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WiFi great for days, then drops intermittently, then great again. WHY ???

Hi, I have FiOS with a verizon Actiontec MI424WR router which I use for two laptops and two tablets. Ever since it was installed last year I've had a very unreliable connection. It would work great for a couple of days, then for the next few days the WiFi connection would regularly drop on ALL devices at once, and I have to turn the power switch off on the router and wait for a minute or two, and turn it back on before my connection is restored. It does not come back on its own if I don't do this. I know it's not my computers or tablets because it happens to all devices simultaneously. When this happens it usually happens several times daily, sometimes more than once an hour, and it would last for a few days. But I also have stretches of days where this does not happen at all, and my connection during those times is great.

Needless to say, this should not be happening, and it is a real pain when I am downloading large files (I have to start all over again), or online gaming (kicks me out of the server). I am living in a high density condo and right now I see 7 other connections with at least 4 bars, but I also had the same problem in my old suburban neighborhood with a different router (same model, also FiOS).

Please help me, thanks.

Comments

walt178

What is the status of your wired connection when this happens? If it isn't practical to leave one of the laptops connected via wire, at least connect it that way before powering the router off/on the next time the problem occurs.

Also, download inSSIDer for Home from the following link. You can use it to select the best channel and also check your signal strentgh.

http://www.metageek.net/products/

hunterx2

Thanks for the response. I don't have a wired connection and its not really practical for me to use an ethernet cable since the router is downstairs from (but directly under) my home office. I can't really predict when the problem occurs. It dropped this morning a couple of hours ago but has been fine since. Who knows when it might drop again, it could be next week, or it might do it 5 times this afternoon.

Is there a free solution ? That software is $200. Thanks.

walt178

"inSSIDer for Home " is free. It is the fifth product down on the page. (The first one listed under Other Products.)

If you can't use wired as a normal connection, the ability to test your wired connection is important when troubleshooting problems. You should be able to connect an RJ45 cable to your router and leave the other end free. Then when the problem occurs, connect a laptop and see if you connect. Without cycling power. If you do, run a speed test to see what your connection is like.

cmargolin

inSSIDer is a useful tool. When you use it, you will want to see whether it's the wireless signal on your router that's dropping or whether there is interference from someone else's WiFi signal on the same channel.

In the latter case, changing your router's channel might help; don't set it to Automatic.

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