Networked computer

[awak...@gmail.com]

Hello everyone,

I have a small network at my home. It has 3 computers.all
desktops ... all have XP. Computer A & C are the Home Edition & B has
pro.
One computer (A) is hardwired to my ISP and the other two(B&C)
are wirelessly connected with a Belkin Wireless router.(Model
F5D7230-4).
Computer B connects to the internet off & on. When it does
access the internet. Some web pages will not open at all. Some open
only after I "Refresh" the page. and some do exactly as they are
supposed to. When this computer is connected to the internet, it
seems like it isn't getting a full signal although the home network
shows a full signal.
I have spoken with the Belkin tech folk. They tell me that I
need a new adapter card. when I replaced the card with a DLink one. I
have the same problem. I spoke with the DLink techs who told me that
the adapter that I have (DWL-G510) does not support encryption. I
tried it with no encryption and it was the same as with WEP.

Do any of you folks have any ideas on this situation? I'm not at
all sure of what to do next.
Any help or advice is appreciated.

[fixmypcmike]

You say computer A is hardwired to your ISP. The correct setup should
be cable from wall > router and then all computers connect (wired or
wireless) to the router. Is that how you have it set up?

Mike Miller
Rowan Consulting
http://www.fixmypcmike.com

[Tom Wade]

Yep Mike. 
     The cable (ISP) comes out of the wall, into the modem.  Then, a ethernet cable goes from there into the wireless router.  Another ethernet cable goes from the router into computer - A.
     Computers B & C receive the network wirelessly.  C works great ... B works sometimes.  It used to work all the time.

Thanks for the response.

[fixmypcmike]

How old is B? Is the adapter card a PCMCIA card? Make sure you have
a type 3 slot -- some older laptops have only type 1 or 2, and some
have 2 slots but only one is type 3. Can you borrow a USB wireless
adapter to see if that has the same problem?

What security are you using and is it the same on all computers?
Security suites and firewalls sometimes need manual configuration --
I've seen this a lot with Norton Internet Security.

> > > Any help or advice is appreciated.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Tom Wade]

B is an HP desktop purchased new in 2004.  It's a P-4 with 768 MB of memory(RAM).   I'm not sure what a PCMCIA card is, so I don't know if that's what I have or not.  It's a thing that mounts inside the case, at the rear.  It has an antenna that is on the outside. I'm told that it's called a "PCI Wireless Adapter".  I installed this one as a replacement for a MicroSoft adapter.  This one is a DLink that I bought about 6 weeks ago from TigerDirect.  I bought it because  the router tech (Belkin) told me that the adapter that I had was bad.

I'm running Panda AV & Kerio Firewall on all 3 computers.  Right now, the wireless network is NOT encrypted.  There does not seem to make any difference if the encryption is active or not.  I disabled the firewall on B with no difference noticed.

I don't know what else you may need, so just let me know and I'll find whatever you need.

[ljj...@163.com]

I think maybe is the ISP limit your network,i have this problem ever,
when you have 3 mac on your network,they will find it and then limit
your network,i think you'd better ask help for you ISP.

[fixmypcmike]

Oh, okay, it's a PCI card. Did you mount the new one in the same slot
as the old one, or is it a different slot (i.e. maybe the slot is bad
rather than the card)? You might try going to your Preferred Networks
list and deleting your network from the list and letting it detect it
fresh.

Mike Miller
Rowan Consulting
http://www.fixmypcmike.com

> > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[Tom Wade]

Thanks for your feedback.  I checked with the ISP and they assured me that everything is OK on their end.

[Tom Wade]

Thanks Mike. you've made me do some more thinking (I'm not used to that).  When I replaced the card, I DID put it into the same slot as the other (old one).  I'll try moving it to a different slot.  Maybe the problem is the slot itself.  After all ... it's behaving exactly the same way that the other one did.  

Good thinking & thanks again.  I'll let you know the results as soon as I have a chance to try it.

