Wireless network problem, experts needed! (now sorted!)

[chris321]

Right team, I'm at the end of my tether, something very strange is going on, and I'm at my wits end!

Right, my house is long and narrow, the setup is as follows (going north to south)

Wireless router 1
a wall
wireless router 2
a few walls
wireless repeater
a lot of walls
my room​

Now, the two wireless routers work on different phone lines, completely unrelated to each other. Sort of a backup in case one breaks/explodes. The wireless repeater is connected to 'wireless router 1', and boosts the signal to the other end of the house (inc. my room).

So now we get to the problem, my new laptop refuses to connect to, or even see the repeater. My playstation, phone, and every other computer or wifi capable device can see all three as separate networks, just as they should, but for some reason, my computer won't. It connects just about to 'wireless router 1' (which is newer and more powerful than the one that's connected to the repeater), but it's a fair distance away and there's a lot of concrete so the signal often drops out completely.

Even if I put my laptop right next to the repeater, it won't even see the network. I did this the other day, got nothing, then walked back to my room and when I next looked it HAD connected to the repeater's network, got a great signal etc, exactly as it should. I didn't do anything different, it just connected (I've manually added the network in windows as it never 'see's it). Then I had to re-start my computer, and it now refuses to see it again.

So I can't work out the problem. It will occasionally connect, but for 99% of the time it doesn't even know the repeater's network is there. There are NO other problems with any of the other computers in the house, every one of them (and everyone's phones, consoles etc) see 3 distinct networks. Except my laptop.

My brother has a different laptop to mine, but it's the same make and windows 7 as well, I'm running out of things it could be to be honest!

Any advice leading to the successful resolution of this problem will be rewarded with jaffa cakes. Lots and lots of jaffa cakes.

Chris

P.S. If you're reading this I applaud you, it's a pretty tough read

 

[mmcp42]

suggest you get yourself a piece of sofwtare called inSSIDer
fire it up
it shows you all the routers that your lapdancer can see and which channel they are on
the common mistake is to leave everything on channel 1
so they're all fighting one another
if that's the case try setting onr or more to different channels

good luck

 

[chris321]

suggest you get yourself a piece of sofwtare called inSSIDer
fire it up
it shows you all the routers that your lapdancer can see and which channel they are on
the common mistake is to leave everything on channel 1
so they're all fighting one another
if that's the case try setting onr or more to different channels

good luck

VICTORY IS MINE!

Been playing with it for hours. Gave up in the end and switched the repeater to repeat the signal of the other router, and it works perfectly.

The only difference between the routers is that one uses WPA and the other WEP security, so that's the only possible reason I can come up with!. And I've also (re)learned that wireless repeaters are the most temperamental, irritating, irrational pieces of hardware ever to reach the free market. Our one locks me out of the settings after 3 clicks, that's all you get. Three clicks, and you're out. Ridiculous.

Now, what's this about a lapdancer?!

Chris

 

[Byker28i]

The other point with WEP and WPA is sometimes you have to enter the hex code, not the word you used.

 

[heyho]

Sounds odd!

Can't see how encryption type would prevent detection of the hardware, but if it's sorted now, best not to look any further!

Maybe worth considering some Cat5 run through the loft or a powerline network.

 

[mmcp42]

it might be that one of the routers is set to not broadcast its SSID
ok in you know it, but not much help if you're trying to spot it from afar!

 

[aligibbs]

Ethernet over power rocks for houses like yours (and my parents which has 3m walls)

 

[chris321]

The other point with WEP and WPA is sometimes you have to enter the hex code, not the word you used.

I couldn't get as far as entering the code though, it didn't even see the network at all!

Sounds odd!

Can't see how encryption type would prevent detection of the hardware, but if it's sorted now, best not to look any further!

Maybe worth considering some Cat5 run through the loft or a powerline network.

Me neither, it's a mystery but sorted now so I don't really mind

it might be that one of the routers is set to not broadcast its SSID
ok in you know it, but not much help if you're trying to spot it from afar!

I thought about it initially, but it wouldn't explain why every other device in the house can see it!

Ethernet over power rocks for houses like yours (and my parents which has 3m walls)

That was going to be solution before the repeater, but out wiring is a bit complicated and we have a few different loops, and I wasn't sure how well it would work across different loops (I think not at all?)

Cheers for the suggestions everyone, I'm just happy it's working now!

Chris