I have a Belkin Wireless router, it's about 4 years old. If I connect a CAT5 cable to it, I get a fast, reliable internet connection, no problems at all.

Whenever I try to connect to it wirelessly, I have no end of hassle. I have two PCs and a laptop, none of which will connect reliably. I usually have to spend 20 minutes fiddling with it to get a connection, then it might work ok for anything from 5mins to 2 hours before dropping the connection. Usually I have to reboot the PC (or laptop) to get the connection back, but even that doesn't work sometimes.

I read yesterday that 2.4GHz phone bases can interfere with wireless, and a neighbours' wireless could be on the same channel, causing interference. So last night I moved the phone base (it was right next to the router) and changed the channel from 11 to 4.

Now this morning I couldn't get one PC to even find ANY wireless networks, the other I fiddled with for 15 minutes, and got a connection (at 5.5m!) for about 90 seconds before it dropped out, never to return.

I'd put in Powerline Ethernet over power adaptors but I'm skint at the moment!

Any ideas? I am thinking of changing my ISP (not that I think that will help, but I'd get a new router for free! )

Thanks,

Martin

1 6 and 11 are the only channels that will give you full bandwidth, so I suggest getting network stumbler, running it and finding out where there are other networks.

Then pick one of the three above that are not in use.

Belkin arn't the best routers in my experience, it may be that its playing up. I'd give the channels another change but switch everything else off first then do it.

Have you tried without any wifi security for now to rule out that being a problem ??

Have downloaded Net Stumbler and also latest driver for my wireless adaptor on the laptop. Will update router firmware/drivers tonight and run Stumbler.

Also for selecting Channel 4!!!!

Select any channel that gives you a persistent signal. Slower is less annoying than intermittent.

Check the aerial is secure on the Belkin and maybe try moving it a little.

1 6 and 11 are the only channels that will give you full bandwidth, so I suggest getting network stumbler, running it and finding out where there are other networks.

Then pick one of the three above that are not in use.

Who told you that?

1 6 and 11 are a good combo if you have multiple AP's. Speed isn't affected by channels. Channels are just for multiple AP placement and interference reduction.

To be honest i would sack off the awful Belkin router and buy yourself a 2nd hand linksys or netgear off ebay if you can't afford a new one.

Edited 19 August, 201015 yr by mannyo

I've just signed up for TalkTalk broadband (dumping my 2mb Orange connection costing £17.99 per month ) so will get a new router from them! Will be interesting to see what turns up and if there's any difference.

I've just signed up for TalkTalk broadband (dumping my 2mb Orange connection costing £17.99 per month ) so will get a new router from them! Will be interesting to see what turns up and if there's any difference.

Hmm TalkTalk

Why not O2 or Be There. Totally un traffic managed and just as cheap.

Because O2 are the and I vowed I'd never go back to them for anything!

Plus I'm out in the sticks so have to take what I can get here. Not all providers are available to me here.

If you know the right pepole you could always install a new firmware to the router and try again.

how many other networks does your wirless pickup on searching?

Problem with wirless .. outside interferance can cause issues.

IE Micowave etc

Who told you that?

1 6 and 11 are a good combo if you have multiple AP's. Speed isn't affected by channels. Channels are just for multiple AP placement and interference reduction.

To be honest i would sack off the awful Belkin router and buy yourself a 2nd hand linksys or netgear off ebay if you can't afford a new one. I have a spare netgear one if your interested brand new in box.

Advanced networking courses at uni and the spec and a practical understanding of how it works, plus working on this sort of stuff in the past.

1, 6 and 11 are the ones that don't overlap with others so are the ones where you stand any chance of getting the full frequency block to utilise without interference.

As such to the lay man they will be "faster" because you are not guaranteeing freuqency overlap and interference which will lower the throughput by reducing the bandwidth available and increasing frequency hopping within the channel.

1, 6 and 11 are also what all the stupid "lets bond 3 channels together" routers do, so totally trashing anyone else's chance of getting a clear signal for a router.

Put too many of these together and watch the throughput drop through the floor as they start to interfere with each other.