[Tom Wade]

Hoooo-ray
When I moved the adapter to another slot in the computer, everything works just like it' 'sposed to.

Thanks for providing help Mike.  And thanks also to ya'll other folks for your interest and response.

[Ceresia]

Odd that a PCI slot would jsut go bad....usually the bridge goes bad
for all PCI slots or the card itself was put it incorrectly and the
slot is somehow damaged, possibly from factory....

On Apr 19, 1:57 pm, "Tom Wade" <awake...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hoooo-ray
> When I moved the adapter to another slot in the computer, everything works
> just like it' 'sposed to.
>
> Thanks for providing help Mike. And thanks also to ya'll other folks for
> your interest and response.
>

> On 4/18/07, Tom Wade <awake...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Thanks Mike. you've made me do some more thinking (I'm not used to that).
> > When I replaced the card, I DID put it into the same slot as the other

> > (old one). I'll try moving it to a different slot. Maybe the problem isthe slot itself. After all ... it's behaving exactly the same way that the

[Tom Wade]

Yeah, I THOUGHT everything was OK, but it only lasted a few hours.  Now I,m right back

[BigMatt]

Don't know what to tell ya Tom, sounds like a bad PCI bridge, before I
trash it and buy a new mobo, I would suggest check on flashing the
BIOS, checking if there any updated drivers for the mobo, chipset...
If you have something else plugged into another PCI slot, remove it
and see if the NIC works better, I had a USB 2.0 card in my old system
do that, returned it to Wal-Mart, got a better one at Tigerdirect, and
my Firewire card started working properly again...

On Apr 20, 10:34 pm, "Tom Wade" <awake...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Yeah, I THOUGHT everything was OK, but it only lasted a few hours. Now I,m
> right back
>

[Tom Wade]

BigMatt,

Thank you for the response and suggestion.  Right now, I'm holding my breath.  For some reason ... it's working again. I think it musta' been the magic words that I mumbled.  There doesn't seem to be any other reason.  I'm totally confused.  But then ... I'm used to that state.  Thanks again.

> > > > > as the old one, or is it a different slot ( i.e. maybe the slot is

[Ceresia]

Just rub it and a genie will pop out and grant 3 wishes, just tell him
that you want your PCI bridge fixed and that he is free =)

Then he will not haunt your computer anymore

On Apr 22, 3:51 pm, "Tom Wade" <awake...@gmail.com> wrote:
> BigMatt,
>
> Thank you for the response and suggestion. Right now, I'm holding my
> breath. For some reason ... it's working again. I think it musta' been the
> magic words that I mumbled. There doesn't seem to be any other reason. I'm
> totally confused. But then ... I'm used to that state. Thanks again.
>

> > > > > > > as the old one, or is it a different slot (i.e. maybe the slot

[BigMatt]

Also Tom,

Threaten to throw it out and get a new one. I mean stand in front of
it and say "I will donate you to charity, some kid is going kick you
off the back of a truck and post the video on the internet, is that
what you want?"

That thing will run like a champ! I said that to my wifes old Vaio 5
years ago when I was upgraing it from 98 to 2000 and that damn
computer wouldn't boot or anything, I said that to it, loaded up fine,
and have been reloading the OS every year since without a problem. I
swear that thing knows what I was going to do with it....

[Tom Wade]

BigMatt and Ceresia,

Thanks for both suggestions.  One or the other ... or maybe both ... worked.  Sometimes the ##@*#! thing works great.  At other times .. no internet.  When it DOES work, it acts almost like it's getting only a partial connection.  Although I get my home page (I use FireFox/Google) most of the Web pages won't open unless I hit " refresh" a bunch of times.  Does that still sound like a  PCI bridge issue?

[Ceresia]

*sigh*

Unfortunately I am not there and that WOULD help just a tad.

I would take the PCI card back and tell them it doesn't work.
Then try getting a External USB wireless adapter and see if that
works.

Sounds like something is amiss with your PCI slots or something with
your mobo.

