Click to See Complete Forum and Search --> : Wireless network problems in Media Center Edition.. Help needed.


cornellian
11-19-2005, 04:19 PM
Hi everyone,
I checked many threads before posting this but couldn't find an appropriate solution to my problems.. This will be a long post, so please bear with me. I have a Windows Media Center Edition OS computer connected to the wireless network of the landlord by a linksys wireless-b network adapter (v4.0, 80211.b).. The problem with Media Center Edition is if you install SP2, then you lose the capabilities of the media center and get a xp home, so I am stuck with pre SP2.


My problem is that I am often having trouble connecting to Internet, even though the landlord says they are online and without problems. When I turn of the computer, it rarely is ready to connect to Internet as it should be. Sometimes the info box reads 'signal strength low' (that is 2 boxes out of 5), and I can't connect to Internet, sometimes it is 'wireless network not available'.. I disable-enable again and there are two possible outcomes:

1) one or two networks have been found window => I check 'connect even if not secure' box but 50% of the time get once again the same 'one or two networks have been found' box. The other 50%? Read on:

2) wireless connection successful window => If I get lucky, then I get an excellent signal strength and then can connect. If not I may get 0.0.0.0 as my ip address and my subnet mask, and nothing for the gateway(all the while it shows signal as excellent); or I may get a valid (192.168.etc) ip address and a subnet mask but not a gateway so can't connect(again, signal= excellent). Most of the time it starts with 0.0.0.0 and excellent signal, and drops to low signal when it assigns me an ip and all, so I can't connect (low signal doesn't mean low speed for me, it means no internet at all).

I have tried reinstalling the drivers, which are already the latest version.. Any help will be greatly appreciated, thanks a lot.

cszeto
12-17-2005, 11:29 PM
Since it appears that you do not own any of the wireless connections that you are riding on, you might just be out of luck in the optimal configuration of those wireless points with regards you receiving a good strong signal (and maybe "stealing" services depending on local laws around the subject). This is probably not a configuration issue of anything that is actually under your system's control.