Wireless Router caused Strange Problems

My system is running XP Pro SP3 and is connected to Cox high speed cable. My girlfriend has a Gateway lap top with a WiFi card installed and she wanted Internet access. So I went out and purchased a Linksys Wireless-N Broadband Router Model # WRT300N v1.1. I installed it between the cable modem and my computer and everything seemed to be working just fine on the default settings right out of the box. My girlfriend was able to connect right up and download at a speed almost as fast as my computer connected to the cable itself.

Now is when the real fun started. I am not sure how long after I installed the router that I begin to notice I was having some kind Of email problem. My normal day of email would be anywhere from a 100 to 200 emails mostly spam of course. But it was like somebody just shut it off, but there was still a trickle of emails getting through. But when I tried to reply to any of them I never got a response. As far as I knew this was a problem with my provider, but one of there 2nd level techs tested the connection and found no trouble with their Equip. and services and gave it back to me. Said the problem was in my system. I would guess this was about one week after installing the router and I was very distracted with other system problems at the time. Anyway there was nothing on the surface that was pointing to the router as the cause of this. Also at about this time Windows defender started complaining about not getting auto updated. I ignored it for a couple of days then decided to hop over to Windows Update and sse what was up.I found out that I was unable to get any Updates of any kind through the Windows Update site. Kept getting an Error code that Microsoft didn't have any information on. Now I stated to realize I needed help, and that's when my life turned to hell. I would ask anybody to think about how easy getting help is if you don't have a working email. To make a long story shorter, yes this was also being caused by the router, but I wasn't going to know that for about two more months. When I removed the router from the connection, my email started working again and I was able to get updates as if there had never been any problem at all. Sense then I have updated the router firmware and most of my system and device drivers and re-configured the router a half dozen times and It still causes that same problem every time I hook it back up.

If anybody can help me out here, please do. I don't want to call my girlfriend a nag or anything, but I need relief ASAP.

 

hmm.. not an easy problem.. does it give you any kind of error messages? perhap in the event viewer? and you mention other system troubles.. mind explaining those a lil more in detail? may be tied in to the router trouble.. maybe?

 

One quick question. When you connect into the internet do you dial up from your computer or is the router setup to do it for you.

 

I have an always connected Hi-speed cable connection with Cox Communications in Tucson Arizona. Prior to installing the router I was having a fairly sever networking problem that required 2 or 3 weeks to get corrected. However, that wasn't related to the router problem. Let me put the Router problem time scale into a clear perspective for you. I was working on this problem almost every day for close to 3 months before I knew for sure it was the Router that was causing the problem. I spent at least 10 hours + on the phone with Microsoft Tech support on at least 3 different calls and even ended up re-installing Windows XP Pro on a different Disk drive. After all that the problem was still there and nothing had changed about it. I still was not receiving any email and could not get any updates from the windows update site. I was however able to update through Windows catalog site manually. At the time I was so desperate for a working email I was doing everything I could to get signed up on Windows Live Mail. I beat my brains out trying to get that to work, and it just wouldn't, mostly stuck on the automated systems that ask you to detail the problem and send it via email, which I did several times, but never received a response and never found out if my emails got through to them. After about a month of that kind of BS. I found out that all the Microsoft Live products work with and are installed with the Windows Update site. Not having a working email system to respond with is a serious handicap in any troubleshooting effort that involves a support group of any kind. Also, one other thing I didn't mention not only was I not getting my email I also was unable to login to my Cox Web mail account for the entire time that the router was hooked up to the system. I did say that there was absolutely no indication any problems with the router. One thing I did do was view my systems & application logs every day looking for anything that might point to what was causing this problem. Defender was not able to get updated except manually and the time sync program was having long periods of being unable update the system clock. I finally decided I was going to make Cox do something about my email problem or start refunding the money I was paying for that service. As luck would have it I got a 2nd Level that had some experience with the type of problem I was having and he asked me to remove the router and then recheck to see if my problems had cleared up, and yes they had. We then hooked the router back up and all the problems returned just as they were before. Sense then I did the firmware upgrade to the router I downloaded Driver Detective and updated dozens drivers. I re-configured the Linksys router and added strong encryption, then hooked up again and all problems still the same. I am a little short on money or I would get another Router, as it has been suggested that I might have an equipment compatibility problem. My adapters are not made by Linksys. However, I paid $130 for the router and feel they owe me big time for all the hell they put me through. but the complaining girlfriend is starting to ware me down a bit, and I want some better options. Thanks for whatever you can suggest.