New
#1
Wifi connection problems, tried so many things already.
Hi. This may be quite a long one. I'll start from the beginning.
I got my PC about 5 weeks ago, new, with a clean install of Windows already on it. The discs it came with say "Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit" so I assume that's what I have.
From the start it had problems with the wifi. It would connect, but then randomly disconnect - sometimes I could reconnect right away, other times I would tell it to connect to the network again and it would just take a while and then say "Cannot connect to [Network SSID]". Sometimes instead of this, it would simply not let me connect, saying something like "The settings on this network do not match the ones provided". This would happen whether I had changed the settings or not (sometimes changing security settings seemed to kickstart it into working; sometimes not).
This problem lasts for anywhere to between a minute and an hour. When it starts working again, seemingly randomly, it'll work for anywhere between a minute and a few days.
I tried removing the network in the Manage Wireless Networks screen and connecting again. Sometimes this worked, sometimes not. I tried removing it and then adding it manually, telling it to connect "even if not broadcasting signal". Sometimes this seemed to work, but then it would disconnect a little later again. I tried changing the security settings to WEP or WPA2 AES or WPA2 TKIP. Sometimes it seemed to work, but a lot of the time it didn't. Other times it would just keep telling me the settings were wrong.
I tried a few solutions online, including flushing the DNS and doing something with "winsock". No luck.
I should add that I was able to connect using my iPhone and iPad with no problem, and others in the house have had no issues. I can also use the iPhone as a wifi hotspot with no problems.
I tried updating the drivers, but was told they were up to date. I went to the manufacturer's website anyway and downloaded the most recent one. Installed it. Didn't do anything. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the whole wireless LAN card. No change.
The only thing that seemed to "work" would be repeatedly removing and re-adding the wireless network, or repeatedly changing between AES and TKIP. But this could take tens of attempts, or just one or two - I don't know if this had any real effect or if it was just that I did all that pointlessly, until it suddenly worked again.
At this point I moved house. I thought this would prove whether it was an issue with the router or the computer. The same problems followed me. It would connect happily and then suddenly go through stages of not working at all. The only thing that was the same was that both were BT Homehub 3s. However I haven't found anyone with the same problem, at least so persistent.
Also interestingly, instead of simply telling me "Windows cannot connect to [Network SSID]", it would repeatedly ask me for the network key. However, when I input the correct one (believe me, I checked), it would just tell me there was a "network key mismatch". After a few correct attempts it would connect me to the router but give me "limited access" and no internet connection.
So I decided it must be an issue with my wireless adapter. I bought a new USB one (the old one was an internal card) and tried again. I disabled and uninstalled the old one before adding the new one. At first it seemed to work but then very quickly I came to the same old problems.
It also no longer tells me there's a network key mismatch when it's not working; it just tries to connect for a while, gives up, and then either leaves me disconnected, or tells me the settings don't match the ones provided.
At first it seemed that with the new USB adapter, it would only take one or two TKIP/AES switches to force it to work again but now it seems to be going back to needing several. Again, sometimes it'll work for a day or two and then just disconnect. Other times it'll work for a couple of minutes and then disconnect again.
I have noticed that when I try to access streaming video content - Youtube, On-Demand TV services, other embedded flash videos - it would often trigger a disconnect. But not always, and it would disconnect at other times too. I've also been able to carry out regular downloads at high speeds without it disconnecting straight away.
So: I've switched wireless networks and wireless adapters and yet the same problems are going on. I can't think what it could possibly be. The only other thing I could think to do was reinstall Windows from scratch, but I don't know if that would even change anything, so I obviously don't want to do it unless it's likely to help.
Thanks in advance, if you made it through that!