Router Question?

Hey Guys,
I have a wired/wireless Belkin router. It keeps dropping internet connectivity. There's my mother's Dell and My Dell Desktop plugged in through wire and my brother's Dell Desktop connected wireless. (Along with a PS3 and Wii) Could anyone help direct me in ways of diagnosing/fixing this problem please? I should mention it's a few years old(Not sure how many though).
It just seems to do it randomly.
Thanks,
Spock96

 

Let's back up a bit Spock96.
Are all connected devices (wired and wireless) losing their connection at the same time? If so, what are the lights on the router indicating - everything out or not synced except power light?
What is the modem doing at this time? Is it still up and synced?
If the modem is out also, call your ISP for line/signal troubleshooting.
If the modem is all good, try a firmware upgrade on the router if it is available.
You might want to update NIC drivers also at this time if there are any available.

 

The 3 computers lose their connection at the same time yes.
Will have to check the lights next time it does it(it's set on top of my mother's tower in the desk. Kinda hard to get too

I'm not quite sure what you are asking.

I looked on The Belkin site for an update but I couldn't find anything. Under the Utilities Section of the router there is "Firmware Update" will that update it or just let me know if there is an update available?

One all 3 correct? (Sorry Noob question here.)

 

What does inSSIDer show for how many other APs are around, and conflict on the channel that the router is on, at your mom's? Also, where is the router placed? I have my wife's grandmothers sitting on the floor under a end table, and have no problem with her getting connection. If you have your mom's buried behind a computer desk, or entertainment center, try getting it up higher on top, and point the antenna's straight up.

Also, there are just some routers that are not really any good. You may end up having to swap out for another router. The Netgear N series are a little better, Linksys is okay. If anything, it is more of a trial and error to find one that fits your needs. If you have a mom and pop computer shop in your town, talk to them. Also, it could just be a bad wifi nic in the computer that she has. If it is guests having problems connecting to just her's, then it could be a bad router.

 

I haven't gotten around to getting inSSIDer yet.
My mother's computer is set-up on the desk we have, mine is set-up at the end of the desk and my brother's is across the room. The desk has a cabinet space for the tower in which her tower's in and the router is in there placed atop the tower. We all lose connection when it does this. It's worked fine for the past few years back there.

 

Move the router as I stated before, on top of the desk, Even better, just hook the two that are on the same desk as the router, directly to the router with cat-5e patch cords. Six to ten foot should work fine. Then just have yourr brother either use wifi, or run some ethernet to his, if it is not a laptop.

 

Ok, Thank you I'll look into doing that.
One more thought on this. It's been back there for like 3 or 4 years now and it's been fine up till now. Why all of a sudden would it start doing this?

 

If you have two machines on the same desk as the router, just wire them with cat-5e. As for the other across the room, you can either do the same, or just use wifi, if you do not want to run cat-5e along the baseboard. As for the router, get it up on top of the desk, and yes routers can start going bad after 3 to 4 years. It is just the nature of the beast.

 

I had one go bad, I think, because of heat sitting on top of my modem. There's no way I can prove it yet the same router model has been working perfectly since. I do mean HOT! Like 100F at least.

 

Thanks guys. I'll look into moving it sometime soon.