It could just be a bad windows install, I really am not sure =(

On Apr 25, 12:00 pm, "Tom Wade" <awake...@gmail.com> wrote:
> BigMatt and Ceresia,
>
> Thanks for both suggestions. One or the other ... or maybe both ...
> worked. Sometimes the ##@*#! thing works great. At other times .. no
> internet. When it DOES work, it acts almost like it's getting only a
> partial connection. Although I get my home page (I use FireFox/Google) most
> of the Web pages won't open unless I hit "refresh" a bunch of times. Does
> that still sound like a PCI bridge issue?
>

> ...
>
> read more »- Hide quoted text -

[Tom Wade]

     Yeah Ceresia. I hear you.
     If I understand you, I should take out the PCI card, utter a few expletives, and try a USB adapter.  Is that right? 
     I think that I have an older USB adapter around. If I remember correctly, it was used on a 802.11B network.  Do you think that it will work on this 802.11G network?


     Thanks for the advise

[fixmypcmike]

If the router is configured for B&G (the usual default) rather than G
only, the B adapter will work, albeit at 11 mbps rather than 54.
Check if the B adapter supports WPA or check for a driver update for
WPA.

Mike Miller
Rowan Consulting
http://www.fixmypcmike.com

On Apr 25, 10:32 pm, "Tom Wade" <awake...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Yeah Ceresia. I hear you.
> If I understand you, I should take out the PCI card, utter a few
> expletives, and try a USB adapter. Is that right?
> I think that I have an older USB adapter around. If I remember
> correctly, it was used on a 802.11B network. Do you think that it will work
> on this 802.11G network?
>
> Thanks for the advise
>

[Tom Wade]

Back again,
After changing the PCI adapter, everything worked great ... for a while.  Last week, it quit so I took out the PCI card and used an external WIFI adapter. Again everything worked great.  It was a little slow ( a "B" adapter), but still all right.  Then, a couple of nights ago ... poof !!!
The network is working with a strong signal, but the internet doesn't doesn't work like it's supposed to.  My home page (FireFox/Google) won't come up.  I have a P to P (Limewire) that DOES work.  Does anyone know what's happening here?  How come P to P works bur nothing else.  What do ya'll think I need to do to fix this thing?  Can I format my hard drive and re-install Windows?  If that's what I need to do, I'll be asking some more questions.

[BigMatt]

Long time no help Tom...

Sounds like a problem with the internet service to be honest with ya,
Are you running DSL or Cable? I see this all the time with my machines
at work. I can connect to my servers in the state capitol through a
manual conection program we have set up in Dail-up Networking, but
when I run our application the retailer uses, nothing... Like two cans
with string, and somebody cut the string, I call the DSL company,
Bellsouth (now AT&T) and tell them, "I got Sync but no service" and
the guy hits a few keys on a keyboard, about a minute goes by, and it
works again...

Moral of the story is, if you got DSL, call them and tell them you got
network presence, but no service... If it's cable, I don't know. I did
see in a nerd mag that AT&T was doing some auditing of their newly
aquired network and it would cause some service outages.

[Tom Wade]

Hey Matt,
It has been a while.  Thanks for getting back so soon.

I use cable rather than DSL.  The *@#%@* thing worked fine for quite a while.  I've been using a Belkin wireless router for a couple of years now.  The company (Belkin) replaced the first one after it "broke".  In about a week or so, this computer (that is connected to my network via the wireless router) quit working.  The Tech folk at Belkin said that the problem was with my adapter.  I ordered a new one from TigerDirect and installed it.  Everything was rosy for a while, then it quit receiving the internet.  After Mike (fixmypcmike) reminded me about the installation of the PCI adapter into the same slot as the problem, I moved it to a different slot.  Again, every thing was fine ... for about 2 or 3 weeks. Now the same thing is happening.  My network comes through fine (4 or 5 bars) ... a peer to peer application (that has to connect to the internet)works, but my home page will not boot.  I can't figure out why it's doing what it's doing.

