Solve : Network / Internet Connectivity Issue on single computer?

1.	Solve : Network / Internet Connectivity Issue on single computer?
Answer» When I moved into my new apartment a few months back, I bought a new wireless router (Netgear N600 Wireless Extreme for Mac and PC) and a new wireless adapter for my desktop (Netgear WNDA3100). Up until recently, everything was working perfectly. I had good SIGNAL strength, a fast connection, and it always connected to my network right away on startup. A few weeks ago, the adapter started giving me issues connecting on this one computer. I know it's not a router issue because my phone and other laptop connect flawlessly to the network every TIME with a fast connection. My desktop, though, connects only sporadically. For a long time it would not connect at all. I tried swapping the adapter to my old adapter, which still worked, but got the same results. Lately, it will connect and show a strong signal strength in the little icon tray, but the speed is very slow. When I go into Networking in the Control Panel, it tells me my speed is only 5.1 Mbps or so, which causes downloading and streaming issues (Youtube, etc). It always used to show ~200 Mbps or so and nothing has changed in my apartment that would affect the signal. The computer is located in the same spot, as well. I've run updated Malwarebytes and Spybot scans and there are no viruses on the computer, plus I always have Avast running. Any thoughts on what could be causing this issue? The only thing to mention about when it started having the issue is that I had shut it down for HURRICANE Irene, but I unplugged it all before the storm and didn't plug it back in again until we got power, and everything is running through a high end surge protector.What changes have you made to the system sinse it last worked properly?Quote from: Quantos on September 28, 2011, 07:33:41 PM What changes have you made to the system sinse it last worked properly? Honestly, nothing. I haven't installed or uninstalled any software (except when I attempted to use my old adapter after the new one started this issue). I hadn't noticed any Windows updates try to install between when it was working and when it started giving me problems, although I've installed all current Windows updates since to try to see if that would solve the problem. Funny enough, the new adapter stopped working altogether again yesterday, so I figured I'd give the old one one more shot and surprisingly it worked normally. It's a G adapter and I was seeing normal speeds (connected at 54Mbps and Speedtest.net was showing the same fast speeds as my other computer and cell phone when connected to the internet). When I tried hooking up to the new adapter again, it still wouldn't connect, so I'm assuming there is an issue with the new adapter. I'm not sure why the old one is working now but wasn't before. I'm not certified in any way but I deal quite a bit with computers at home and at work and wouldn't exactly consider myself a novice, but I couldn't figure this issue out. I went through all sorts of troubleshooting (everything from typical stuff such as software/driver updates and virus checks to Windows help site that included downloading different troubleshooting programs and changing various network setting on the computer). I'm GOING to monitor the old adapter over the next few days and if it continues to work properly, I'll attempt to return the new one and replace it with a different brand/model. When I first bought this new adapter back in June, the initial one I received was DOA so I had to have it replaced (with the same model). Obviously this has made me skeptical that the issue wasn't with the adapter; it's just that when the old one also didn't work properly, that pointed me towards a Windows/software-related issue. To have useful answers starts with signal strength numbers. That means signal strength or signal to noise ratio in dBs. Your signal is probably less than -70 dBs. MAY be a paltry -80 db most of the time. Better computer manufacturers provide a utility to read these numbers. Or try Netstumbler.com . Once you have those numbers, then first find problem. And then eliminate it. Five bars is useless for solving problems. You need something that provides dB numbers. Did you know a microwave oven can even subvert your numbers? Any answer will only be speculation until you have a tool to discover first what you have. And then can help implement a solution.

Answer»

When I moved into my new apartment a few months back, I bought a new wireless router (Netgear N600 Wireless Extreme for Mac and PC) and a new wireless adapter for my desktop (Netgear WNDA3100). Up until recently, everything was working perfectly. I had good SIGNAL strength, a fast connection, and it always connected to my network right away on startup.

A few weeks ago, the adapter started giving me issues connecting on this one computer. I know it's not a router issue because my phone and other laptop connect flawlessly to the network every TIME with a fast connection. My desktop, though, connects only sporadically. For a long time it would not connect at all. I tried swapping the adapter to my old adapter, which still worked, but got the same results.

Lately, it will connect and show a strong signal strength in the little icon tray, but the speed is very slow. When I go into Networking in the Control Panel, it tells me my speed is only 5.1 Mbps or so, which causes downloading and streaming issues (Youtube, etc). It always used to show ~200 Mbps or so and nothing has changed in my apartment that would affect the signal. The computer is located in the same spot, as well.

I've run updated Malwarebytes and Spybot scans and there are no viruses on the computer, plus I always have Avast running. Any thoughts on what could be causing this issue? The only thing to mention about when it started having the issue is that I had shut it down for HURRICANE Irene, but I unplugged it all before the storm and didn't plug it back in again until we got power, and everything is running through a high end surge protector.What changes have you made to the system sinse it last worked properly?Quote from: Quantos on September 28, 2011, 07:33:41 PM

What changes have you made to the system sinse it last worked properly?

Honestly, nothing. I haven't installed or uninstalled any software (except when I attempted to use my old adapter after the new one started this issue). I hadn't noticed any Windows updates try to install between when it was working and when it started giving me problems, although I've installed all current Windows updates since to try to see if that would solve the problem.

Funny enough, the new adapter stopped working altogether again yesterday, so I figured I'd give the old one one more shot and surprisingly it worked normally. It's a G adapter and I was seeing normal speeds (connected at 54Mbps and Speedtest.net was showing the same fast speeds as my other computer and cell phone when connected to the internet). When I tried hooking up to the new adapter again, it still wouldn't connect, so I'm assuming there is an issue with the new adapter.

I'm not sure why the old one is working now but wasn't before. I'm not certified in any way but I deal quite a bit with computers at home and at work and wouldn't exactly consider myself a novice, but I couldn't figure this issue out. I went through all sorts of troubleshooting (everything from typical stuff such as software/driver updates and virus checks to Windows help site that included downloading different troubleshooting programs and changing various network setting on the computer).

I'm GOING to monitor the old adapter over the next few days and if it continues to work properly, I'll attempt to return the new one and replace it with a different brand/model. When I first bought this new adapter back in June, the initial one I received was DOA so I had to have it replaced (with the same model). Obviously this has made me skeptical that the issue wasn't with the adapter; it's just that when the old one also didn't work properly, that pointed me towards a Windows/software-related issue. To have useful answers starts with signal strength numbers. That means signal strength or signal to noise ratio in dBs. Your signal is probably less than -70 dBs. MAY be a paltry -80 db most of the time.

Better computer manufacturers provide a utility to read these numbers. Or try Netstumbler.com . Once you have those numbers, then first find problem. And then eliminate it. Five bars is useless for solving problems. You need something that provides dB numbers.

Did you know a microwave oven can even subvert your numbers? Any answer will only be speculation until you have a tool to discover first what you have. And then can help implement a solution.

Solve : Network / Internet Connectivity Issue on single computer?

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