The new Lenovo arrived on Tuesday and very nice it is too. Or would be if I could get it to work properly.
It doesn't seem to like my D-Link DSL-2780 router as supplied by TalkTalk. It connects OK, and even loads the odd web page, but mostly it times out. While this is going on, the router is connected to the internet and working fine on other computers.
I have tried manual DNS, updated the adaptor driver (Intel Centrino Wireless-N 2230), changed channels, removed and reinstalled connections, rebooted, restarted the router, switched it to b and or g only, etc etc all to no avail.
It works fine with my old BT wireless g router. All the other PCs and the iphone work OK with the D-Link.
I've also finally managed to get all the Windows updates to install.
Any suggestions as to how to fix it would be welcome. Or as to the likelihood of any of the hardware being faulty (especially the new laptop in case I have to send it back).
TIA.
|
A random thought; when it connects to the D-Link, are you sure its connecting to your D-Link, not the neighbours or something?
It sounds like the signal is too weak. I doubt we're dealing with faulty hardware, since everything seems to work with something.
So I'd guess we're looking for something a bit off beat.
|
It's the right router. The signal strength shows as being OK, and as you can imagine I have been next to the router anyway much of the time with all the plugging and unplugging going on.
I've a pal down the road, also on TalkTalk, with a different router though. I'll try it down there today sometime if there's somebody in. Won't solve my problem of course but might provide some info.
|
|
Does it work OK with a wired connection?
|
|
Good question of course. Yes it does.
|
>> It doesn't seem to like my D-Link DSL-2780 >>
Can you see neighbouring wireless points?
Try setting up wi-fi first via Windows and then via Lenovo network managers (or vice versa).
".... click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network Connections.
When you select the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings check box, you enable the Wireless Configuration service.
When the Wireless Configuration service is enabled, you can connect to an existing wireless network, change wireless network connection settings, configure a new wireless network connection, and manage preferred wireless networks. You will be notified when new wireless networks are available. After you select a wireless network, your wireless network adapter will be automatically configured to match the settings of that network, and a network connection attempt will be made.
If you are using non-Microsoft wireless networking software to configure wireless network settings, clear the Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings check box. .... "
Last edited by: John H on Thu 22 Nov 12 at 12:55
|
>>Can you see neighbouring wireless points?
Yes, it's about on par with my other computers at finding them. Transmit power is also on max.
I haven't tried using a different connection utility yet. I'll see if I can find one amongst the many "solutions" pre-installed and give it a go when it's finished doing recovery disks.
|
I can't find any non-windows connection manager on the PC.
But things have moved on a bit.
The timeouts have stopped for now. But the connection, which works very well on other machines, is just running very slowly. It's connected at 54Mbps but transferring data very slowly, 2kbps I'd say.
The error rate is low - 1% according to the Intel monitor.
Last edited by: Manatee on Thu 22 Nov 12 at 17:11
|
Check the network activity in case the laptop is doing a whole bunch of background downloading.
|
Good suggestion that I hadn't thought of. But it doesn't seem to be. <1MB in the last 3 hours across the wireless connection according to the Intel snooper.
The connection is staying up though - I can see it receiving another few hundred bits a second when it's idle. Not sure what they are all for but I think that's what they do!
|
I'd temporarily turn off security on the wifi access point to see if that makes a difference. Only temporary as in minutes sort of thing.
I wonder if the wifi AP is having issues with the wifi on the laptop. Did you try someone else's wifi?
|
I was having signal issues a few weeks back. Signal dipping or even dead.
Change wireless connection from Channel 1 to Ch9 and OK since.
Worth a try!
|
>The connection is staying up though
What does it look like if you ping the router for 20 or 30 seconds?
There should be no dropped packets and the round trip time should be consistent (<5ms) for a good connection.
|
Wireless woes - rtj70
>>I'd temporarily turn off security on the wifi access point to see if that makes a difference. .
Tried that.
>>I wonder if the wifi AP is having issues with the wifi on the laptop. Did you try someone
>>else's wifi?
Not exactly, though it works perfectly on my old Voyager router albeit with only WEP encryption which is all it does.
>>I was having signal issues a few weeks back. Signal dipping or even dead.
>>Change wireless connection from Channel 1 to Ch9 and OK since.
Tried the channel swapping. Made no difference. Router back on auto channel.
>>What does it look like if you ping the router for 20 or 30 seconds?
>>There should be no dropped packets and the round trip time should be consistent (<5ms) >>for a good connection.
Yes that is working fine - 1ms-5ms, average usually 2ms.
Pinging external sites from a command prompt is about 35ms. Usually only see 80ms on those browser based testers.
While I had the friendly black window opened I changed the mtu to 1364 (router is set to 1392 so 1364 will avoid fragmentation), not that I expected it to make a difference and it didn't.
Oddly it's now sort of working - I am using this site on it now (couldn't have done so earlier) and it's loaded the three or four pages I've asked for as fast as you like. Yet it randomly refuses to load pages at all, or so slowly that it appears frozen (it doesn't usually time out now so it's getting the odd packet I guess).
It almost seems to be mending itself, the progress isn't noticeably linked to any of my fiddling. This morning it wouldn't work at all, in the last hour I've managed to run three speed tests at 2.0/0.7Mbps which is about as good as it gets here.
The one thing I did this evening is to disable 2 "spare" wireless connections. Both called virtual miniports, whatever they are. Didn't have 'em in my day. Or maybe they did, and I forgot...
Thanks for the ideas :-) More anon. I have to drink.
|
|
Tried a different browser?
|
|
Mainly Chrome. Same on IE though.
|
|
Upgrade the code on the router.
|
The firmware?
It is on old firmware. There was an upgrade a couple of months ago, but the forum was full of people saying it had caused them problems and as I didn't have any, I ignored it! Maybe I have the problem they fixed? Their suggestion for the moment is to leave it! But I might have a go if I'm feeling brave tomorrow. I'm not sure there's a way back.
|
>
>> I'm not sure there's a way back.
Its the only way forward. The wireless performance of the router is known to be patchy without it.
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 22 Nov 12 at 21:44
|
>.The wireless performance of the router is known to be patchy without it.
Really? I didn't know that, mine's been OK with other stuff though I've only had it since May.
Rather short sighted of the ISPs to be dishing out rubbish gear - I suppose it's cheap.
I got the Netgear DG834GT out today. Couldn't make it work. You could fry eggs on that, I think it might have been cooked when I put it back in the box in about 2007. I replaced it with the older Voyager 2110-C5 on the advice of an grizzled Openreach bloke who said it would sync with anything. Never had a minutes trouble with that.
|
Problem solved, for now at least.
Thanks for the nudge Zero. I never believed in things mending themselves and the symptoms spread to my netbook today...deflecting suspicion from the Lenovo of course.
Given that my query to TT hasn't reached the front of the queue yet and nothing will happen over the weekend, I took the bull by the horns and applied the new firmware. It seems to have sorted things out.
Odd that this problem arose the day I got a new laptop.
I rather like it now it works. Starts up quickly despite lack of SSD. Big enough screen to be useful (those 11" jobs are cute but not much good for big spreadsheets), great keyboard with proper number pad, and the battery life has moved on since I last bought a laptop - 4 hours plus anyway - currently forecasting about 6 on the battery monitor with the performance turned down.
Thanks for all the help.
|
|
Dupe removed.
Last edited by: Manatee on Fri 23 Nov 12 at 23:54
|
|
At least I thought it was fixed. Having trouble posting here now, hence the double post. And so to bed.
|
Wireless woes - No FM2R
