Wireless disconnect on its own

Hi there!

Very nice forum, I often find answers to my problems in here. For a change, I could not, so I've registered to post you my issue

I'm connected through a wireless card to a wireless router (wpa2). In the beginning, I tryed to manage let the card program manage the connection (I have a TP_LINK Wireless N adapter card) and could not get connected. Being a normal man, I've checked the instruction manual afterward, and it was indicated that the only way the card would work was to leave Windows manage the wireless nethwork. When checked the option, the connection started working instantly. yay!

Few days later, I started to loose connection from time to time, but as my connection is set to automatic, it always ended up connecting back after few seconds. I knew mostly because when I came back to my pc, I had a popup telling me that the connection was lost, and the connection was fine (so already reconnected). Sometimes I was there and witnessed the few seconds connection loss. Anyway.

Lets say 10 days ago, even tho the signal strength is fine, I lose connection more often, and the funny thing, dispite the fact that the connection is supposed to be automatic, it didn't reconnect on its own all the time. From time to time, I had to go to start=>connections=>wireless=>show available networks=> choose mine that is there, (first one by priority, tagged as automatic) click it, hit connect (the key/password are already there). Since the last few days, I have to reconnect manually all the time.

As it been happening more and more whenever I don't reboot for 3 days+. Even rebooting every 1 or 2 days, it happens few times/day. Anyone has a clue what migth be my problem? What'S causing it? The router as been rebooted 2 or 3 weeks ago, at which frequency should it be rebooted? I heard that when someone try to hack a nethwork all the wireless automatically disconnect, should I be worryed?

Thank you!
Jef!
ps.: I hope i didn't make too much mistakes, my first language is french

 

Welcome to Majorgeeks, Jef. I didn't have any problems understanding your issue, your English is fine.

I would start with going to the website for your wireless card and seeing if there is an updated driver. For the router, i would see if changing the encryption level helps. Try using WEP as a test. It is not as secure so if it makes no difference in your connection, change it back to WPA2.

Is there only one device on wireless? I would be curious if there are other devices that have this issue. That would tell you which device is disconnecting, if it's the router or the computer.

As for rebooting the router, I haven't rebooted mine in months and generally don't reboot it very often.

 

Hi again. Sorry about the double post, I couldn't find an edit post function.

I read the instruction manual again, it'S not in the manual that it was written to let windows configurate the wireless network, I probably read that on a forum after I tryed unsuccesfully to connect while tp link wireless client utility was configurating the wireless network. Since it worked after I checked the option "let windows configurate the wireless network", I didn't touch anything afterward.

Anyway, I just noticed that I have 2 icons related to wireless in my tray. One from windows, the other one from TP link. They both show signal strength. The TP link always shows a Good signal strength, but the windows one always says that the signal is faible(weak, 2/5) most of the time and sometimes très faible(very weak, 1/5).
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/3949/winvstp.jpg
Is it normal that I have both icons? Maybe it's just a conflict between 2 programs trying to do the same job?

 

Thank you handigal for your time.

As your answer was not posted when I started to write my 2nd post, here's the answer to your question: There is another device on the wireless network, a laptop, and I never had this kind of issue with it.

 

I have a few computers that show icons for both windows and the brand software, it seems that one will take over and the other is just reporting.

Can you get better signal than 1/5 on the wireless? Move the wireless router higher, away from other wireless devices, cordless phones? If you are in an older building with brick and plaster walls you might get better signal if you can move the wireless closer to a doorway.

If Windows is controlling your device and is only getting 1/5 bars, you might be dropping offline. The signal will auto-reconnect and it will look to you like it only paused or slowed down.