So no the channel per se doesn't give you speed, but if you pick any other channel apart from 1, 6 or 11 you will likely suffer from interference from a router running on an adjacent frequency and so end up with a lower throughput (or speed to most people).

Interference = less useable bandwidth and more frequency hopping = lower throughput (speed)

Also it's not just wireless that causes interference, but DECT cordless phones, bluetooth, microwave ovens and other electronics that emit in that band.

Edited 19 August, 201015 yr by cheezemonkhai

The microwave (seldom used anyway) is at the other end of the next room from the router.

And I moved the BT phone base station too. They were both side-by-side on top of a unit in the corner (the only place in my house where there's power AND a phone point). The unit is about 5'10" tall - the router is still on top of it, the phone base is now on the floor.

Will select "auto" for channel when I get in tonight.

Advanced networking courses at uni and the spec and a practical understanding of how it works, plus working on this sort of stuff in the past.

1, 6 and 11 are the ones that don't overlap with others so are the ones where you stand any chance of getting the full frequency block to utilise without interference.

As such to the lay man they will be "faster" because you are not guaranteeing freuqency overlap and interference which will lower the throughput by reducing the bandwidth available and increasing frequency hopping within the channel.

1, 6 and 11 are also what all the stupid "lets bond 3 channels together" routers do, so totally trashing anyone else's chance of getting a clear signal for a router.

Put too many of these together and watch the throughput drop through the floor as they start to interfere with each other.

So no the channel per se doesn't give you speed, but if you pick any other channel apart from 1, 6 or 11 you will likely suffer from interference from a router running on an adjacent frequency and so end up with a lower throughput (or speed to most people).

Interference = less useable bandwidth and more frequency hopping = lower throughput (speed)

Also it's not just wireless that causes interference, but DECT cordless phones, bluetooth, microwave ovens and other electronics that emit in that band.

Understand where your coming from but i think this would only apply in a commercial multiple AP environment. You could put your router on any channel at home and still get issues as your ap could be just metres away from next door or the flat above or below. At home its a matter of trial and error in getting one to suit. I know as it took me ages to get a decent 'signal' on mine as i can see about 7 or 8 AP's around the house.

The secondary school im at at the minute i can see 10 AP's from around the area! The school are having 78 AP's installed next week so should screw up everyone's wireless in view!

I always had problems with my belkin router with the ADSL and wifi dropping out all the time. It then packed in and got a new one for free (lifetime warranty) the new one was just as bad but after phoning them I was given login details to access beta firmware updates. Applied the latest one and problems solved.

I now use a Netgear that came with Vigin broadband and it's been faultless and sits right next to the cordless phone base station.

Phil

Advanced networking courses at uni and the spec and a practical understanding of how it works, plus working on this sort of stuff in the past.

1, 6 and 11 are the ones that don't overlap with others so are the ones where you stand any chance of getting the full frequency block to utilise without interference.

As such to the lay man they will be "faster" because you are not guaranteeing freuqency overlap and interference which will lower the throughput by reducing the bandwidth available and increasing frequency hopping within the channel.

My understanding is this is only true when deploying multiple AP's/bridges. In the home arena, everything overlaps.

http://compnetworking.about.com/od/wifihomenetworking/qt/wifichannel.htm

Belkin have got tehnselves a very bad rep in recent years. Netgear routers are good, but temperamental with non netgear equipment, mine refused to work point blank with my TP LInk "N" spec cards, so I dumped it and bought a MIMO TP Link Gigabyte router.

Hmmm Talk Talk; just came out as the WORST ISP by volume of complaints in the latest Which magazine survey, 2nd and 3rd were AOL and Opal, which are also owned by Talk Talk!!!

Next time visit www.ispreview.co.uk and do some research before paying out for a bad service. Not that you will find it much worse than Orange!!!

OH!! and they have been caught unlawfully monitoring their customers browsing activities..... AGAIN!!

Edited 19 August, 201015 yr by GentleGiant

Belkin have got tehnselves a very bad rep in recent years. Netgear routers are good, but temperamental with non netgear equipment, mine refused to work point blank with my TP LInk "N" spec cards, so I dumped it and bought a MIMO TP Link Gigabyte router.

