Virgin media, Vista and wireless router

[klewis03]

Hi hope someone can help me!

My housemate and I have both just purchased (within 2 weeks of each other) 2 compaq presario laptops with vista operating system and wireless enabled. We are with Virgin media for broadband. We also use a D-Link wireless router compatible with cable. For the first few days my housemate was able to pick up the router wirelessly no problem. Then our SSID didn't show up in her available wireless networks. I at that point was using an old laptop with XP OS with a wireless card but I was picking up the SSID signal OK. We were both in the same room with the router. Since I got my new laptop, it was fine for a week, the SSID was showing up but then one day my Available Wireless Networks doesn't show our SSID. It was however picking up neighbour's SSID so I presume my wireless receiver is working OK. If I run ethernet from the router to the laptop, sometimes it works, but sometimes it will just have a local connection and no connection from internet to router. I can however run an ethernet cable from the modem that Virgin Media provided me and access the internet that way!

[tigerboyce]

Use the virgin cable to go into the Modem, If that doesnt work i think it may be the D-Link isnt Vista fully compatable..

[Steve]

I presume you've tried resetting the router?

[UltraMagnus]

sounds like more of vista's flaky networking stack....

[burble]

Try changing the channel that your wireless is using. I've seen it where overlapping channels can cause SSID's to not be displayed.

[dannyboy83]

I'd go with Barble, change the channel a few times. If not, it could be the router... My mate had similar problems (on BT) with his Homehub router. I swapped ito ut for his old Voyager router and all is fixed.

The router in my sig is good if you're thinking of changing it - I am on Virgin 4Mb and have a PC and a laptop connected wirelessly, and a PC and Xbox 360 wired.

PS. I got a new laptop yesterday and couldn't get it to connect to the wireless network. Had to disable security to get the initial connection. But there was no SSID trouble, it found it every time.

[Rishi]

On my wireless setup I never even broadcast the SSID...

Things to try:

(1) Soft reset of hardware (remove power for 30+ seconds)
(2) Try toggling the band of the wireless.
(3) Ensure latest firmware on router.
(4) Disable all security then try and enable as much as you can whilst still remaining connected.

Hope one of the above helps.

[atmadden]

My Vista drops connection frequently to router but never with xp. But it never has problems finding ssid think it could be a firmware problem or the router itself. Have used vista dual booted since beta days but xp is still less problematic.

[klewis03]

Thanks for the quick replies everyone! I think the d-link router may not be fully vista compatible, If I run the ethernet cable from the modem that Virgin supplied me with, I get an internet connection. But if I run virgin modem------>d-link wireless router------>laptop even with ethernet for both connections, I don't get a connection, let alone wireless! I tried installing the router on my laptop from the disc supplied (the whole system was originally set up on XP) it says that it cannot find the internet connection when I run the ethernet as above. The system requirements say for Windows XP/2000, Apple etc but not vista.

Another thing I found strange was on the d-link website, it could not find the product number in its database! (DIR-301 ). This router was purchased from Argos UK 3 weeks ago!

[Steve]

Router's really shouldn't have OS compatibility issues. They're a network device.

If all devices use the same protocols, they should all get along.

Either the router is faulty/naff, or Vista's networking stack is naff.

[mrk]

sounds like more of vista's flaky networking stack....

Absolutely nothing wrong with Vistas' wireless networking - it's a notch above XP SP2 in fact (long term sp2 wireless user myself now on vista)

The problem occurs with shoddy drivers for the wireless adapter and if you use the manufacturers software and not the Windows Wireless Zero service.

[manny2]

klewis are you still there??
ive got the same problem with my router its driving me mad please help!

[Blitzen]

sounds like more of vista's flaky networking stack....

No it doesnt.
I run 3 laptops and 2 PC's at home wirelessly and all run very very well.

[klewis03]

Hey manny

well the situation has got better; our electricity trip kept blowing and knocking off the power to the router. Since we got our electric sorted we've had no problems;

however if someone turns off the plug at the wall then turns it back on again the problem returns. Now I sort it by turning off the power to the router for a few minutes and restarting my computer. That seems to do the trick most of the time.

hope this helps

[kmac]

I wouldn't be happy with having to regularly turn my router off and on again.

I really would try and borrow another router to see if the problem persists.

Almost all routers have " wireless issues" its just the extent of them that differentiates a good one from a bad router.

Not saying the D-linl is bad but it is at the lower end of the cost and quality continuum.