The "repeater, access point, laptop" TRIANGLE of death (Please help)

[Thekingscrown]

Hello all,

This board comes closest to describing a place where I can post wireless internet problems, so I am going to post it here and hope that someone knows something about REPEATERS, and something about WIRELESS CONNECTIONS. A repeater is essentially an access point for wireless internet.

I am living in Spain for the semester, and the wireless internet infrastructure they have set up here is horrific. It is supposed to reach into the rooms, but it doesn't, so I always had to go into the hall to access the internet, which is annoying as hell.

I researched my own solution to this issue, purchased a Repeater with an Antenna, and connected it to my laptop and set it to the university network settings here. It worked perfectly, but for some reason the wireless connection signal would switch between "Excellent" and "Very good" every now and then, which literally interrupted the connection. This is a problem because to log on to the university wireless, I have to use a logon and password. To LOG OFF, I have to click "log off". If I don't do this and I close the browser along with the "log off" browser box, I won't be able to get data from the network, even though my wireless connection says I am connected.

Thus, I set out to stop my connection from switching to Excellent to Very good. I figured out that the root of this change was in a MSFT service called "Wireless Zero Configuration utility". When I disable this mysterious service, it stops the connection from switching between "Excellent" and "very good". However, there is another problem.

I don't know anything about wireless connections, but for some reason my connection keeps switching between "11 mbps" and "6 mbps" and "2 mbps" and even "1 mbps" sometimes. This also causes a disconnect in my system for some reason, and thus leads to the problems above all over again. Again, I found a solution: If I adjust my wireless card's settings to connect only to "fixed rate high", it stops this change from occuring and it stays at 11 mbps.

Now, all this was great, until yesterday, when my connection freaked out. It couldn't even detect my repeater (the access point) so it didn't see any wireless networks to connect to. I got it running again only by restoring the original zero configuration utility, auto-rate selector (11,6,2,1 etc.), and then disabling the damn zero configuration service. The little icon in my task bar for the wireless connection was flipping out as well, it would keep blinking as though it was trying to find something, but because Wireless Zero was disabled, it couldn't configure 802.11 or whatever.

Anyway, I have stopped changing things. Essentially, I am able to connect now with the zero configuration utility disabled but with my wireless hardware set at "auto-rate" detect. However, the connection ****s out every now and then, which is less than ideal, in fact its annoying as hell.

If ANYONE knows ANYTHING about ANY of these terms, please post the information so that I can rationalize my movements on this issue. I feel like I dont know enough about what mbps are and what the zero utility does to make educated movements to correct the problem. I'm basically using trial and error right now.

Speaking of which, I have kept a log of exactly what has happened since I finally got the connection restored. Maybe this would help people understand, if they would be so kind to read it, exactly what is happening with my computer. It is posted below:

When I restart wireless configuration service, connects to repeater at excellent strength.

Start AIM, no problem.

Disconnected.

Restarted wireless zero utility

nothing happened.

Opened network connections and highlighted wireless connection.

Nothing happened
Searched for wireless connections in range, 3 appeared, then disappeared again.

Highlighted wireless network connection again.

Attempted to connect to a network.

Connected, said there is no signal strength, then switched to ?Wireless network is now connected? to Senfiossur, at excellent strength.

Changed setting of wireless zero config to say ?when fail, take no action? on all three counts.

Logged out of UNi service (this refers to a username and password that auto-pops up in my browser when I first open it. I have to log on to get any data from their access points.)

Logged back in.

Downloaded firmware upgrades for D-Link, over 1 MB of files, worked fine.

Wireless network connection is still highlighted.

Visited GA forum.

Connected for more than has been in the past.

Visit MSNBC.com in original browser, connection fails. Wireless network connection still highlighted.

Restart wireless configuration service.

Nothing happens.

Try to view available wireless networks, nothing found.

Notification: Connection lost to AIM.

Wireless network connection is now connected.

Fails again.

restart wireless zero service

Wireless connection now connected @ excellent.

Attempt to logout of Uni services; fails.

Attempt to log back in to uni services by opening browser. Fails.

Connection still excellent @ 11 MBPS.

Forced to restart because uni services won?t activate.

Didn?t restart, pasted IP of access point

Says I am already logged in already.

Logout thing pops up again, I log out, and then log back in.

Visit MSNBC.com from original browser. Works.

Visit IGNboards.com from original browser (when I say original, I mean the browser I used to input my username and password to log onto the university network, much like what happens when wireless is used in the BSAD UVM school). Works.

Click on link @ IGNBoards, connection fails. Reconnects about 15 seconds later @ signal strength Very Good 11 Mbps.

Refresh link, works. Clink on other link, works again.

Disable wireless Zero service, but DIDNT STOP IT.

Click on link on ignboards, doesn?t load immediately, I wait.

