losing wireless connection

First timer, real 'Greenie' here... your forum was highly recommended by a friend in NY who thinks Vista might be the problemo. I searched a bunch of posts but didn't see this exact problem...

We have a new HP desktop running Vista OS and Kaspersky AV. Stuck a USB wireless device in it, and have successfully connected wirelessly multiple times to a new Comcast Netgear wireless router, which is hooked directly to another older Gateway running XP. The connection is constantly stable with the hardwired Gateway, and the connection always holds while the HP computer is on. Even though the wireless connection hasn't been lost every time the HP machine is shutdown, shutting down does appear to be a major factor. Today the connection repair wizard can't even re-establish the connection, which has worked every time in the past. I don't recall running any installation disks in the HP for the wireless device or router.

Happy New Year!

 

Welcome aboard 80columncard!

Man, you got shipped to the basement from the "NEW" Welcome Center message board faster than Uncle Sam sent you to Nam after AIT. Maybe even faster! The OLD Welcome Center must have been a real Stalag. rolleyes

Maybe networking isn't a popular topic here, ya think?
Or no one knows the answer.

Try using uninstall hardware and then pull the LinkSys USB device out of the computer, then uninstalling any software you initially installed from the LinkSys disk. Then shutdown both computers, then the router and then the modem. Plug the modem back in, then the router, then turn on both computers. Insert the disk in the HP that came with the LinkSys USB wireless device, making sure to follow the directions "for Vista installations" and follow the install wizard prompts, reinserting the LinkSys device when told to do so.

Good luck, and Happy New Year to you too brother!
MadMinute :major

 

did u put the right security passphrase.

 

Not sure I understand either post #1 or post #2 here.

What are the wifi settings on the Netgear?
What are the wifi settings on the Vista pc?
When you get loss of connection what do the lights show on the netgear?
What error messages does the Vista pc display?
Have you patched the Netgear software at all?
Has this netgear router ever run reliably with a wifi receiver?

 

Thanks for the questions everyone....
Just spent another 6 hours getting reliable connectivity on that new computer. About midway through today's waterboarding session I noticed all the open ethernet slots on the back of the wireless router, went out and bought a 25-ft ethernet cable, hooked it up, still had problems connecting, called into Comcast support, spent another hour with the tech getting that connection to work. FINALLY!

Someday, when we have a laptop running XP with built-in wireless in that same room, I may be able to answer the rest of the questions posed by studiot. By the way, if you call Comcast with any Netgear issues, they send you off to foreign-hell-tech-support. Talk about double frustration!!

Today's session made me wish I wasn't running a couple critical programs that chain me to PC's because I'm ready to convert to a MAC. I also learned that technology is getting worse, not better... kind of like the federal tax code, which I have to deal with next. :confused
Not to worry, all the sharp objects are all still sequestered.

If Major Moderator so wishes, s/he can now remove this thread.
Over & Out :major

 

Comcast servers have known issues with IE7.
There's plenty about it on the net.