Intermittent Wireless Internet Connection - Please Help Me!!!

madamfrugal · ‎07-28-2012

I am frustrated and regret for switching from DSL Express to Uverse when I was promised that speed would be faster than my regular DSL, but it has been a nightmare using the wireless internet. AT&T sent me a self-installation kit with the 2Wire Gateway 3600HGV router and accessories. They also sent out 2 tech guys: 1 tech guy flipped some switch outside, 1 tech guy changed out some cables/wires outside my house.

It has been 2 days with intermittent wireless internet. Internet works fine with ethernet cable, but isn't the whole point of having a wireless router is to have wireless internet working throughout the whole house? When I had DSL Express, my previous 2Wire Gateway router had successful wireless internet connection throughout the whole house with no intermittence.

Originally, the router is located in my home office since I usually use the ethernet cable. But our household has other computers that need to use wireless internet in other rooms of the house. When the router was in my home office, it couldn't even get a signal in other rooms of the house except for 1 bathroom located next to home office. So then, I tried moving to a better central location in the house and changed to a stronger channel with strongest signal using WIFI Analyzer app (available for Android/iPhone apps) then it allowed me to connect to the internet wireless but gives me intermittent wireless internet connection.

I think my problem will be solved if I switch back to my DSL Express and should never gotten persuaded by AT&T rep. Please help me resolve this intremittent wireless internet connection!!! I am so diappointed by AT&T.

Computer-Joe · ‎09-19-2008

While using your WiFi Analyzer, did you happen to notice if there are many other wireless networks that are within range and how they compare to your own regarding signal strength?

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How can you be in two places at once, when your not anywhere at all?
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I really want to become a procrastinator, but I keep putting it off.
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There are three kinds of people, those that can count, and those that can't.
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“Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man, and our politicians take advantage of this prejudice by pretending to be even more stupid than nature has made them." :Bertrand Russell

madamfrugal · ‎07-28-2012

I just re-ran WIFI Analyzer on my Android phone as of Sun 7/29 2:06 PM PST, there are AP List viewable in my home office:

2WIREXXX - Mine shifts between -68 to -71 dBm
2WIRE223 - Neighbor -70 dBm
TWC Clark - Neighbor -90 dBm
NETGEAR - Neighbor -98 dBm (displays & disappears)
HOME__313 - Neighbor -94 dBm (displays & disappears)
Wilmor Dolmo's Network - Neighbor -91 dBm (displays & disappears)
Wilmor Dolmo's Guest Network - Neighbor -91 dBm (displays & disappears)

I'm so disappointed! Gonna go buy a super long ethernet RJ45 cable so second user can connect to laptop & move 2WIRE router back to my home office so I can use the provided ethernet cable. Right now, it is located in a central room that is giving the best signal, but it is still choppy.

Maybe it's something Uverse service in my area or gave me a bad router. If AT&T can't fix this problem by tomorrow then I'm gonna go find the cute little fast "Beep Beep, Beep Beep" creature to resolve my wireless internet, here I come! I have been a 10+ year AT&T customer & this bad customer service is just not acceptable especially for being a long time customer.

Please HELP ME! Any AT&T tech experts online?

Computer-Joe · ‎09-19-2008

madamfrugal wrote:
I just re-ran WIFI Analyzer on my Android phone as of Sun 7/29 2:06 PM PST, there are AP List viewable in my home office:
2WIREXXX - Mine shifts between -68 to -71 dBm
2WIRE223 - Neighbor -70 dBm
TWC Clark - Neighbor -90 dBm
NETGEAR - Neighbor -98 dBm (displays & disappears)
HOME__313 - Neighbor -94 dBm (displays & disappears)
Wilmor Dolmo's Network - Neighbor -91 dBm (displays & disappears)
Wilmor Dolmo's Guest Network - Neighbor -91 dBm (displays & disappears)
I'm so disappointed! Gonna go buy a super long ethernet RJ45 cable so second user can connect to laptop & move 2WIRE router back to my home office so I can use the provided ethernet cable. Right now, it is located in a central room that is giving the best signal, but it is still choppy.

