Losing connection between PC and router

[MichaelR]

Hi

We moved earlier this year. The new house doesn't have a telephone socket upstairs (where the computer is) so we went for a wireless connection. This seems to work fine generally although the connection is painfully slow compared to the cable internet connection we had before.

There is a problem, however, in that every so often the connection between the router and the WLAN USB stick is lost. The 'two computers' symbol in the bottom right corner of the screen shows a red cross instead of the globe and when I double-click on it it says that no wireless networks can be found. In other words not only does it not come up with our own router but none of the other possible wireless connections in the neighbourhood (of which there are many) are showing. The only thing that helps is to take the USB stick out, wait a few seconds and then stick it in again. This happens very infrequently: sometimes the connection stays on for an hour, sometimes I have to take the stick in and out every 5 minutes. Needless to say that this is very annoying when I'm downloading something.

Does anyone have a solution for this? As the PC can't find any of the wireless connections I don't think the fault lies with the router but I don't want to spend another £20 for a new USB stick only to find out it's not that either.

Any comment will be much appreciated.

Thanks
Michael

[Admin]

Hi Michael

I had a similar issue a couple of years ago, except I was using a Sony laptop with a built in wireless card, it kept losing the connection with the router, so i bought a new router but the problem still kept occurring!

The problems going to be in one of the following:

1): The router
2): The USB wireless connector
3): The positioning of the devices

- It is easy to check point 3, just move the devices closer together (preferably in the same room) and see if over a period of time the connection is more reliable.

- To check the router see if you can find a friend to bring round a laptop with a wireless card and see if they get intermittent problems too, as if this is the case then it is most likely the router at fault

- To check your USB wireless connector then try using it to connect to another router (either borrow a friends router and do it at your house, or take your USB device and use it at a friends house), If it acts intermittently connecting to a different router then its likely the USB device that is at fault.

These trial and error tests are the only sure fire way of identifying faults. You don't say if the USB device and router are from the same manufacturer as although it technically shouldn't matter if they are not it can sometimes in practice help if they are.

Hope this helps

log in your router and disconnect the upnp.