[mctw]

heyy people,

This problem has been bugging me for a while, but its only just clicked to put it on here to see if anyone can help!

I have a Netgear WGT624 v3 wireless router, hooked up to the cable modem that virgin supplied. Due to the location, all of the pcs/laptops run on the wireless, currently that only wired device is my home server, (running eval. copy for now) which is right in the middle of the hallway, and i keep tripping over it, gotta get a longer cable sometime. anyway, i digress.

When copying anything more than 50mb (ish) to the homeserver, or the Netgear NAS drive it replaced, the wireless bombs along pretty quickly, then just stops. usually the connection remains, but no data transfers, even though the software says it is still copying. after closing the software, the pc refuses to see the shared folders on the WHS, or the NAS drive (when it was there).

Ive tried this on several different pcs, with different wireless adaptors. The router is 802.11g+ meaning it does 108mbp/s, and all the pcs in the house have matching speed USB adaptors, though i have tried using other, 54mb ones in the pcs. the laptops run on built in 54mb adaptors.

Sometimes when copying even small files, the connection freezes, then just drops, and windows refuses to see a wireless network until the adaptor has been unplugged and plugged back in again.

Sorry my post is a bit lengthy, but its tried to go into lots of detail. Anyone got any ideas why it does this, and how to fix it? Ive tried plugging a laptop directly into the ethernet, and that works fine. All the wireless pcs/laptops have static IPs, but i have tried using the automatically assigned way as well.

Cheers, MCTW

[philthomas]

Have you checked to see if there is a firmware upgrade for the Router ?

[mctw]

yup, its running on the latest version.

[philthomas]

How about changing the channel on the Router ... trying a few different ones, just in case there's an interference problem .... I imagine you may have already done that though.

[mctw]

yeah i had a go a while back, im just wondering is it the router thats doing it? or is it the pcs, because theyre all on XP SP3, XP doesnt usually have a problem with wireless though does it?

[philthomas]

No ..... in fact SP3 often resolves a lot of Network issues.

I am with Virgin Cable an have used a Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router on mine for several years now and have fitted about 3 others, which all behave well, so if you're thinking of changing, I can recommend thiis model.

I seem to recall reading a year or so back that some Netgear models suffered from overheating issues, but I can't remember the model nos. affected.

[mctw]

I'm on virgin cable also. The router case gets pretty warm, but i wouldnt say it got hot. It is standing vertically though, which might cause heat to gather at the top as theres no air vents, only in the back. it runs 24/7, but i have tried turning it off and back on again before to see if that helped at all (it didnt).

would it be worth turning it of and leaving it for a bit to let it cool right down?

[philthomas]

I doubt it ...... IIRC it was a bit of a dsign fault that caused the overheating, so I guess it will just build up heat again, if that is what's causing it.
The fact that it happens on several PCs, but doesn't happen when you wire directly into one of the ports, does suggest that the wireless side of the router is playing up.
As you have the latest firmware installed, there's not much else you can try really IMO, other than a different router.

[mctw]

i had hoped it wasnt the router, but yeah i see what you mean, theres nothing else that really could be at fault! would master resetting the router be worth a try? havent done that yet as its a pain to loose all my settings.

[philthomas]

I suppose it's worth trying ..... nothing to lose apart from time