[DigitalBlade]

I think you should try to take your computer closer to the router and
plug it in with a wire and see if it's the same. If everything works
fine when plugged in, your problem is definitely in the wireless. But
if it's the same problem, it may be a problem with the TCP/IP stack or
something similar. Could also be a potential malware.

On May 29, 6:58 pm, "Tom Wade" <awake...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hey Matt,
> It has been a while. Thanks for getting back so soon.
>
> I use cable rather than DSL. The *@#%@* thing worked fine for quite a
> while. I've been using a Belkin wireless router for a couple of years now.
> The company (Belkin) replaced the first one after it "broke". In about a
> week or so, this computer (that is connected to my network via the wireless
> router) quit working. The Tech folk at Belkin said that the problem was
> with my adapter. I ordered a new one from TigerDirect and installed it.
> Everything was rosy for a while, then it quit receiving the internet. After
> Mike (fixmypcmike) reminded me about the installation of the PCI adapter
> into the same slot as the problem, I moved it to a different slot. Again,
> every thing was fine ... for about 2 or 3 weeks. Now the same thing is
> happening. My network comes through fine (4 or 5 bars) ... a peer to peer
> application (that has to connect to the internet)works, but my home page
> will not boot. I can't figure out why it's doing what it's doing.
>

> ...
>
> read more »

[BigMatt]

Malware would be my next guess, using Limewire and all... Leaves some
open ports for stuff like to install in the background. Have you done
all your scans?

[Tom Wade]

'Preciate the help from both of you.

I ran AdAwear & Spybot last week and again last night,  Although I found a total of 14 entries, after they were deleted ... there was still no improvement.  So, the likelihood of malware is small (I think).  Next, I took the computer-in-question to where I have the cable modem.  I disconnected my main computer and connected the computer-in-question to it.  I got the internet just like I'm supposed to. then I went through the router, attached the external wireless adapter, and again ... everything is hunky-dory.

I live in a 2 story apartment, so I think that I'll leave the computer-in-question down here for a few days in case the internet quit again.  If any thing comes to mind as to why this is happening, let me know.

On 5/29/07, BigMatt <BigMa...@gmail.com> wrote:

[fixmypcmike]

If it works fine wirelessly when it's near the router, you're probably
getting interference or being blocked by intervening objects. Most
wireless routers default to channel 1, 6 or 11, so if there are other
networks nearby they could be interfering. Cordless phones usually
start at channel 1 and switch channels to get a better signal if
necessary. Microwave ovens put out interference mostly on channels
7-11. If the disconnects happen when the phone or microwave is used
or when people get home from work, that's a clue. I find channel 4
works well in most cases. And remember to change the default SSID and
router password and enable WPA encryption on your network.

Mike Miller
Rowan Consulting
http://www.fixmypcmike.com

On May 30, 5:51 pm, "Tom Wade" <awake...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 'Preciate the help from both of you.
>
> I ran AdAwear & Spybot last week and again last night, Although I found a
> total of 14 entries, after they were deleted ... there was still no
> improvement. So, the likelihood of malware is small (I think). Next, I
> took the computer-in-question to where I have the cable modem. I
> disconnected my main computer and connected the computer-in-question to it.
> I got the internet just like I'm supposed to. then I went through the
> router, attached the external wireless adapter, and again ... everything is
> hunky-dory.
>
> I live in a 2 story apartment, so I think that I'll leave the
> computer-in-question
> down here for a few days in case the internet quit again. If any thing
> comes to mind as to why this is happening, let me know.
>

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > and see if the NIC works better, I had a USB 2.0card in

> > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[Tom Wade]

Thanks Mike,

Everything was working fine up until supper (microwave), and I have 2 wireless phones that I use from time to time.  There are 2 or 3 unsecured networks somewhere in the neighborhood.  Sooo, after supper, the internet was no longer working.  After reading your post, I changed the channel to 4 (from channel 11).  And taa-daa ... the internet is working again. 

Thanks again for the insight and knowledge that you gave me.