OT: Wireless Network Issues Driving me Mad(der)
maraich
Posts: 492
About 2-3 months ago I switched from COX to CenturyLink for my interenet provider. They brought in their own modem/router combo thing - a PK5001Z. Everything has been peachy until about last week. Then I started getting slow response time, my printer wouldn't stay connected to the network, and then I started getting frequent drops on my laptop. Did all the usual - shut down everything, unplugged everything, waited and then brought everything back up. The printer would reconnect for a while, but then would drop again later. Speed and connection integrity stayed iffy on the laptop. Contacted CenturyLink on multiple occasions and we have now done the following:
1) Swapped modem/router out with a different one
2) Tried shutting down everything except one wireless item at a time and that didn't improve things
3) Changed channel from 6 to 11 and then to 3
4) Put printer on a static IP address
The signal shows as very strong - full bars. It may be my imagination, but it appears the connection issues get much worse around 2200. I generally have to shut down my computer at that time because I can't even load a page or send an e-mail. Everything times out. But even during the day I have trouble connecting to online game patch servers, and downloading new 3D stuff is massively slow, even when it doesn't stall entirely.
The one computer that is hardwired to the modem doesn't have any issues. It's strictly the wireless devices (laptop, printer, upstairs computer and Kindles) that are having problems.
CenturyLink says the next step is to swap out the modem/router with a different model. I'm not seeing where that will fix the problem since the current model worked fine until a week ago. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
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Comments
Does CenturyLink offer non-gateway devices, as in just a modem and not a combo modem/router? If they do, switch to that and try using a separate router. If it still occurs with that method, then there's something in your area interfering with your signal.
Chances are their wifi signal is 2.4Ghz, which even a microwave or a refrigerator can interfere with. I use a dual band router and set our media devices (namely tv/bluray player) to the 5Ghz band (shorter range, but no interference from 2.4 devices) with everything else on 2.4Ghz.
Did you buy any new appliances or did something change just prior to your wifi issues starting?
Also, walls. How many walls are between the wifi devices and the modem/router? Are they ok when in the same room?
I don't know if they offer a separate modem, but it is something I can ask about.
The printer is about three feet away from the modem on the same desk. The laptop is on the dining room table with only a partial wall separating it from the modem. The computer upstairs is directly above the modem with a floor in the way. The Kindles are wherever the person is sitting at the time of usage. All of these things had no issues until "whatever" changed.
We have not added any new appliances and there is no construction going on in the house, so there are no new walls, clutter or tools.
Do you have any neighbors you could check with to see if they're having a wifi issue as well?
The other idea is that the replacement modem/router you got may just be a lemon and have a bad wifi antenna. The simplest would probably be to replace it again before spending cash on a separate router you may not need.
I just went through this crap myself, except hardwired pcs were falling victim as well. It seems to have been my main drop outside that was at fault (I don't think this can single out wifi devices, though).
Yeah, the first thing I was hoping was that it was from CenturyLink to the house, but the hardwired computer eliminates that. They say they don't see anything going awry on their end.
I don't actually speak to my neighbors - didn't know people did things like that. (smile) If I see the chap across the street I suppose I could attempt to engage him in a brief conversation. When I bring up the available connections on my machines I see a good 5-10 at any given time, so odds are everyone in the area is running a WiFi connection.
It might be time to call a tech out, and have them bring another box while they're at it. I think someone needs to physically be there to see what's going on and figure it out.
/edit
Question, do any of the lights on your modem go out when your wifi devices are having issues?
I completely agree with you - it's time for a tech. I've taken several screen shots of what I'm seeing in case he gets there and the bloody thing refuses to act up with him watching.
No, the lights all look perfectly fine. No weird colors, nothing shutting off.
I'll pester CenturyLink into sending someone out to look things over.
Thank you for the help. I was hoping I'd missed something that would magically fix everything, but it sounds like I've done all that I can.
Have you tried disconnecting the modem from the line .....wait a few minutes and reconnect it,? I have to do that at least once a month,cause everything slows down so bad .....my son is a computer trouble shooter and suggested it,after I called him cause I was fed up with the company telling me they couldn't find a problem on their end ....I was having the same issues you are.
The modem was disconnected from everything when I swapped out for the new modem. Thank you, though, I'm happy for any and all suggestions.
I've experienced a similar (but maybe totally different) problem in the past. When we moved to our current home, my provider set up their onhouse modem instead of my own, and ever since i had frequent connection drops although signal strength was always good.
Tried everything to no avail, until i read an article somewhere on my provider's modem. Turned out the connection was unstable when TKIP encryption was used, which was the default setting on that modem. I changed it to PSK encryption and my wireless connection has been solid as a rock from that day forward.
Might be worth a shot...
Well that's certainly worth taking a look at. I'll check it out tonight when I get home from work. Thanks!
How many devices use WiFi in the house?
Do you have a wireless telephone in the house? I had a customer that had nagging WiFi problems until they changed phones at different frequency.
Can you turn off the built-in wireless device on your computer and substitute a USB one temporarily? You might have a blathering (i.e. erroneously and sporadically transmitting causing interference) WiFi transceiver somewhere in the system. If possible wire your printer directly with a USB cable and turn off the printer's WiFi circuits. See if the problem goes away.
Are you sure all the WiFi transceivers in the system are using the same transmission modes? Letting them automatically default to self configuration or into a multi-mode might not be completely compatible. Try finding a lowest common denominator mode and set them manually. (good task for a boring winter's weekend) 8-o
Can you try turning off encryption for a while? Some devices have trouble with WPA2. Back off to WPA or even eliminate encryption altogether.
However, since you indicated that at one time the system worked OK, then something's changed. It's either outside interference, hardware malfunction, or system configuration changes (including device location or a new row of books or file cabinet in the way).
I will try hooking the printer up with a cable, that will be easy enough.
The computer(s) upstairs both use WiFi dongles and they too are affected, so I don't think it's an internal issue with the computer's native WiFi (only the laptop is using that).
I will definitely investigate the phone situation. I noticed hiss on one of the phones the other day and that made me a wee bit suspicious. A friend dropped off some DSL filters today at my job and I'll try those out too.
Thanks so much for all of the excellent advice. I have more things to try now and that makes me feel less helpless.
Ah! DSL. Yep, if you don't have a properly functioning DSL filter on each and every wired phone in the house you are very likely to have problems.