Wireless connection driving me crazy.

If multiple machines fail to connect to the same AP, which a reboot of the AP fixes, then I can't see how it can be anything other than an issue with the AP. Latest firmware on the AP? Tried another AP? If you still suspect XP, try booting of a linux live CD and check the wireless from that.

But that isn't the only fix. Switching on the Dell often allows the Lenovo to connect.

When I had the Dlink the Lenovo just about always connected but the Dell would usually connect only if logged in with my wife's non-admin credentials but then would fail when I logged in with admin credentials. A repair would usually fix that.

Can't find it.

As stated in original post and above two out of two AP's have given problems.

Good thought.

Irrespective of that neither of the C&W ADSL Modems have had good reviews.

"This router has a mind of its own and only chooses to work when it wants to, not when you want it to. In order for it to work you have to switch it on and off a number of times before the green light remains on, otherwise it will just flash and switch off, and you will not be able to conect to the internet. Thus on average it takes me 20 minutes from when i decide to go online before i can actually connect to the internet.

Also, it goes through these bizarre mood swings when it won?t send out a signal even though it appears to be plugged in and switched on... For example, you can be surfing the net and all of a sudden you will lose your wireless connection and the computer will tell you no wireless networks are in range. It then takes about 40 minutes of restarting the thing before it works again."

I would try and borrow another AP. Given that these models are several years old and do not appear to have access to any firmware upgrades I would be looking to replace them. When you used "Netstumbler" did you check to see if there were any other Channels in use that might cause an intermittent failure?

I won't disagree with the reviews. I ended up with 2 units, one I use as the ADSL router. That is fairly solid and has been for a couple of years except the wireless side died. Having said that I'm in a 'remote' village and the router is hardly being pushed at 1 Mbit/s if we are lucky.

The other is the one that this post refers to, though I have never had to do more than a reboot.

There is a neighbour a few houses down who also uses Channel 1. The signal is pretty weak.

Any recommendation for a solid adsl/wireless router + switch? I would be buying two, one for use as the ADSL router, one for use as the AP point, but the AP would serve as a backup for the main ADSL connection.

Thanks

Just get rid of the piece of shit C&W router and be done with your troubles. Honestly, routers are cheap these days, replace it with something else and move on.

What is "piece of shit C&W" that you got rid of?

To be hornest, I agree with you that router is dirt cheap these days, and I got the one recommend by some experts here. My Buffalo works pretty nice except I can connect more than 1 wireless.

Yes, I have (at least I tried) setting it to allow I don't remember 10-60 connections even we only have 5 notebooks, but just can't connect to more than one wireless.

And I am thinking about replacing it with the LinkSys that many experts here bitching about Linksys. But at least it works with my nephews and cousin.

i have to wonder what you mean by "one wireless"... do you mean wireless NETWORK, wireless DEVICE, wireless etc?

if you happen to mean wireless DEVICES (like notebooks) thats a pretty sure sign you have the dhcp server turned off, if you happen to mean wireless NETWORKS, there are very few clients that connect to/share multiple wireless networks at the same time

rule of thumb, reset it to factory defaults, turn off any firewalls on your computer, and see if it works BEFORE you changed it

Wireless network! I have tried just about everything but just no go, I Google for the answer but don't find the answer to the similar problem.

- I have reset to factory several times

- I tried without firewall

- It never work before, or the problem has been going on for years.

Hmm, some more clarification needed, I think. By 'network', do you mean you want more than one SSID on your AP [virtual access points], or do you mean that you want to use it as a client-bridge to more than one other wireless network? The latter is an unusual requirement [to say the least] but if it's possible with the Buffalo hardware you have then DD-WRT should let you do it. The former is easy enough, certainly with DD-WRT.

I mean I have

- Wireless router connected to Win7 (new build) and WinXP and Vista before that. As I have mentioned that the problem has been going on for years

- I have 2 desktops connected (wired) to the wireless router.

- We have 4 notebooks with wireless network capable, and the WII.

And I just can't be able to connect more than ONE laptop, or laptop and Wii. I don't want anything else but be able to have more than one laptop access to internet at same time like it supposes to.

Say I have laptop A, B, C, D. If

A = connected then B,C, and D can't

B= connected then A,C, and D can't

D=connected then A,B, and C can't.

The laptops are Toshiba, Dell, HP, Sony, and the Wii.

When the Toshiba was running Windows Vista, I can have 2 laptopns connected to internet *if* I connect any of other laptop first then the Toshiba 2nd. But it no longer work with Win7

And all laptops have no problem with other wireless network (from school, friend, public).

are you by any chance using profiles or duplicated mac id's or forcing a certain port #? sure sounds like they are getting port assignments ok from other wireless networks, but on yours it's only getting the same one (or it's overriding the one handed out and using one that conflicts with one already assigned)

you may want to try each one (connect and do the equivalent of start/run/command ipconfig /all

Besides trying to get the router working, I don't know much about network to change whatever factory and default setting. And because of the issue I have with the current Buffalo wireless router for 2-3 years (?) I only tried to change few small things like

- Different security option that doesn't help

- Increasing the number of connection (like 30-40+?) lot more than I really need that doesn't help.

- And as I have mentioned that I have been using the same Buffalo wireless router WHR-HP-G54 (about time to upgrade to N speed?) on several different motherboards and Windows (from Win98, WinXP, and now Windows 7). Many different versions of firewall, as well as I tried without firewall. None helps either.

- Since none of the laptops having problem connecting to other wireless network (like in school, other house, public, other privated network, in and out of USA), and nobody in my family knows much about networking so we don't change the factory setting of the laptops.

- About the INCONFIG, only to the desktop with the Buffalo router, I have tried to RESET (or renew whatever) several times and that's about all I did. I don't know much about IP/Port address but whatever automatically, and NOT the laptops cuz they don't have any problem with other networks.

What type of 'port' are you talking about here?

I've got one of those in the office with DD-WRT on and it works great.

Me? I don't know anything about "port" so I never said anything about port. It seems like you made a wrong quote (from Peter Pan may be?)

I have no problem with SINGLE wireless connection, speed, and usually have the MAX bar. As I said the only problem I have is connecting more than one wireless computer.

Since I don't know much about wireless router, I have been thinking of getting the Linksys WRT160N Ultra RangePlus often onsale for around $55-60. But I have read both possitive and negative about most Linksys models.

IOW, I don't know which one telling the true, which one misleading. And I don't find many people saying much about connecting more than one wireless system.

No, not you, hence the "Peter Pan ... wrote:" bit.

Such are the perils of mass-market products. There are always going to be as many opinions as there are people who own said product.

I suspect the reason you don't find people asking about this is because it's very unusual to find an AP that only accepts one station at a time, even after factorying it.

I suppose when I said the WHR-HP-G54 'works great' for me I should have mentioned that includes having more than one station associated, for the avoidance of doubt.

Actually this is the first time I read someone mention about being able to have more than one wireless system connected to it.

Actually I was able to (as I have mention) if I allow other laptops like the Dell, HP, Samsung connected first, then the Toshiba. And it worked fine this way until I upgraded the Toshiba from Windows Vista to Windows 7 then it no longer work.