar problem recently : PC hosting the connection was fine, but client had sporadic connection, and eventually it failed completely.

The problem?

Spyware. Removed it all (Spybot S&D, AdAware) and it worked just as before.

 

[DaveJB]

...and if none of that helps, it's a radio - so things that affect it amount to 'interference from things transmitting at the same (or nearby) frequencies, Shielding, or aerials pointing the wrong way. In reverse order:-
Aerials - to avoid boredom I won't go into it, but most people have fiddled with TV indoor aerials/Radio telescopic ones, so pointing the aerials on your wifi 'transmitter' can affect sig strength, as can orientation of the card/aerial in the laptop. Generally, however, if it used to work when pointing in direction X then it will do for evermore.

Shielding - if you can find a small radio turn it on and tune in to a station loud and clear... now wrap kitchen foil around it, signal is totally lost. (This is a 'Faraday Cage' by the way). Metal things can reflect radio at odd angles, check that nobody thought it was a good idea to put metallic things in a line between the Wifi router and the PCMIA card... you could run everything perfectly for months then slap a lump of PC kit down next to the wifi device (either at the router end or the 'receiver' end of it) and suddenly the signal strength plummets below workable levels.

Interference - similar frequency operation ... 2.4Ghz for 802.11b, g, 802.11a is 5Ghz. That's way above TV and radio, probably not therefore an issue (microwave ovens are up 9-10 range I seem to remember) ... the only things I can think of in that range are radars fitted to warships, so unless you're building a stunningly realistic and unusually modern ship in a bottle you can ignore this.

Most likely virus/spyware etc imo, but aerial orientation and shielding are possibles. Here at home I have a small wifi setup, and I frequently find the kids upstairs/wife via laptop need to go into the network connections and reinitialise the 'home' network... presumably because I power the main PC off every day.

Dave

 

[JonnyT]

When I worked for the Railway we had a problem in Poole Harbour where every so often the Terminals would all blank and lose connectivity although they were hard wired.

The issue was caused by the then new Catermarans entering Poole Harbour and switching on their 'Parking' Radar. This signal effected any display device.

The cure was to put the devices into Faraday cages else paint the entire inside with conductive paint (a cheap faraday cage!)

It tooks months to find this one.

You Wireless problem could easily be interference or it could be firmware / drivers.

Make sure the firmware on the Access Point is the latest version, make sure the fireware on the Laptop card is also the latest, make sure the BIOS and firmware on the Dell in the latest and make sure the PMCIA card drivers are the latest.

Of cource the OS should be fully Windows Updated.

I have seen a similar problem with a 3Com box and I have seen issues where certain Wireless adaptors wont work with certain kit under certain conditions:

e.g. Some Toshiba laptop integrated cards will not work unless the SSID is broadcast
Some Wireless adaptors will not obtain a DHCP address if WEP is used.

Try starting using no WEP, and broadcasting SSID and add the security features one at a time.

Also try the above on different channels and make sure the PMCIA card is set to use any channel!!!

HTH

JonnyT

 

[fazalv]

Thanks for your response guys, Great!

I have since purchased another wireless card (belkin) and this works fine with my wireless setup.
I have searched on the web and was surprised to find 100's of users suffering a similar experience with this specific DLINK card. (DWL650)

It seems to be firmware/IRQ related.

I will return the card to the manufacturers.

PS: DLINK tech support has been pathetic, quite a joke really.


Thanks

Faz

 

[fazalv]

Some developments.

The wifi signal started dropping with the new belkin card. I setup the router at my friends flat and the signal never dropped. This led me to believe the drop in signal is definitely interference related.
The router sits next to my pc which in turn sits next to a recently fitted double panel radiator.

DaveJB/JohnnyT
In your experience could this be causing the interference? Causing the radio signal to deflect and sapping the signal?

Thanks

Faz.

 

[TheBramble]

If the DLink PCMCIA card was naff, is it a possibility that the DLink router is also?

Unless the radiator is BETWEEN the router and the card - it's unlikely to be an issue.

That the router works somewhere else is an issue. But have you tried it there more than once?

Has it worked OK at all back at home since?

 

[fazalv]

Bramble,

I have not tried it more than once.

I bought a new centrino laptop and tested it this afternoon. It worked fine for 5 hours but now its not picking my wireless network but another network which i do not recognise.

I am going to be knocking down the neighbours door once he is back home.

I have changed channel without success.

 

[JonnyT]

Changing channel isn't that simple. You have to ensure that 3 channels either side are empty.

i.e. if you use channel 4 then 1,2,3,5,6,7 shouldn't be used by anything within range.

JonnyT

 

[fazalv]

After numerous days and weeks of troubleshooting this problem, I feel have narrowed down the cause of the interference problem.

Whenever the wife pulls up in the driveway in her 4x4, I lose all wifi connectivity.

Could this be due to something emanating from the car ie car alarm or the car itself.
Well even with the alarm deactivated the connection does not spring back up.

I am totally lost as to how to resolve this jam.

Any takers?

 

[JonnyT]

It could be EMF from the car.

I would try changing he spark plug leads as a first measure.

 

[fazalv]

Thanks JonnyT,

Am I correct in assuming if the spark plug is not firing correctly this causes higher emissions of EMF even when the car is stationary? Or is it the type of sprak plug that could be causing this?
Would a garage mechanic know what i am talking about?
Im a relative novice when it comes to auto engineering so any help on this matter will be greatly appreciated.

 

[JonnyT]

Spark plug leads have to be suppressed by law to stop Electromagnetic Radiation.

Sometimes the suppression fails and they emit EMR over a wide spectrum. It to do with the High Voltage pulses that travel down the leads which effectively act as a transmitting aerial. As the plugs are fired by pulses and not sine waves you get harmonics also transmitted resulting in signals over a wide sprectrum which may include the 2.4GHz Wireless.

Its worth a try.

You don't live near a seaport do you?

The reason I ask is that I have seen Ships docking radars knock out all sorts of equipment in the past.

JonnyT

 

[spunkyblonde]

Any techies shed some light on this problem it would be much appreciated.

I have been running a wireless network, DLink wireless router and Dlink pcmcia card in my dell laptop. All has been well for few months.

However, since last weekend I have been struggling to get a proper connection from the card.
Unless i take the laptop very close to the router and even then its very sporadic and lasts maybe few minutes before bombing out.

I have reinstalled the card, updated the drivers, rebuilt the laptop without avail.

Running windows XP Sp1 and 2, both give the same results.

Can ANYONE help?

pcmcia - DWL650
router - DSL-G604T

...ring up the router supplier you bought if off ..and or ring up the router manurfacturer and router web site as well ..cheers

 

[fazalv]

No, nowhere near a sea port. Thanks JohnnyT, im on the case...really appreciate your input.