Notification that wireless network is now connected @ excellent strength, 11 mbps

Attempt to log out because connection still isn?t working. Fails.

Close network connections.

Attempt to paste IP address in again, but doesn?t work. Check connection and says connected @ Very good strength now.

Stop wireless Zero configuration.

Forced to restart computer.

After restart connected at excellent strength 11 mbps.

Attempt to login, success.

Visit msnbc.com from original browser. Success.

Login to IGnboards from original browser, success.

Play Nintendo DS while waiting to see if connection fails in irrational amount of time.

Log in to gmail. Success.

While am in Gmail, something happens to the connection. The wireless symbol in the task bar changes to one with an x that flashes as though it is trying to reconnect to the repeater? It finally does after 3 or 4 tries, at excellent 11 mbps strength.

Read an e-mail, checked connection again. Says connected @ 6mbps now. Try to reload gmail, says unable to reach gmail.

Attempt to go to msnbc.com, fails. Connection is still excellent @ 6 mbps.

Attempt to logout of uni services. Fails.

Forced to restart.

After restart, connection connected excellent @ 11 mbps.

Attempt to log on to uni servcies. Fails.


Attempt 3rd time, succeeds [I think after a failure, I might need to wait like 5-10 minutes to retry so that the university system auto-logs me out. Not sure though]. But connection is now 2 mbps. Switched to 11 again.

Msnbc.com access, succeeds.

AIM logs on.

Wait to see what happens....

Still connected 11 mbps excellent

Test AIM, works.

Click on link on msnbc, connection fails for a moment, reconnects immediately, 11 mbps excellent.

Can?t connect to things so tried to logout, failed. Waited a while, assuming system would naturally log me out. It did. Can connect to internet again, but use IP to force the system to open logout box again so I can log back in naturally. Do so. Connection good, 11 mbps excellent again. AIM working, MSN working. Web browser working.

Click on link within ga forum, doesn?t work. Connection switches to very good. Back to excellent. Connection works again and page loads. Swithces to 6 mbps connection. Now 2 mbps. Now 1 mbps. Now back to 11 mbps.

I'm now connected to the internet always at excellent strength it seems, but the mbps switches like a *******. Its all very confusing to me. Again, ANY information on what this sh*t is would be very helpful to me. Thanks....

[Scott O.]

BUT...someone's got to step up so let us begin.

First off, have you considered that maybe some of the issues are not of your own doing? You mentioned early that WLAN coverage is not always reaching into your room as intended. (Key consideration: the coverage changes before you do anything on your client end)

You also mentioned the fluctuation in signal strength (11mps to 6, 2 and 1).

These two things make me wonder if the Access Point that you are trying to attach to, is sound. Is its antenna seated properly, is it placed in an area of changing conditions (metal doors that open and close)?...seemingly mundane things like that can cause issues.

What to do if that is part of the problem? Depends. If you move closer to that AP, does this intermitency go away? How about when you take your laptop elsewhere...do the problems go away? If the answer is "si" then you may have found the trouble.

As for the repeater, if it was attached to and located next to your laptop, it will experience the same badness. Now if it was moved BETWEEN the primary AP (within its high strength signal perimeter) and "repeated" the signal to you in its own (closer to you now) high strength signal perimeter, you might see an improvement.

I am guessing and assuming here so feel free to correct any perception I have of the situation.

Other thoughts/questions/considerations:

I wouldn't worry too much about the Wireless Zero Configuration utility unless you are using a 256 bit WEP key.

When you say you have to "log on to the university wireless", are you actually logging onto to the network (at a device level) or onto a server on the network that would give you data access, mail access etc.?

Wondering about the "excellent" to "very Good" signal strength causing issues...Without sounding too flippant, I would counsel you that "excellent" is well..."excellent" and "very good" is not too shabby either. When I see "Poor", I start to worry, but the number one and two strength levels should not be the thresholds at which one experiences signal strength-related dropouts.

Just a few things to consider. Post back and lets see where this goes. I am hoping Gromit will look in and give his 2 pence worth too.

[Thekingscrown]

Originally Posted by Scott O.

BUT...someone's got to step up so let us begin.

First off, have you considered that maybe some of the issues are not of your own doing? You mentioned early that WLAN coverage is not always reaching into your room as intended. (Key consideration: the coverage changes before you do anything on your client end)

You also mentioned the fluctuation in signal strength (11mps to 6, 2 and 1).

These two things make me wonder if the Access Point that you are trying to attach to, is sound. Is its antenna seated properly, is it placed in an area of changing conditions (metal doors that open and close)?...seemingly mundane things like that can cause issues.

What to do if that is part of the problem? Depends. If you move closer to that AP, does this intermitency go away? How about when you take your laptop elsewhere...do the problems go away? If the answer is "si" then you may have found the trouble.

