Wireless 802.11x Disconnects
- by BillP3rd
I've looked at (and read) all of the similar questions and none of them get exactly to the issue I'm having at home. I have an 802.11g access point (two, actually, with different SSIDs and on different channels). One is an Airlink AR525W. The other is a Linksys WRT54G v.2.
The issue is that at random times, my laptop will lose its wireless connection. This occurs regardless of which access point I'm connected to. When I lose the connection, the affected AP no longer appears in the list of available APs. Also, it doesn't have anything to do with walls or distance. It can happen within 30' and when my laptop is literally within line-of-sight. When it loses the signal, it can take from 10 to 30 minutes to reconnect and it always will without intervention.
I've done all the “standard” things to troubleshoot the problem and it has improved. For example, I surveyed other access points in my vicinity and have selected a different channel for each of my APs that no one else nearby is using. Both APs are configured WPA2/AES. I'm down to wondering [Note: This is not a shopping question. I'm not buying a new AP] if the fact that I didn't drop two bills on my APs and instead opted for more modest solutions has anything to do with it? I've oft wondered why anyone would go for the high-end AP when they didn't have to. Also, I am aware of DD-WRT and have chosen not to go there because only one of my APs is supported.
Oh, and one final thing. It an HP x64 laptop running Windows 7 Ultimate. The wireless interface is an Atheros AR9285 802.11b/g/n WiFi Adapter. All the latest drivers and service packs have been applied. It did the same thing with my old laptop (a Lenovo) so I don't the problem is in the laptop.
It's really annoying when this happens and suggestions of things I haven't thought of or may have overlooked (No, really. As unlikely as it is, I admit that I may have overlooked something :-)) are appreciated.
