Wireless problems

[74novaman]

We have a linksys wireless router that has been working fine, but in the last few days, developing more and more problems.

Signal strength is good, we can connect to the router, but we're stuck with local access only. This happens on both the GF's laptop with Vista, and my laptop with XP.

I've searched around for an answer and wow, seems like a common problem.

Anyone had a similar situation and actually fixed it? Highly frustrating randomly losing internet. Hitting reset on the router, turning off power to router, disabling and repairing the connection, restarting the computer: Sometimes works, most of the time not.

any ideas?

[AEA]

Try a program called "Network Magic". It can actually reconfigure some Routers as necessary to get things working correctly.

[pbwalker]

Is your router getting a public IP from your ISP? Are you running DSL or Cable internet?

[Texd40]

Have you tried replacing the Ethernet cable that runs between the modem and the router? I was experiencing the same problem as you a couple of weeks back. The quality of the wireless connection would vary from zero to moderately slow, never "blazing fast." At first, I thought the IP server was overloaded, but the slowdown would happen any time of the day or night. I tried the reset routine in Windows, unplugging - plugging back in the cable, using RoadRunner Medic, etc. Finally, as a last resort, I replaced the existing cable that feeds the router from the cable modem with a virtually new cable that came with the Linksys router. When I set up the system a couple of years ago, I used the cable that came with the modem. I think that the cable's wiring/connections must have deteriorated from my moving components around on my desk over two years. After replacing the cable, I haven't had any problems or outages since. Give it a try, it can't hurt.

[lrb111]

Bypass the router and plug directly into the computer. If it works, then your router may have lightning rot. A nearby lightning strike could have started it on the road to quitting.
You mentioned resetting it. Make sure you hold the reset button until the power light is flashing. 8-10 seconds generally.
fwiw, I tell folks 3 or 4 times a week that their Linksys has died. They are simply not as good as they were just couple years ago. Might try a Netgear nest time.

[dicion]

IF it's a newer linksys router, they're all junk.

Go get a WRT54GL, and put DD-WRT on it.

It'll last forever.

If it's an older one, check the DD-WRT website, and see if it's compatible with your router.
It's a replacement firmware that's much, much, much better then the stock firmware.

Warning though: This firmware will let you do things that could damage your router, like cranking the Wireless output power to like, 25dbm lol. So, don't do that!
But overall, it is much more reliable then the stock firmware. Mine has been up since the hurricane, not a single problem, and the only reason it went down then was we had no power for 3 weeks :P Before that, it was running almost 2 years solid without a reboot or anything.