Netgear router and iBook constantly losing connection, any ideas?

[Lau]

I'm having the most almighty stress with my Netgear router/wireless network and my iBook. It used to be super fast and not cause me any trouble at all.

The last few weeks, the connection has been revoltingly slow, but in a really strange way. It's not like dialup slow where sites take ages to load, but it seems to take ages (i.e. a good minute, or worse) to connect to the page and start downloading it. Also, and this is even more frustrating, recently the airport signal keeps goes greyed out in the menu, and if the network is still visible in the drop down menu (which it isn't always) it gives me the "There was an error joining the network" box.

I've tried plugging my iBook in to the ethernet port, and that's fine, so it's definitely a wireless problem.

I've tried resetting the password and then setting the whole connection up from scratch, again. It worked for a bit, then started playing up again. I've tried changing the channel it's broadcasting on as there's a few networks in the area which I thought could interfering with it, but half of the channels give the error message, the other half work for a few minutes and then give the error message, and then when I put it back to 11 (that it started on) I get the error message! Aaargh!

Does anyone have any suggestions? I would be very grateful if anyone did, and it'll stop me clawing my eyes out in sheer frustration, which is obviously a good thing. I'd happily set it all up again from scratch if need be, as I'm becoming a bit of a dab hand at it.

 

[macgeek2005]

I'm having the most almighty stress with my Netgear router/wireless network and my iBook. It used to be super fast and not cause me any trouble at all.

The last few weeks, the connection has been revoltingly slow, but in a really strange way. It's not like dialup slow where sites take ages to load, but it seems to take ages (i.e. a good minute, or worse) to connect to the page and start downloading it. Also, and this is even more frustrating, recently the airport signal keeps goes greyed out in the menu, and if the network is still visible in the drop down menu (which it isn't always) it gives me the "There was an error joining the network" box.

I've tried plugging my iBook in to the ethernet port, and that's fine, so it's definitely a wireless problem.

I've tried resetting the password and then setting the whole connection up from scratch, again. It worked for a bit, then started playing up again. I've tried changing the channel it's broadcasting on as there's a few networks in the area which I thought could interfering with it, but half of the channels give the error message, the other half work for a few minutes and then give the error message, and then when I put it back to 11 (that it started on) I get the error message! Aaargh!

Does anyone have any suggestions? I would be very much appreciative if anyone did, and it'll stop me clawing my eyes out in sheer frustration, which is obviously a good thing. I'd happily set it all up again from scratch if need be, as I'm becoming a bit of a dab hand at it.

I'm sorry for not giving you the answer you're looking for but, don't use wireless. It's bad for your health.

 

[Lau]

I'm sorry for not giving you the answer you're looking for but, don't use wireless. It's bad for your health.

Thanks for the warning, but I loves the wireless. The most damage it's currently doing to my health is via my blood pressure due to its crapness.

 

[macgeek2005]

Thanks for the warning, but I loves the wireless. The most damage it's currently doing to my health is via my blood pressure due to its crapness.

No.... maybe the radiation waves are causing your mind to go funny, and that's why you think it's screwed up.

I'm telling you, humanity is gonna kill itself, in the next 200 years. If not from a nuclear war, it'll be from junk food and wireless devices.

 

[Lau]

I'm telling you, humanity is gonna kill itself, in the next 200 years. If not from a nuclear war, it'll be from junk food and wireless devices.

If in 200 years time I'm dead from using wireless, I'll consider that a good innings.

 

[XNine]

No.... maybe the radiation waves are causing your mind to go funny, and that's why you think it's screwed up.

I'm telling you, humanity is gonna kill itself, in the next 200 years. If not from a nuclear war, it'll be from junk food and wireless devices.

I hope you're not serious. IF you are... please, go down to the methadone clinic and pick yourself up a small cup to help rid the fixes.

Lau, which Netgear router are you on? HAve you checked if you have the most recent firmware on the router?

And are you on Tiger or Panther?

The reason I ask, is because Tiger, unlike Panther, does NOT require you to put a $ in front of your wirless password.

Also, there's rumor that the WRTG V. 2 & 3 get too hot. Some have installed fans on the units, some have said it goes away with firmware upgrade.

Also, try turning OFF airport from your menubar, then turning it back on. Sometimes this helps (I don't know why, it just does). I know all of this cos I own a NEtgear as well, which ahs served me better than any Linksys or SMC router I've ever had.

 

[Queso]

On Netgear routers always ensure that the aerials are vertical or as close to the vertical as possible.

Also, as Onizuka mentions, update the Netgear firmware using a wired connection if you are not running the latest version.

 

[Lau]

Thanks for the replies. I seem to be able to get on it fine now, but couldn't a few minutes ago, which makes me think that nothing's set up wrong, because it works for the moment. Unless someone else's network is interfering with mine intermittently - is that possible?

However, I think I may have worked out what it's more likely to be. After rewiring and testing all the bits separately, and replacing the filter and generally screwing around with it, I started to wonder if perhaps it was the phone line. In doing this, our decrepid wireless phone totally died, and each handset just phones each other, and so I couldn't tell if it was being crap because of that, or due to a line fault.

So, pissed off with all this, and completely unable to get on the internet last night, we went out for a curry, which was very nice indeed, for your information. And after having such a pleasant curry, and indeed, a couple of beers, we decided to have some more beers in a pub a few streets away from home. And in that pub, they had a sign up that said "Sorry, we're unable to accept cards as the phone lines are down". Aha! I had a chat with the barmaid, whilst she poured our beers, and she said that the lines in that street and a few others are playing up because BT are working on them. So I think I may have troubleshot my problem by having a curry and slightly too many beers. Woo! Best troubleshooting everrrrrrrr. I shall remember such tactics for the future.

Bit of a sore head this morning though.

So thanks for your help, but I think the first thing I should do I'll give BT a ring this morning and find out what's going on, and tell them in no uncertain terms to get my internet sorted out asap, bitches. If it isn't the line, I will be back. Betcha all can't wait.