Problems with Linksys adapter.

[Movieguy]

I recently got a new Linksys WUSB600N WIreless N adapter, to go with the new Linksys Router my mother got for the main computer downstairs. My mother can connect to this router via her Acer Notebook without any problems.

My computer, however, is having issues. My WUSB600N tends to drop the connection rather frequently, for a few seconds, then reconnect. Just today, it went down, and it took half an hour for it to regain the connection by itself.

Whenever I try to refresh the list of available networks when a disconnect like that happens, the adapter can only only detect the network from my neighbor's house. Usually a restart helps, but today it really didn't.

Why is my adapter having so much trouble keeping our network in range, and why does it keep disconnecting?

 

[jmacavali]

How far away are you? What kind of signal strength are you getting? Have you tried using it in the same room as the router to see if the same thing happens?

 

[Movieguy]

I'm not sure how I'd try it in the same room as the router. My room is on the second floor of the house, and the router is on the first. As for the signal strength, it usually shows "Very Good", though there are times when it seems stuck on "Low".

 

[jmacavali]

Try bringing your Moms laptop up and see if it can get and keep a signal. Does the router have security on it? Take it off and see if that makes a difference. Maybe the wireless adapter doesn't support what you're using on the router. Unistall/Reinstall the adapter driver and/or software. If you're using the software, uninstall it and just use the driver.

 

[Movieguy]

My Mom's room is close to mine on the second floor. She can use her Notebook up there with no problems, even through a closed door.

I'm not sure what my router is using for security, and I'm hesitant to mess around with it and leave the network exposed.

I'm also using the software that came on the CD, which leads to another issue. I can't seem to update the driver. I downloaded it from the Linksys website, but all I got was a "WinXPX64" folder, with no exe files, just something that identifies as a Video CD file, and won't open.

 

[jmacavali]

You can turn the security off for a little while to test if you can connect and then turn it back on. I really doubt anyone will even notice...

That sounds like a driver for the 64 bit version of Windows. Is that the version you have? I would take a look again at their website and see if you can find the right file.

Nevermind, I went there and found the same thing you did. I got an X64 folder but I also got a 2KXP folder. What you'll need to do to update it (since there's no .exe) is to go into the Device Manager, find the adapter, right-click it, update driver, manually find the driver, point it to the right folder and it should find the .ini file and use it to update.

The other option might be that built into the software is some option to update the driver.

 

[Movieguy]

Well, I tried updating through the device manager, and it says that it can't find a better match than what I have now. I'm not sure how to access the software itself, as the only thing it can bring up is a message that says that I already have another utility for connecting (Wireless Zero Configuration).

 

[jmacavali]

Ok. In device manager did you tell it to find the best driver? You have to manually pick the driver you want to load.

When it says "What do you want the wizard to do?" and it gives you the choice of "Install...automatically" or "Install....specific location" you have to choose the Install...specific location option and browse to the folder you downloaded off the net.

 

[Movieguy]

I tried that. The computer can't seem to detect what's in the folder, because it gives me the exact same message every time I try.

 

[jmacavali]

Did you re-download the files? Maybe it got corrupt on the download.

Otherwise, I'm at a loss.

Maybe there is some interference between you and the router. I know you said your mom's room is nearby but there could be something between your room and the router (phone lines, cable lines, electrical lines, plumbing, etc) that may not run between her room and the router.

I've also just seen dead spots in certain houses. I troubleshooted an issue at my old job where someone could be at the oppossite end of the house and get a strong signal, but couldn't get a signal in the room below the router. I've also been at a house where I couldn't sit on the kitchen counter and get a signal, but if I moved 2 feet away from the counter it came in fine. There is sometimes things that get in the way and interfere with the connection.

Thought of moving the modem/router or hardwiring?