Internet won't connect, but Wi-fi does?

[aelfheah]

Hi, I am at my wits end and wondered if you could advise.

I am using my landlord's wifi (the router is on the ground floor, I live in a 2nd floor flat) and have no access to details or accounts etc to ring Virgin myself. At least it's free for me. The connection has always been weak acc to speedtests (a few mb) but only the last few days -always around teatime(?) the internet symbol has a yellow triangle with 'no internet connection' even though the wifi says it's connected?

I asked the landlord (who is a decent guy but not tech savvy) but he says he and his wife can connect ok? I have resorted to restarting the router each morning whilst I'm off work, but clearly can't do this each evening after work? My mobile connects ok usually, too?

I have run malwarebytes and found nothing harmful? Is it my laptop playing up, or their connection?

[fritzi93]

Something easy to try:

In advanced power options, turn off any power saving options for the wifi adapter.
I had a similar problem and was tearing my hair out until I did that.

Worth a shot. Good luck.

EDIT: Oh, are you running XP? I forget, does XP have power saving options?

[aelfheah]

Something easy to try:

In advanced power options, turn off any power saving options for the wifi adapter.
I had a similar problem and was tearing my hair out until I did that.

Worth a shot. Good luck.

EDIT: Oh, are you running XP? I forget, does XP have power saving options?

Hi Fritzi

Thanks, but the power saving options were already set to max performance.

I am on Win7 which is otherwise ok?

[sum_guy]

You could try resetting the Winsock in WIn 7, open a command prommpt and right click and run as administrator.

netsh reset winsock <enter> reboot the computer

[aelfheah]

You could try resetting the Winsock in WIn 7, open a command prommpt and right click and run as administrator.

netsh reset winsock <enter> reboot the computer

Thanks, sum_guy.

Because I am off work today, I reset their router and the internet works, but I'll try your suggestion later- inevitably it will happen again at teatime (on a timer?).

Someone else said:-

"What you're describing, sounds like a channel issue to me, so it's not your laptop, it's the router of your landlord which got an issue. It must be manually adjusted so instead of picking up an automatic channel, it would stick to one and stay that way. If don't have full access to the router, you don't have much to do with it I'm afraid."

[Nelson37]

Do the landlord and his wife connect wirelessly? If so, are they active during the problem time? If they are OK while you are working, that doesn't mean anything. If they are OK, AND wireless, while you are NOT working, that is important. During the problem, have you tried physically moving the laptop closer to the router, oriented thru windows or outdoors for closer to line-of-sight? How long does the problem persist, how far are you from the router, in terms of feet or meters? Roughly how old is your building, and what are the walls made of?

Does the problem always last until the router is reset, or does it go away over time if you do nothing? Has this gotten worse in the last few days, worse meaning a requirement to reset the router? What sort of time duration for the problem? 5 minutes, an hour, all day?

Do you connect this laptop to other wireless sources, if so for how long, and are there any problems? If not, go somewhere and perform this test, several times for several hours each, if at all possible.

You appear to have a weak signal. Something appears to be interfering with that signal on an occasional basis. Might be some electrical device in the area. Might be a router transmitter getting weak. Might be a bad antenna connection. Could be a failing wireless receiver in your laptop. USB replacement about $10, USB extension cable to make possible variable antenna placement, particularly closer to window and/or line of sight, another $10, some come with the cable. 3 foot to 15 foot work just fine, longer equals more placement options.

Answers to ALL questions might help to nail it down. Channel is not the problem UNLESS there is specific third device interfering somehow.

IF the router is supplied by the ISP, then it is leased equipment in almost all cases and will be replaced free of charge upon request. IF repeat IF they work while you do not, AND it has gotten worse in terms of duration and/or requirement to reboot the router, AND you frequently and for extended periods connect to other wireless sources with no problems, then there is a high probability that the transmitter is starting to fail. It eventually won't work for them, but that will happen last as they are much closer to the device.

The person you quoted in red has no idea what they are talking about. Channel problems are extremely rare and there is zero reason to rule out your laptop with the information given.