Hmmm Talk Talk; just came out as the WORST ISP by volume of complaints in the latest Which magazine survey, 2nd and 3rd were AOL and Opal, which are also owned by Talk Talk!!!

Next time visit www.ispreview.co.uk and do some research before paying out for a bad service. Not that you will find it much worse than Orange!!!

OH!! and they have been caught unlawfully monitoring their customers browsing activities..... AGAIN!!

Yes to be honest i would be using my 14 day cooling off period to cancel and going with O2 or Be There.

Belkin have got tehnselves a very bad rep in recent years. Netgear routers are good, but temperamental with non netgear equipment, mine refused to work point blank with my TP LInk "N" spec cards, so I dumped it and bought a MIMO TP Link Gigabyte router.

Yep Belkin are rubbish even downunder.

The major issue with Netgear is that they tend to have weak aerials so I've converted most of my customers to Linksys / Cisco over recent years and I never have the reception issues that used to crop up with Netgear products.

Whatever router you get make sure that's it's 802.11n specification you will get way better coverage and signal strength.

On the subject of phones interferring it's not really an issue with newer products they all seem to be able to channel hop to sort themselves out but as a brand Panasonic have traditionally been the worst for causing interference.

Not only weak, but fixed!!

Most of the TP Link stuff has detachable antenna, and they sell a range of extras including some 14" +9db jobs!!

Even with the standard ones, I get roughly twice the throughput speed of the Netgear with exactly the same positioning of equipment using the TP Link router.

I also had BIG issues with the Netgear usb wifi cards, I have had two different models on two different PCs screw up after a software update. In both cases the stupid thing was trying to connect to the router on channel 8 BILLION. I had to roll back the PC's to the old softwear to make them work again. (WinXP SP3)

Are Plusnet any better as ISPs? Plusnet £6.49 per month plus 1st 3 months free. Whereas its costing virtually nothing with Talk Talk.

Just looked at Be There, my phone line won't support them. (it says)

Edited 20 August, 201015 yr by 2SkodaFamily

Plusanet are ok, but their cheapest packages are pretty limited in terms of allowances.

Suggest working out how much you think you use in a month, add 50%-100% and then go for that sort of package.

Are Plusnet any better as ISPs? Plusnet £6.49 per month plus 1st 3 months free. Whereas its costing virtually nothing with Talk Talk.

Just looked at Be There, my phone line won't support them. (it says)

Go to http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange_search

Then have a look at the LLU Presence section.

This will tell you what ISP's have their own equipment in the exchange.

Mine is as below:

AOL: Enabled

O2 / Be: Enabled

C&W / Bulldog: Enabled as of 25/05/2007

Edge Telecom: Not available

Entanet: Not available

Lumison: Not available

NewNet: Not available

Node4: Not available

Orange: Enabled as of 20/01/2010

Pipex: Not available

Sky / Easynet: Enabled as of 03/09/2006

Smallworld: Not available

TalkTalk (CPW): Enabled

Tiscali: Enabled as of 25/07/2007

Tiscali TV: Enabled as of 25/07/2007

WB Internet: Not available

Zen Internet: Not available

Can also get FTTC (Fibre to the cabinet) but as yet only with BT and will under no circumstances go to BT even for a 35MB increase in speed and 25MB upload speeds!

LLU operator presence

AOL:Not available

O2 / Be:Not available

C&W / Bulldog:Not available

Edge Telecom:Not available

Entanet:Not available

Lumison:Not available

NewNet:Not available

Node4:Not available

Orange:Not available

Pipex:Not available

Sky / Easynet:Not available

Smallworld:Not available

TalkTalk (CPW):Enabled

Tiscali:Not available

Tiscali TV:Not available

WB Internet:Not available

Zen Internet:Not available

This isn't right?

Edited 20 August, 201015 yr by 2SkodaFamily

Oh dear thats not good then so no ADSL 2 or FTTC for you! Do you live in the middle of nowhere?!

Oh dear thats not good then so no ADSL 2 or FTTC for you! Do you live in the middle of nowhere?!

As good as. Halfway in between Scarborough and Hull. Oh, and someone made a spelling mistake when they named the latter......