Wireless problem/new problem?

[mustpost]

Here's a new one for me..
Friend has Netgear wireless router, laptop downstairs, works OK.
Then...not works, no wireless network avail etc. Router/modem OK on ethernet cable tho'.
I make sure laptop drivers OK, I check his laptop in my house wirelessly, OK.
Still no work in his house.
Check his router with my laptop, no signal..

So before he buys a new router, I take mine and plug it in (in his room),
Now my laptop says no network.....
All still works perfectly in my house..

So - is he being jammed/blocked? -it's a detached house in a rural location, however there is a rumour that a neighbour 200yds away had a lot of BT Business vans around some time ago.

Searching pprune for an electronic smog expert

[airborne_artist]

So - is he being jammed/blocked? -it's a detached house in a rural location, however there is a rumour that a neighbour 200yds away had a lot of BT Business vans around some time ago.

No, he's not, and jamming wireless signals, whether regulated (eg mobile phones) or unregulated (eg WiFi) is an offence. 150m is about/possibly above the limit for WiFi from an internal domestic router, so it's in the realm of 007 to imagine that his neighbour is disrupting it.

Have you tested both laptops sitting next to, but connected by WiFi to both routers, in both locations? Not all routers like all laptops, and no router lasts forever - they do die.

Have you tried changing the channel on the router? You have channels 1-13 ISTR, and it's possible, and far more likely, that something in his house is interfering with the channel you have set currently.

[green granite]

As airborne_artist says, the first thing to do is change the router channels, if you sw off the router and look in the wireless network program it should tell you what networks it can pick up and their channels.

[mustpost]

Hi guys, yes I'm guessing it's something in the house, but he won't tell me what . Disconnected cordless phones and things, and did some channel swapping but same thing happens.
And yes, did it with both laptops/routers - same results every time, both combinations work in my house, but not his
Thanks for the input, cheers
Mike

[Saab Dastard]

If his Wireless Access Point (WAP) worked in his house and then suddenly stopped, it would point either to a failed WAP or someone simply switching off the WAP element in the router configuration.

If the WAP never worked in his house, it could be that the structure is too dense for the wifi signal to penetrate - follow airborne_artist's advice and get the laptop right beside it.

You could also try bringing the unit to your house to test.

But my bet is failed / switched off.

SD

[vindaloo]

I had a similar problem logging on to my wireless network - spent hours tweaking things on the router until I finally discovered it was an AV sender unit (to send my Sky signal to a tv upstairs) that was interfering. Switched the AV sender to a different channel (out of 4 available) and the problem was sorted. I should have found it sooner - the day before I had selected a different channel on the AV sender to try for a better signal and it didn't occur to me that this might be causing the problem!

So has your friend or their neighbours recently added / changed any similar equipment? (baby monitors, AV transmitters etc.)

Vindaloo

[mustpost]

Aha!
The wonder of pprune!
Under questioning, my chum informs me (in vague terms) er the problems might have started around the time I got Sky HD installed...
Gie me your bank details I say, so I can tie it in with the tech log error details. He doesn't have another Sky feed, but I guess the HD box has it built in?
Mr Vin, plse PM me the details of the 1-4 channel swap you managed, and I'll have a very happy bunny (and owe you a beer!)
Cheers
Mike
Thanks to all for the help

[mcdhu]

I similar thing happened to me recently which turned out to be an outside wireless Oregon Scientific temperature 'sender' which had become contaminated with rainwater and was therefore interfering with my wireless network.

As soon as I took the batteries out, all was well with the network.

Strange businessthis wireless thingy.

Cheers
mcdhu

[vindaloo]

I don't think the Sky HD box on its own could interfere with the wireless signal (although I just have Sky Plus so can't be entirely sure if HD has any extra capabilities). The AV sender unit I referred to is made by Fergusson and plugs into a Scart socket, sending the AV signal wirelessly to a receiver upstairs. The channel allocation is made by pressing a button on both the tx and rx so that the channel numbers match.

There are so many things nowadays that could interfere with the signal, so I'm sure it would be worth asking the neighbours if they have recently bought anything new. Just to eliminate the Sky HD box as the problem, switch it all off and see if it makes a difference.

In my house I have a cordless digital phone, AV sender, weather station with remote unit, and up until a couple of year ago a baby monitor, all of which I guess could interfere with each other. If you have anything similar try switching it all off.

Regards,
Vindaloo

[jimtherev]

Even a ruddy wireless doorbell

Yup, really! Not the transmitter, which by its nature only interferes when pushed, but the receiver which is on all the time, and somehow was also acting as a transmitter. Neeedles to say it broke the sound barrier on its way to the bin.

Took me ages and much anglo-saxon to work that one out. After all, it couldn't possibly be that, could it?

[mustpost]

Nice one Jim
It's always galling when you discover the problem is self-created in the name of progress.
Thanks to all who cared to reply - it appears the problem was (in no particular order)
A very weak wireless router
An incorrect original installation spitting out random IP addys
A huge and heavily lined internal chimney blocking signals all over the house
Some random wireless interference from new phone system
then manually configured channels

Thanks again
Can I recommend Netstumbler also - good starting point utility