[aelfheah]

Hi Nelson

Thanks for that detailed reply. I live on the 2nd floor in an old (inter-war) house and the router is on the ground floor. The landlord and wife use it at teatime when they come home, as I and the other tenant do, the latter might be a medium user, as I am. I suppose we all have mobile phones on wifi too? I have not moved my laptop at all, don't use it for anything else, and this issue suddenly started two/three days ago, the last few days it started at 5-6pm (ish) and lasted all night and until the next a.m when I reset the router (luckily I'm off work). I hadn't changed anything to my laptop at that point and can't think I've downloaded anything harmful?

Their router is a Virgin Super Hub2 VMDG485 and placed upright near the TV but away from other electrical items.

[Bjs]

Unfortunately routers retain ip addresses handed out to devices for sometime before the ip's are removed and new one's given out to devices that once again fall within range.

From memory mine will not refresh device list for 18 hours unless I physically power it off or enter the page settings to refresh it.

At work I have 14 static addresses for servers, cctv systems and a designated ip grouping for visitors. One server acts as an interface for visitors to probe connections every 2 minutes to remove devices that go out of range.

You're better off using static ip addresses in the router for known systems and as mobile devices need to roam between networks assign an ip rage group for those.

And how long have they had that router ?

[aelfheah]

Thanks, BJS.

By changing the router's prefs to auto on 2G and 5G it seems to have (touchwood) solved it, hence I'm still online.

[redwudz]

You might try this WI-FI monitor program. It has a 30 day trial and is easy to use. http://www.passmark.com/products/wirelessmonitor.htm

I use it to check the WI-FI signals around my location. As aelfheah mentioned, the router my be set on a channel that has too many
users and/or has some interference. If you find a fair number of local routers on the same channel with strong signals, you may have a problem.

If you have access to the software in the router, easy to change the channel. By default, lots of routers by default are set on the same channel.

I have 5 local routers on CH 11, 4 on CH 1 and 4 on CH 6. There are 14 channels on my router, so I use one of the lessor used channels.

You can also sometimes change the router antenna position and improve the signal.

[aelfheah]

Thanks, redwudz.

It seems to be fine at the mo, so I daren't touch anything. But this is a great option (touchwood).

[fritzi93]

Here's a free wi-fi monitoring program:

http://www.techspot.com/downloads/5936-inssider.html

[turk690]

I live on the 2nd floor in an old (inter-war) house and the router is on the ground floor....

I have encountered similar situations a number of times; not uncommon. Ultimately, without changing any router settings, the problem was always only solved by using a range extender, such as this http://www.tplink.com/en/products/details/cat-10_TL-WA850RE.html

[Nelson37]

Older building (dense wood). Poor signal upstairs in same building. Problem started two days ago, after working fine for some time. Unlikely to be channel interference. Possible next-door neighbor has new router in window in-line with landlord's window, with router nearby.

5-6 pm is peak signal time. When I used a two-foot parabolic antenna to connect to a router over 100 yards away, signal would drop around this time. Late at night and early in morning gave much better connection.

Connection should have re-established later in the evening, most particularly if tested after midnight.

Extremely unlikely to be IP-addressing issue. Most routers have between 150 and 253 available addresses. Failure of address assignment, DHCP, much more likely, also to disappear with a router reset. Static IP assignment probably not feasible.

No other users reported as having connections issues. Important diagnostic information, that is why I asked this question. IF OP is only problem, this points to receiver issues. Also reason I asked if PORTABLE laptop had been tested by moving CLOSER TO RECEIVER in case of WEAK SIGNAL which then had a LOST CONNECTION. Moving CLOSER TO THE TRANSMITTER would be a basic troubleshooting step, maybe a notch above making sure the unit is turned on.

QOS settings may have been turned on. Channel setting change required a router re-set. New channel might be better at penetrating the building.

Coincidences happen, but I don't think available evidence points to channel interference being the issue. Sudden occurrence and semi-permanent nature of problem argue against this.