Intermittent Wireless Connectivity with WRT54G

[Daave]

Just purchased and hooked up a WRT54G (v. 8) wireless router.

My wired connection goes to my old Windows 98SE PC. Since my ISP
(Cavalier Telephone aka Cavtel -- DSL service) provides me with a static
IP address, I needed to configure the router's settings accordingly, but
everything is fine on the wired connection end.

The notebook PC is an Acer Aspire 5100-3357 (which has a wireless card).
I configured it according to a Linksys tech. And later, after noticing
the problems described below, I tweaked some of the settings guided by
another Linksys tech (Beacon Interval, Fragmentation Threshold, and RTS
Threshold). Bottom line: there are still some periods of uninterrupted
connectivity, some long periods of being disconnected, and some periods
where it goes back and forth, changing every thirty seconds or so!

Now according to wireless network properties in Vista, I'm always
connected to the router, even when I lose connection with the Internet.

Finally, just like many other PC manufacturers, Acer includes a lot of
obtrusive junk. One thing I found annoying was something called Acer
eNet Management, which was always popping up every thirty seconds or so
informing me "Internet Connected" or "Internet Disconnected." Since I
wondered if this "feature" may have been conflicting with something in
Vista, I disabled it, but to no effect.

If someone has any ideas, I'm all ears.

 

[Daave]

Just purchased and hooked up a WRT54G (v. 8) wireless router.

My wired connection goes to my old Windows 98SE PC. Since my ISP
(Cavalier Telephone aka Cavtel -- DSL service) provides me with a
static IP address, I needed to configure the router's settings
accordingly, but everything is fine on the wired connection end.

The notebook PC is an Acer Aspire 5100-3357 (which has a wireless
card). I configured it according to a Linksys tech. And later, after
noticing the problems described below, I tweaked some of the settings
guided by another Linksys tech (Beacon Interval, Fragmentation
Threshold, and RTS Threshold). Bottom line: there are still some
periods of uninterrupted connectivity, some long periods of being
disconnected, and some periods where it goes back and forth, changing
every thirty seconds or so!

Now according to wireless network properties in Vista, I'm always
connected to the router, even when I lose connection with the
Internet.

Finally, just like many other PC manufacturers, Acer includes a lot of
obtrusive junk. One thing I found annoying was something called Acer
eNet Management, which was always popping up every thirty seconds or
so informing me "Internet Connected" or "Internet Disconnected."
Since I wondered if this "feature" may have been conflicting with
something in Vista, I disabled it, but to no effect.

Addendum:

I just realized I use a 2.4 GHz cordless phone. Since I have configured
my router to use Channel 6 (2.437 GHz), does this cause any kind of
interference?

 

[winson19842005]

Addendum:

I just realized I use a 2.4 GHz cordless phone. Since I have configured
my router to use Channel 6 (2.437 GHz), does this cause any kind of
interference?

Yes, try channels 1 or 11. That is what I've read.
BTW: Have almost your exact setup here. WRT54G V7, Acer Aspire 5610-2273
with Vista Premium.

Have instances where we lose internet connection with both it and Mac
running OS10.4.9. So maybe it isn't a Vista problem, perhaps it is the
phone. Our cordless phones are 900mhz, but even a neighbor's can cause
interference. There are enough of those (we can't get the Vista and Mac to
see each other on the network).

Strange that my signal can go from 3 of 5 bars to just 1 (the dot) on the
Mac and sometimes disappear for good. This happened with a Belkin router as
well which we replaced (not just due to this but because of the class action
suit against them... Wonder when Linksys will have one against them?).

Not real happy with the router, seen a lot of messages on Linksys' site
about problems. Like try to block a website within the router? Doesn't work.
Of course people say "there are ways around this block". Not like I care,
I'm just trying to stop the spurious non-stoppable pop-up from going to
c5.zedo.com! Had to do it the old fashioned way, edit my hosts file...