Really annoying connection

[Kjata]

My step dad connected us up to Sky about 2 months ago, and there was a disconnecting problems for a few weeks. Then it stopped for a bit, and about 2 weeks ago it started again. But the thing is, I seem to be the only one affected. Both my Mum and Step Dad use it with ease, but my internet can be fine for about 1 or 2 hours, then it decides to keep disconnecting every 3 minutes or so. I wouldn't mind this usually, but I play a game which requires you to be online for more than a couple of minutes to get somewhere successfully. It always seems to disconnect at the times when I'm doing something important on the game. But I really don't know what is wrong with it... I am further away from the router, but even when the signal is good is disconnects.

[Saturday]

I am further away from the router, but even when the signal is good is disconnects.

That's the problem with wireless - it is very unreliable. It's the signal strength that is being reported which is not the same as signal quality (which is the more important factor).

You'd be much better off with ethernet but assuming that you have to use wireless, there are a few things you can do:

• try experimenting with small changes to the router/aerial orientation
• Try experimenting with different wireless channels
• make sure the router is off the ground and away from any electrical devices, particularly wireless phones, video senders etc

Have a look at the wireless forum - you're not alone.

[liam22]

mines doin the exact same but also through the wired connection aswell.

every 3 mins now.

[Saturday]

That's interesting - I've never heard of a regular 3 minute disconnect before (UPnP can be every 16 minutes and that's the only regular disconnection cause I know of).

The other poster is wireless and the problem isn't affecting the other users on the LAN. That to me suggests it's not the router or a line problem (and maybe not wireless) so I wonder if there is some similar problem with the PC set up? Power saving or something like that maybe? Driver conflict? Vista?

[liam22]

my connection was dropping every 3mins, i have just upgraded the routers firmware to netgears newest and my connection has not dropped for the past few hours, so im not sure what may have been causing it, but its fine now.