I periodically run into a problem establishing a wireless connection for my Netgear router and Dell Laptop running Vista. In most of these cases I am locally connected but don't have an internet connection. This improved a bunch when I started chosing a fixed channel, but I still run into the problem occasionally.
My typical solution is to start the Network and Sharing Center -> View Status -> Diagnose and wait for the result. In almost every case the "preferred" selection is to force a new IP address, which virtually always resolves the problem.
How do I just simply force a new IP address without going through the mating dance that I am currently doing?
You can do a repair or use ipconfig to release and renew IP addy, but why did you give up on finding the source of the problem? I would look at interference or a weak signal as probable causes. Both are easy to diag & fix, easier and less frustrating than the mating dance you mentioned.
It definitely isn't the signal (can happen when the router/laptop are only
10' apart in the same room). How would you suggest going about interference diagnosis? My interference diagnosis is just a guess on my part and it isn't that consistent so trial and error is going to be quite difficult (might be
2 days before I see another event or it might be 10 days - who knows). My suspicion is that the source isn't local to my property as I have seen this happen when the microwave wasn't going, radios/TV's/settop boxes were off, fridge wasn't running, etc. FWIW my wife and I both have laptops with identical wireless cards and both have experienced the problem, although it "seems" like she has it less than I do (even though she is typically further away from the router than I am in most cases). But I could be wrong about this since I run my system WAY more than she runs hers, so maybe we are equally susceptible. I need to run this experiment more carefully but we never have the problem simultaneously (but have never run this in a "controlled" manner).
And since I can get a new IP address and run just fine after a "DIAGNOSE" (on the same channel) it seems pretty clear to me that, by then, the problem is gone. I just don't see a good way to go at this one other than maybe build a script that I can run that will force a new IP address.
Thanks.
dave
ps. I have never lost a connection while connected. This always happens when returning after a laptop RESUME or SLEEP event, if that matters here.
Oh yeah, that matters. Going into the properties on the network card and disable the power management features. See if that eliminates the problem, it likely will. Then you can either live with the change (and sacrifice a little battery life) or drive yourself crazy trying to get a driver that actually works.
It is an Intel 4965AGN network card. Ad Hoc power management is turned off as is allowing the device to "wake up" the computer. But the computer is allowed to turn off the device. So I"ll disable this and see if that helps (and also see what the battery life impact is). And heck - haven't updated the driver in 3 months - why not :-)
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