Setting up wireless internet...

[bassist31588]

I just bought and installed a wireless PCI card for my PC. I get a signal and about every hour or so I lose the signal and have to reconnect? I know I'm being awfully vaque, but where should I start? I have it set to reconnect automatically, but it doesnt, i have to do it manually. It's just annoying. I plugged my network cable back up because I just cant tolerate losing connection for no reason?

[zachoff]

 

Originally posted by bassist31588 I just bought and installed a wireless PCI card for my PC. I get a signal and about every hour or so I lose the signal and have to reconnect? I know I'm being awfully vaque, but where should I start? I have it set to reconnect automatically, but it doesnt, i have to do it manually. It's just annoying. I plugged my network cable back up because I just cant tolerate losing connection for no reason?

 

 

Is it your wireless network or one of your neighbor's? On my wireless modem, there's a setting that re-generates the encryption key every set number of minutes. It should re-connect but sometimes mine does this too. I think you can set it up to 270 minutes or something.

 

Also, wireless g has a hard time with WPA-PSK encryption, so if you're using that, use something else. I just use 64bit.

 

How's your signal strength? Maybe get an extender access point if it's weak.

 

Finally, if anyone else's network or phone (2.4gHz) is on the same channel as you it will cause problems.

 

Hope that helps.

[bassist31588]

My own network, but I know close to nothing about it. The signal strength should be fine, nothing gets in the way...

 

ahh...

[fastplant]

My wireless does this too, never really thought much about it, but it gets annoying once in a while. How do you go about setting it for longer intervals?

[zachoff]

You should just be able to log into the router config... Normally it's 192.168.0.1 & from there you can configure pretty much everything. The setting for key regeneration should be somewhere in the security section.

[lug]

Run without security. Don't you want to help the less fortunate have wireless internet access?

[SteveyDevey]

Originally posted by lug Run without security. Don't you want to help the less fortunate have wireless internet access?

I do.

[bassist31588]

If I turn off security, how will this affect people being able see my information? Secure webpages are still secure webpages? My house is isolated enough that noone cant really park in fornt of my house and get internet acces from the street... Are there any privacy concerns? Also, I keep windows firewall settings disabled. Under what circumstances should I 'not'?

[zachoff]

 

Originally posted by bassist31588 If I turn off security, how will this affect people being able see my information? Secure webpages are still secure webpages? My house is isolated enough that noone cant really park in fornt of my house and get internet acces from the street... Are there any privacy concerns? Also, I keep windows firewall settings disabled. Under what circumstances should I 'not'?

 

 

If you turn off security, anyone can get on your network. Secure sites are still secure sites, but it's easier to sniff on a wireless network so be careful. You'd be surprised how far some networks travel... Wireless G+ is 700 feet (2 1/3 football fields), so you're probably not as isolated as you think. Windows firewall protects just your PC. Hackers are weak as {censored} & basically just want to eff things up for people so if someone does get on your network and you don't have firewall turned on, chances are you'll get hacked & eventually have to rebuild your machine. FWIW, I'd turn on security and firewall unless you're gaming IP style.

[HORSE]

just buy a mac. it will figure all that stuff out for you. I just got a wireless card for my powerbook. I turned it on and turned on my router, and voila, wireless internet!

[zachoff]

Originally posted by HORSE just buy a mac. it will figure all that stuff out for you. I just got a wireless card for my powerbook. I turned it on and turned on my router, and voila, wireless internet!

 

I won't speak for 31588, but I don't play with kid's toys.

[bassist31588]

Originally posted by HORSE just buy a mac. it will figure all that stuff out for you. I just got a wireless card for my powerbook. I turned it on and turned on my router, and voila, wireless internet!

 

Yea, I'm sure MAC's are great and I was thinking of getting one... I just bought a PC like 3 months ago and upgraded to double the RAM and put a new $200 video card inside my machine for gaming... One thing about the MAC's is you can't upgrade parts I hear, nor build them from scratch like you can with PC's? I like the idea that my PC is upgradeable even after putting upgrades in it:).

[hammer744]

 

Originally posted by HORSE just buy a mac. it will figure all that stuff out for you. I just got a wireless card for my powerbook. I turned it on and turned on my router, and voila, wireless internet!

 

 

Still un-secure.

 

Default router configs do not have encryption or basic security turned on. Any current intel PC will do what you have done. Security involves setting up encryption keys, stopping the broadcast of the router SSID (if it supports that), restricting access by wireless card MAC address.

[Acephalous]

What OS do you use?

My WiFi PCI card doesn't work very well with Windows 2000. With Windows XP, all runs fine.

[bassist31588]

 

Originally posted by Acephalous What OS do you use? My WiFi PCI card doesn't work very well with Windows 2000. With Windows XP, all runs fine.

 

 

XP

[chugheshc]

you might have to change your broadband modem over to bridge mode if you are using some dsl providers, personally I would damn sure turn on at least wep security.

cheers

C>