As for the repeater, if it was attached to and located next to your laptop, it will experience the same badness. Now if it was moved BETWEEN the primary AP (within its high strength signal perimeter) and "repeated" the signal to you in its own (closer to you now) high strength signal perimeter, you might see an improvement.

I am guessing and assuming here so feel free to correct any perception I have of the situation.

Other thoughts/questions/considerations:

I wouldn't worry too much about the Wireless Zero Configuration utility unless you are using a 256 bit WEP key.

When you say you have to "log on to the university wireless", are you actually logging onto to the network (at a device level) or onto a server on the network that would give you data access, mail access etc.?

Wondering about the "excellent" to "very Good" signal strength causing issues...Without sounding too flippant, I would counsel you that "excellent" is well..."excellent" and "very good" is not too shabby either. When I see "Poor", I start to worry, but the number one and two strength levels should not be the thresholds at which one experiences signal strength-related dropouts.

Just a few things to consider. Post back and lets see where this goes. I am hoping Gromit will look in and give his 2 pence worth too.

Scott O. , thank you very much for responding. I don't know if I communicated in my message how annoying this process has been. The internet is like oxygen to me. I know I should enjoy my time in Spain, but to me one can't live without being connected to the world haha.

Strangely I had just begun to consider the mundane issues as I posted the message. The room is set up in a horrific way, I have to put the antenna near the door with the repeater on the floor and my laptop to its right a few feet on my desk. This is because the main AP is deep in the hallway. I am going to test putting the repeater/antenna (they are separate, I purchased an additional antenna that is stronger) right on my desk though. I'm just afraid it won't grab the signal and/or repeat it. I had it SO set in my mind that the repeater would need to be closer to the signal. I'm not sure there is a way for me to put the laptop in the center of them. Thus, the setup is the following:

Main AP way down the hall, antenna near door, repeater between antenna and laptop, laptop deep inside room.


With respect to excellent/very good issues, I wouldn't give a damn about it except it seems to completely cease my connection when it changes. That is....if I'm in the middle of downloading something or a web page, the loading will stop until the signal reverts from very good to excellent. In addition, sometimes I might even have to log back on to the network, which brings me to the answer to your other question.

I access this university's network through a web browser that redirects when I open it. If the connection ceases without me terminating this connection correctly, I feel like the university system forces me to wait like 20 minutes before I can reconnect because I improperly terminated the connection.

In terms of the switching mbps, again, I wouldn't care, but it ceases my connection in the same way that very good to excellent does. It is really weird.

[Thekingscrown]

By the way Scott, one other thing to note is that right now I am happily connected and everything is pretty much great. And I'll tell you I swear its a result of two settings changes I have made since I originally had my problems, although there are still issues:

1. I turned off the damn wireless zero configuration utility.

2. I reconfigured my wireless card so that the "transmit rate" is "fixed high".

Under these changes, its the most stable I have seen it. However, what happened at the beginning of this mess was it was trying to connect and couldn't, so the wireless connection in my task bar was literally blinking. That was the start of this...it had been stable for 5 days before, although I hadn't restarted my computer.

[Scott O.]

With regard to the repeater, try to get it closer to the main AP ...between the main AP and your laptop and if you have an antenna for the repeater that can be remotely located, moving THAT to a spot between your laptop and the main AP will accomplish the same thing.

I am repeating that part because from the sound of your reply, I did not make that clear.

Glad you are working fine now...enjoy your time in Spain...it sounds like a wonderful opportunity to live and learn...very very cool

[Gromit]

Hi TKC

Welcome to our forum, sorry I didn't get to 'put in my 2 pennies worth', I've been away. Hhowever I was also impressed with your post and like Scott said 'wow' about 6 times :o . I hope your connection holds up! Enjoy your time in Spain!


Hey Scott - Thanks for picking this up you're proving to be an excellent help on our forum. Keep up the good work. 8)

Thanks
Gromit

[Thekingscrown]

Originally Posted by Scott O.

With regard to the repeater, try to get it closer to the main AP ...between the main AP and your laptop and if you have an antenna for the repeater that can be remotely located, moving THAT to a spot between your laptop and the main AP will accomplish the same thing.

I am repeating that part because from the sound of your reply, I did not make that clear.

Glad you are working fine now...enjoy your time in Spain...it sounds like a wonderful opportunity to live and learn...very very cool

Scott, the repeater and the antenna are in the middle of the main AP and my laptop. My problem is still that the connection fizzles for a few seconds, which is enough to make the network thhink that I incorrectly logged out. It then takes 20 minutes for me to be able to log back in again. This fizzling occurs often enough that it really decreases my standard of internet. Its really very frustrating. The problem with moving my repeater or antenna any closer to the main AP is that it is a hallway of a dorm, and I can't move it into the hallway because people will take it. Perhaps this is the best I'll be able to make it....