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Sudden loss of internet over wireless

We have had FiOS internet since October 2010 and have had no problems whatsoever. Yesterday morning, we lost internet connection for our two laptops which connect wirelessly to the router. Since then, the connection has been very sporadic, more often without internet than with.

The router is downstairs and the laptops are most often used in the room directly above it, so about 10 feet away. Even sitting right next to the router though, we still have the problem. I can see the router just fine on both laptops and it connects just fine, signal strength between 80-90%. It will work for 1-5 minutes, then pages will stop loading.

This is what I have already tried:

1. Reboot the laptops.

2. Reboot ALL computers (the two laptops and our hardwired desktop).

3. Switch from channel "Automatic" to channel 1.

4. Switch to channel 6.

5. Switch to channel 11 (this would not work AT ALL).

6. Disconnect the router, wait 2 minutes, reconnect.

7. Reset the router using the reset button on the back.

8. Move the router to a different location in the house.

None of these methods improved the situation. We were getting 25-30mbps download and 20-25mbps upload on ALL THREE computers until yesterday. Since then, even when the laptops can connect to the internet, speed is averaging 3mbps down and 5mbps up. The desktop is still at 30/25.

The wireless indicator light on the router will go from steady ON to blinking every few seconds. The globe icon (I assume that's the internet connection indicator) does the same, but I'm not noticing any loss of connection for the desktop so I'm not sure what the blinking indicates for that one.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I assume Tech Support will tell me to try the same methods I already tried, so I wanted to ask here first.

Comments

Hubrisnxs

Sounds like you tried just about everything. Im curious if the hardwire one is behaving the same way. Om assuming no, because you left it out in the description but you didn't explicitely say so, so I wanted to make sure. If the wired one works like a champ, and you've tried all three channels and that didn't work, then it sounds like the router is just starting to go bad. Unless anything changed with regards to new equipment at the house causing interference. Might be time for a new router.

If the wired one is spotty too, then you can try resetting the battery back up/ont

Follow the instructions at this faq

Hubrisnxs

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/16357

chillynds

Thanks for your response. No, the wired desktop doesn't seem to be having any problems whatsoever. I can't imagine the router could be going up already, it's the one Verizon gave us and we've only had it since October, so about 6 months. I guess I'll have to call them up and see if they have any other ideas or get someone out here to check the router. Thanks again.

Hubrisnxs

Well if a laptop is that close to it and all three channels , you should be able to get a stable connection. That's why I think possible bad router unless you can think of any cordless phones in the same room, cabinets cfl lightbulbs etc.... its either the router or something generating wireless interference. Ya know? Also the router gets internet through the coax, so if you want to, you can move it to any room with a working coax. You might need a splitter (5-1000 mhz) if it gets it closer to the pc's then that might be some help

jmw1950

Unfortunately Wi-Fi uses spectrum that is unlicensed, consequently it is available for anyone to use for approved applications as long as the objective of use is NOT to interfere with other users. This means that there are any number of potential devices that can (and do) interfere with Wi-Fi Service. Cordless phones are probably the largest single cause however, but microwave ovens, and blue tooth adapters all operate in the same band used for Wi-Fi. Suffices to say that it doesn't take a lot of leakage from a 1000 watt microwave oven to wipe out the few milliwatts that is typically used in 802.11b/g/n.

Depending upon the design of the system, you may be able to avoid the problem to using another Wi-Fi 'Channel', but there is no guarantee that your next door neighbor, or some other application is not using the other channels as well.

802.11a operates in a different band, however 802.11a equipment is much less common (and more expensive) then is 802.11b/g/n equipment. If you really cannot live with the situation,you might consider buying a 802.11a Wireless access point, and equipping your laptop with a card capable of 802.11a

Your other choice would be to try to overcome the interfere by equipping your wireless access point with a directional antenna to raise the effective radiated power.

chillynds

I'm aware that there are a bunch of things that could interfere with the signal. But the problem started very suddenly with no changes to our network and no addition of any electronic equipment in the house. We don't have cordless phones in the room, no microwave, nothing. All that's in there is the desktop, the router, and a tv with a FiOS digital box, which is exactly the same setup we've had since we FiOS was installed.

Also, I've tried all the channels with no improvement. I find it hard to believe that all of our neighbors are using every available channel and that their signals are interfering with ours... we've only got two neighbors close enough to get in the way! Plus, if that were the case, wouldn't the problem be that I'd be unable to connect to the router? The signal strength is just fine and I'm able to connect without problems, it's just that I'm still not getting internet connection when on the wireless network.

Does anyone know of a way to bypass the wifi on the verizon router and use a third-party router instead? I just want to test if I'm able to connect to the internet with our old linksys router, but I don't know how to do that since we have this Verizon modem/router combo and I'm not sure if the wifi on it can be turned off to use just as the modem.

Hubrisnxs

@chillynds wrote:

Does anyone know of a way to bypass the wifi on the verizon router and use a third-party router instead? I just want to test if I'm able to connect to the internet with our old linksys router, but I don't know how to do that since we have this Verizon modem/router combo and I'm not sure if the wifi on it can be turned off to use just as the modem.

this is a wonderful solution, I think a lot of us here do the same.

Easily done, and you can follow these instructions.

Can I use my wireless or an extra router along with the Verizon provided router?

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