I've run into a really annoying issue with my Toshiba laptop running Windows 7. It uses the Realtek 8192E wireless NIC.
I recently (in January) ditched my WRT610N router for a Netgear WNDR3700. The WRT610N got hit by a surge in December, and started losing its settings every few days, and needing to be reconfigured from scratch every few days. I'd had it for two years, and never been satisfied with range or speed.
Netgear worked fine at first. I tested it with my desktop machine, which is connected wirelessly (and runs Windows 7) and with my laptop which also runs Windows 7 and connects wirelessly.
A few weeks ago, the laptop started having weird problems.
Intermittently (every 30-60 seconds) a little yellow exclamation mark would appear over the bars showing internet strength, and the laptop wouldn't be able to access *anything*. Then, the exclamation mark would go away, and I'd be able to use it...then 60 seconds later, it would be back, and I'd lose connectivity again.
When it's working, it's slow......it's dropped from getting speeds of about 38 Mbps for file transfer to about 500 Kbps.
Further, consistently, since the problem started occurring, my wife has run into an issue where if she tries logging into Facebook, the laptop will just sit there and read and read and read, but never get in. We can walk away, come back 15 minutes later, and the little icon for IE is still spinning, telling us it's still trying to load the page. Same thing with logging into Toys R Us.ca. Oftentimes, if we try going to those sites, the wireless connection will drop. The exclamation point appears, and refuses to go away, and if we disconnect and reconnect, it won't reconnect. Only way to connect is to reboot.....then the problem just starts happening all over again.
I took a look, and logged into my own profile on the laptop, and the problem also occurred there.
So, I tried installing Windows 7 SP 1. Same problem. I then upgraded the firmware for the router to the latest. Same problem. So, I did a Windows Restore, and then tried installing SP 1 all over again. Problem persists.
I tested from my desktop machine, which is connected wirelessly to the router. Facebook, Toys R Us and everything else load perfectly. Never disconnects.
So, I unboxed an old laptop we were throwing out, that still has a wireless G card on Windows XP, and we tried it, and it connects perfectly to the router. Never disconnects, and accesses Facebook and Toys R Us fine. Speeds are also fine.
I tried disabling the wireless NIC on the laptop, and connecting the laptop to the router via LAN cable. Works fine. Then unplugged, turned wireless on again, and problem came back.
At that point, I thought maybe it was an indicator the wireless NIC on the laptop was faulty/going. For a last check, I brought the laptop with me to the local Starbucks, and connected to the Bell Hotspot. Works fine. Facebook and Toys R Us work perfectly. Doesn't disconnect. Speeds are fine.
Bring the laptop home 20 minutes later, disconnection problems start up again, and can't get onto Facebook or Toys R Us.
Any ideas as to what could be going on here? It's almost like for the first 30 days I had the new router, everything worked perfectly. After about 50 days, all of a sudden, that one specific laptop just doesn't want to "play nice". Other computers work fine with that router. That laptop works fine with other routers. It just seems to not like *my* router all of a sudden.
Pleb5919
I recently (in January) ditched my WRT610N router for a Netgear WNDR3700. The WRT610N got hit by a surge in December, and started losing its settings every few days, and needing to be reconfigured from scratch every few days. I'd had it for two years, and never been satisfied with range or speed.
Netgear worked fine at first. I tested it with my desktop machine, which is connected wirelessly (and runs Windows 7) and with my laptop which also runs Windows 7 and connects wirelessly.
A few weeks ago, the laptop started having weird problems.
Intermittently (every 30-60 seconds) a little yellow exclamation mark would appear over the bars showing internet strength, and the laptop wouldn't be able to access *anything*. Then, the exclamation mark would go away, and I'd be able to use it...then 60 seconds later, it would be back, and I'd lose connectivity again.
When it's working, it's slow......it's dropped from getting speeds of about 38 Mbps for file transfer to about 500 Kbps.
Further, consistently, since the problem started occurring, my wife has run into an issue where if she tries logging into Facebook, the laptop will just sit there and read and read and read, but never get in. We can walk away, come back 15 minutes later, and the little icon for IE is still spinning, telling us it's still trying to load the page. Same thing with logging into Toys R Us.ca. Oftentimes, if we try going to those sites, the wireless connection will drop. The exclamation point appears, and refuses to go away, and if we disconnect and reconnect, it won't reconnect. Only way to connect is to reboot.....then the problem just starts happening all over again.
I took a look, and logged into my own profile on the laptop, and the problem also occurred there.
So, I tried installing Windows 7 SP 1. Same problem. I then upgraded the firmware for the router to the latest. Same problem. So, I did a Windows Restore, and then tried installing SP 1 all over again. Problem persists.
I tested from my desktop machine, which is connected wirelessly to the router. Facebook, Toys R Us and everything else load perfectly. Never disconnects.
So, I unboxed an old laptop we were throwing out, that still has a wireless G card on Windows XP, and we tried it, and it connects perfectly to the router. Never disconnects, and accesses Facebook and Toys R Us fine. Speeds are also fine.
I tried disabling the wireless NIC on the laptop, and connecting the laptop to the router via LAN cable. Works fine. Then unplugged, turned wireless on again, and problem came back.
At that point, I thought maybe it was an indicator the wireless NIC on the laptop was faulty/going. For a last check, I brought the laptop with me to the local Starbucks, and connected to the Bell Hotspot. Works fine. Facebook and Toys R Us work perfectly. Doesn't disconnect. Speeds are fine.
Bring the laptop home 20 minutes later, disconnection problems start up again, and can't get onto Facebook or Toys R Us.
Any ideas as to what could be going on here? It's almost like for the first 30 days I had the new router, everything worked perfectly. After about 50 days, all of a sudden, that one specific laptop just doesn't want to "play nice". Other computers work fine with that router. That laptop works fine with other routers. It just seems to not like *my* router all of a sudden.
Pleb5919
My Computer
- OS
- Windows 7 64-bit
- CPU
- AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black 3.20 GHz
- Motherboard
- ASUS M4A79TXTD Evo
- Memory
- 4 GB DDR3
- Graphics Card(s)
- ATI EAH5770 Cu
- Sound Card
- Onboard sound
- Monitor(s) Displays
- Samsung 931BF, Samsung PX2370
- Hard Drives
- Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 500 GB hard drive.
Western Digital 7200RPM 1 TB hard drive.
- PSU
- Antec EarthWatts 650
- Case
- Antec Three Hundred
- Cooling
- 7 fans (2 front, 1 top, 1 back, 1 side)
