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| Wireless Internet Issues |
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Forum Index - Hobbies - Computers & Technology - Wireless Internet Issues |
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| Posted on 2011-08-03 07:02:07 PM |
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So, recently me and my family moved away from our house and into an apartment due to financial problems. Before internet could be used in the new apartment, Comcast had to switch our cable and phone service from the house to the apartment, which they did. However, I still could not use internet, because at the house we used a DSL router and at the apartment we would have to run the ethernet cable all the way down the hallway and into my room to my computer as well as to my sister's room to her computer, because the apartment for some bullcrap reason did not allow new cable outlets to be installed into the walls. This would be tedious to do for various reasons, so instead we decided to get a wireless router and connect me and my sister's computer to it, so we wouldn't have to use wires. We got this set up, and most of the time it works fine, however sometimes the signal is bad for me causing problems such as slowness and random disconnections from chatrooms. While this is not a huge issue and usually resolves itself, today I encountered a different problem that is a much bigger deal.
I have no clue how or why this happened, but basically I could not load any pages. On Firefox it would give a "server not found" error (except on Smw Central, where it would give a "connection timed out" error), and on Internet Explorer it would not load anything at all (just a blank white page). I thought this was just temporary, so I decided to wait it out by reading a book. After a while I tried again, same problem. I tried opening my e-mail application, but it gave me an error upon trying to connect. So I tried my sister's computer, and it worked perfectly. I tried my Dad's computer, which was the only one actually hooked up directly to a cable outlet, and it worked too. Then I checked my computer again, and lo and behold, it worked! However this did not last, as soon the problem occurred again. I tried my sister's again (which worked), but my little brother saw me and decided to tell my sister I was using her computer. She came and asked what I was doing, and I explained the situation. So my sister suggested restarting my computer. So we did that, and not only did it not help, but this time the adapter didn't even detect there was any connection. My sister tried reconnecting to the router, which worked, however it said it had "little or no connectivity". Opening internet explorer displayed not just a blank page, but an error saying it could not connect with a link to open Windows Connection Diagnostics. We tried that, and I don't remember what it said for some reason but I think it said something about contacting the ISP or something. Then, we opened the e-mail program, and to my surprise, it worked without any errors! Opening IE again, it loaded just fine. Now, back on Firefox typing this, it still seems to be working.
I have absolutely no clue what happened, so does anybody have any answers? In the case this happens again, it might come in handy for solving it, and perhaps if I'm lucky keeping it from rearing its ugly head again. Thanks in advance.
EDIT: Just happened again, this time a simple reboot fixed it, no reconnecting to the router was required. I'm really beginning to think my adapter is the problem. My sister's connection works just fine, and it's wireless as well, only her adapter is built in, since it's a laptop, where as mine is external.
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| Last edited on 2011-08-04 01:16:39 AM by Blittle McNilsen. |
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| Posted on 2011-08-04 07:27:06 AM |
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Are there any obstructions?
These could include
-A microwave
-Electrical activity in the rooms near you
-Long distance between rooms
-Other types of interference
Edit: what are the differences between your computer and your sisters?
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| Last edited on 2011-08-04 07:29:01 AM by Desert-Fox. |
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| Posted on 2011-08-04 02:44:45 PM |
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Originally posted by Desert-FoxAre there any obstructions?
These could include
-A microwave
-Electrical activity in the rooms near you
-Long distance between rooms
-Other types of interference
Edit: what are the differences between your computer and your sisters?
-There's no microwave anywhere near the router
-Lamps, TVs, fans are the primary electric activity in the nearby rooms. Also in the living room near the router there's a large TV, if that makes a difference.
-Rooms are fairly close together.
-Really not sure.
My sister's is a laptop and has the adapter built-in, where as mine is a desktop and the adapter is external. Mine runs Windows XP, where as my sister's runs Windows 7. Both computers are by the same manufacturer (eMachines). The specs are probably different too, but I haven't checked that at all.
The problem has only occurred twice so far, but it will probably happen again at some point. I doubt it's an interference, as a reboot has fixed it both times, where as if it was an interference the interference would keep interfering until it stopped interfering even after reboot. Interfere interfering. Brain. Okay, enough of that.
When this problem is not occurring, the internet works normally except for the occasional "low signal" which is usually just temporary. I'm really thinking it's a problem on my end, as neither my sister's nor my dad's computers have had any problems.
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| Posted on 2011-08-05 03:11:48 PM |
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So far, the problem hasn't occurred again, but now that I've said that I probably jinxed it and now it's going to happen again. D:
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| Posted on 2011-08-08 10:11:37 PM |
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More problems earlier today. Internet connection kept getting worse and worse until it finally started disconnecting and reconnecting randomly. Again, a reboot solved the problem. As I type this, the internet connection once again says it's low, with MBPS ranging from 108 to 54 to 13, but I am still able to browse the internet without problems.
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| Posted on 2011-08-10 09:16:58 PM |
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I notice whenever this happens it's usually around 2:30ish or so, then usually it happens later at around either 6:00, 7:00, 8:00, or 9:00.
EDIT Thursday August 11, 2011, 3:13 PM: I am typing this as an edit due to the 24-hour double post limit (which I wouldn't have to deal with in this thread if somebody would ACTUALLY REPLY!!  IMAGINE THAT!). After having the problem again and rebooting, I find that it only worked for the first minute or so of browsing, then the problem occurred again. After raging about the apartment's stupid rule against installing new cable outlets and stuffz and how I wouldn't have this problem if I could just use a LAN connection, I discovered another way to fix it: to use the Repair option in the Windows Wireless Network Manager. I still don't get why this happens, but now I'm beginning to think it's due to Windows's default wireless network manager being active at the same time as the D-LINK Wireless Adapter software, as in the help file of the Windows software it said something about disabling automatic wireless configuration if you are using a non-Microsoft software for your wireless network or something like that.
