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From: Carthell on 20 May 2008 22:53
I have a co-worker who owns an eMachines T6532 running XP Media Center
Edition v2002,
service pack 2. The PC has an integrated NIC port which is used to
connect to an Airlink 101
"AP431W", a wireless access point. The device is situated in the
finished basement of the
co-worker's home, immediately behind her LCD monitor. The AP uses the
generic wireless-G
standard to connect to a Westell router/DSL modem supplied by Verizon.

Last week, after a few weeks of uninterrupted operation, her AP lost
the connection. I go to her
house today, and I find out that her PC has assigned to itself an
address within the 169.254.x.x
range. The AP's IP number is 192.168.x.x. I go in, manually assign
the PC a 192.168.x.y address,
log into the AP, check the AP's settings, then set the PC to auto-grab
its address and the DNS settings
from the Westell modem.

The PC thinks for a few seconds, then re-assigns itself a 169 address.
I use the DOS box to re-set the PC's
IP address a few times until the PC shows that it has a problem-less
connection with the static IP address
I gave it, go upstairs, check the Westell settings, change the
security keys on both wireless devices (which
I don't think was changed by the co-worker or anyone who lives with
her; they are users, and don't have the
skills to manipulate computer settings on their own. I'm the last
person who entered the keys).

The Westell modem shows me that the basement PC is connected, so I go
downstairs, set the PC again
to grab its IP information from the local network, and hold my
breath. It works, for now.

Suppose the same behavior happens again. Barring a pesky
environmental problem (I have a similar setup
at home, but the machines in use are 9 year old Compaqs and a Dell
that is about two years old-no problems
encountered!), is there a timing issue that causes the PC to not wait
for the router to assign an IP addess to it?
If it is a timing issue, is there something on the PC that I set to
make the PC less "impatient"?

-d
From: Jack (MVP-Networking). on 21 May 2008 16:12
Hi
Could be that the signal was always marginal but just enough to work.
Some electrical changes in the environment currently deem the signal to be
None functional any more.
May be putting the AP up and high would improve the signal propagation.
Otherwise additional Wireless hardware might be needed to extend signal
coverage.
Extending Distance - http://www.ezlan.net/Distance.html
Wireless Router as an Access Point - http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html
Wireless Modes - http://www.ezlan.net/Wireless_Modes.html
Wireless Bridging - http://www.ezlan.net/bridging.html
Hi Gain Antenna - http://www.ezlan.net/antennae.html
Jack (MVP-Networking).



"Carthell" <carthell(a)charm.net> wrote in message
news:94332455-2e2c-4593-8486-ae5ed5a6b8a9(a)s50g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
>I have a co-worker who owns an eMachines T6532 running XP Media Center
> Edition v2002,
> service pack 2. The PC has an integrated NIC port which is used to
> connect to an Airlink 101
> "AP431W", a wireless access point. The device is situated in the
> finished basement of the
> co-worker's home, immediately behind her LCD monitor. The AP uses the
> generic wireless-G
> standard to connect to a Westell router/DSL modem supplied by Verizon.
>
> Last week, after a few weeks of uninterrupted operation, her AP lost
> the connection. I go to her
> house today, and I find out that her PC has assigned to itself an
> address within the 169.254.x.x
> range. The AP's IP number is 192.168.x.x. I go in, manually assign
> the PC a 192.168.x.y address,
> log into the AP, check the AP's settings, then set the PC to auto-grab
> its address and the DNS settings
> from the Westell modem.
>
> The PC thinks for a few seconds, then re-assigns itself a 169 address.
> I use the DOS box to re-set the PC's
> IP address a few times until the PC shows that it has a problem-less
> connection with the static IP address
> I gave it, go upstairs, check the Westell settings, change the
> security keys on both wireless devices (which
> I don't think was changed by the co-worker or anyone who lives with
> her; they are users, and don't have the
> skills to manipulate computer settings on their own. I'm the last
> person who entered the keys).
>
> The Westell modem shows me that the basement PC is connected, so I go
> downstairs, set the PC again
> to grab its IP information from the local network, and hold my
> breath. It works, for now.
>
> Suppose the same behavior happens again. Barring a pesky
> environmental problem (I have a similar setup
> at home, but the machines in use are 9 year old Compaqs and a Dell
> that is about two years old-no problems
> encountered!), is there a timing issue that causes the PC to not wait
> for the router to assign an IP addess to it?
> If it is a timing issue, is there something on the PC that I set to
> make the PC less "impatient"?
>
> -d

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