I doubt the Repair option will be a permanent fix, just as the reboot doesn't seem to be a permanent fix, and the problem will most likely happen again this evening, just as it has before. Why the time of day matters I still can't understand.
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| Last edited on 2011-08-11 05:23:43 PM by Blittle McNilsen. |
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| Posted on 2011-08-12 12:41:46 AM |
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Just as predicted, it happened again this evening.
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| Posted on 2011-08-16 11:41:55 PM |
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I love how everybody is completely ignoring this thread.
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| Posted on 2011-08-17 07:36:41 AM |
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I've been reading it but have absolutely no experience with networking issues.
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| Posted on 2011-09-04 03:06:50 PM |
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I think I may have found the solution, but I need a question answered first before I try this. So, my research around the web seems to point to my problem being a flawed service in Windows XP called "Wireless Zero Configuration", and that to fix my problem I need to disable the service. However,  Snowshoe posted in this thread stating the following:
Originally posted by SnowshoeJust throwing this out there:
Are you using Windows XP? Windows XP's built in "Wireless Zero Configuration" service emulates wired connections, and tends to fluke out every so often. The internet will drop but you will still be connected to the network, and Windows will not display a limited connectivity message or find any errors. The internet usually comes back up eventually, but is annoying. If this is the case, try using the laptop's manufacturer CD for any custom Wi-Fi software to use instead of the Windows service, or use any CD provided by the router manufacturer to handle your wireless connections. (Wi-Fi hardware is built into laptops and is available for purchase in desktop computers.)
If this does not work, I would consider disabling WZC or upgrading to Windows Vista or Windows 7, as they handle Wi-Fi connections better.
To disable* the Wireless Zero Config service,
1) Go to Control Panel
2) Open Administrative Tools
3) Open Services
4) Disable the WZC service and set it to Manual startup in it's properties dialog.
*Disabling this service will render the computer unable to connect to any access points unless another software is handling it. In some software, there is an option to automatically disable WZC, disable WZC and use the manufacturer's instead to handle your hardware.
He says disabling the service will render the computer unable to connect to any access points unless another software is handling it. Now, a software came with my external adapter that I had to install in order to use it. If I double-click on the icon in the tray bar that shows the bars of service ( ), that software comes up. Is this the "other software" that is supposed to be handling it if I disable Wireless Zero Configuration?
And also is there anything else I need to know before I go disabling this feature? I don't want to accidentally screw something up. I've done that before when fiddling around with unfamiliar parts of my system, and it took reverting to a System Restore point in Safe Mode to fix it. I don't wanna do that again, or worse. *thinking about the time when my computer suddenly refused to boot up for absolutely no apparent reason and I had to format the hard drive and reinstall windows, losing precious files that I will never get back*
I predict nobody will reply to me. Please be wrong...
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| Posted on 2011-09-05 03:49:15 PM |
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Over 24 hours, no answers. Not even any replies.
Why is Tech Desk such a dead forum?
I bet if I had put this in Computers & Technology I would have long since solved this problem, but no! I had to be stupid and post in the CORRECT SUBFORUM, where NOBODY EVER POSTS EVER!! -_-
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| Last edited on 2011-09-05 03:49:24 PM by Blittle McNilsen. |
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| Posted on 2011-09-06 06:12:14 AM |
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I'm pretty sure it's just that nobody knows the answer.
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| Posted on 2011-09-06 03:10:58 PM |
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Originally posted by leodI'm pretty sure it's just that nobody knows the answer.
If anybody knows the answer it's probably Snowshoe, since he's the one I quoted in my previous post. Get him over here nao. 
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| Posted on 2011-09-06 07:15:09 PM |
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I can move it into Computers if you like.. Or if you feel it is a bigger issue than just this specific problem, you could bring it up with Kieran to see if he feels the forum is unneeded. (Frankly, I'm not too sure 'exactly' what threads go where, but I have a general idea. I'm pretty sure that Tech Desk is for help problems and Computers for discussion, or more complex problems, but most of the time I'll leave them where they are)
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| Posted on 2011-09-08 12:58:38 AM |
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So just a minute ago I tried disabling the Wireless Zero Configuration service. It didn't seem to hurt anything. My internet connection still works as it normally does when it's not randomly dropping out on me. Let's see if I still get problems after this.
EDIT: A few minutes after disabling the service, I still got a "Problem loading page" error from Firefox.
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| Last edited on 2011-09-08 01:14:48 AM by Blittle McNilsen. |
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| Posted on 2011-09-09 02:56:21 AM |
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Have you tried another forum, one more geared to tech support?
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| Posted on 2011-09-11 06:05:02 PM |
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I give up. This has gone on long enough. I am finding a way to successfully run that ethernet wire from the living room into my room and get my ever-faithful LAN connection back. I'm done with wireless. I'm fed up with wireless. I'm never going to attempt using wireless on this computer again, because obviously it hates it. Whatever it takes, I'm getting back my LAN connection. ASAP. Sorry, wireless, you lost. Game over. Hahaha, ha...ha...heh...
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| Last edited on 2011-09-11 06:05:56 PM by Blittle McNilsen. |
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| Posted on 2011-09-20 09:16:59 PM |
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Well, I've found a way to regain my wired connection. Wireless is no more on this computer. Hopefully now this problem will not rear its ugly head again.
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| Last edited on 2011-09-20 09:17:08 PM by Blittle McNilsen. |
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