Maybe it's something Uverse service in my area or gave me a bad router. If AT&T can't fix this problem by tomorrow then I'm gonna go find the cute little fast "Beep Beep, Beep Beep" creature to resolve my wireless internet, here I come! I have been a 10+ year AT&T customer & this bad customer service is just not acceptable especially for being a long time customer.

Please HELP ME! Any AT&T tech experts online?

If there's that many networks fighting over the available airspace, there's not much AT&T, or any other provider, can do about that. If Roadrunner uses "G" or "N" 2.4 GHz wireless routers you will have the same problem.

Have you increased your router's signal strength yet?

__________________________________________________________
How can you be in two places at once, when your not anywhere at all?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I really want to become a procrastinator, but I keep putting it off.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are three kinds of people, those that can count, and those that can't.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man, and our politicians take advantage of this prejudice by pretending to be even more stupid than nature has made them." :Bertrand Russell

madamfrugal · ‎07-28-2012

Yes, I changed to the strongest channel which had the strongest signal as suggested by WIFI Analyzer app. Originally, I was on channel 2 (weak signal) then changed to channel 1 (Signal Strength: Excellent).

Thanks for the tip, I will definitely ask Roadrunner which kind of router, they use for high speed internet.

I wasn't having any wireless intermittent issues when I was using DSL Express, so are you saying that it is using different airspace?

Computer-Joe · ‎09-19-2008

What I meant by signal strength is, there is a setting in your 2WIRE to set the actual power level of the wireless transmitter/receiver. Don't remember exactly what page it's on, but it's more than likely on the same page where you changed channels.

__________________________________________________________
How can you be in two places at once, when your not anywhere at all?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I really want to become a procrastinator, but I keep putting it off.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are three kinds of people, those that can count, and those that can't.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man, and our politicians take advantage of this prejudice by pretending to be even more stupid than nature has made them." :Bertrand Russell

madamfrugal · ‎07-28-2012

Sorry, I am new at these wireless technical terms. I hope the below information is the signal strength.

Under Settings - LAN - Wireless page, on Network section, I am on Wireless Channel 1 (2412 MHz). According to the WIFI Analyzer app, the suggested router channels are 1 or 14 which have the strongest signals for my router. The list of available Wireless Channel choices are as follows:

Auto (Default)
1 (2412 MHz)
2 (2417 MHz)
3 (2422 MHz)
4 (2427 MHz)
5 (2432 MHz)
6 (2437 MHz)
7 (2442 MHz)
8 (2447 MHz)
9 (2452 MHz)
10 (2457 MHz)
11 (2462 MHz)

Even though the Wireless Channel looks like it emits the strongest MHz but it has weak signals.

Computer-Joe · ‎09-19-2008

madamfrugal wrote:
Sorry, I am new at these wireless technical terms. I hope the below information is the signal strength.

Under Settings - LAN - Wireless page, on Network section, I am on Wireless Channel 1 (2412 MHz). According to the WIFI Analyzer app, the suggested router channels are 1 or 14 which have the strongest signals for my router. The list of available Wireless Channel choices are as follows:
Auto (Default)
1 (2412 MHz)
2 (2417 MHz)
3 (2422 MHz)
4 (2427 MHz)
5 (2432 MHz)
6 (2437 MHz)
7 (2442 MHz)
8 (2447 MHz)
9 (2452 MHz)
10 (2457 MHz)
11 (2462 MHz)
Even though the Wireless Channel looks like it emits the strongest MHz but it has weak signals.

The first number is just the channel designation like on TV, channel 2, channel 5, channel 7, etc. The second number (in parenthesis) is the channel frequency which is more analogous to radio stations 107.5, 89.5, 96,7, etc.

The power setting I was speaking of is a seperate setting from the channel selection and should have a selection choice of 1 thru 10, if I remember correctly, and is analogous to turning up the volume on whatever channel you pick.

__________________________________________________________
How can you be in two places at once, when your not anywhere at all?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I really want to become a procrastinator, but I keep putting it off.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are three kinds of people, those that can count, and those that can't.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man, and our politicians take advantage of this prejudice by pretending to be even more stupid than nature has made them." :Bertrand Russell

Darknessrise · ‎07-10-2012

The power setting is under "Wireles" then at the bottem of that page under "Advanced Settings"

Computer-Joe · ‎09-19-2008

Darknessrise wrote:
The power setting is under "Wireles" then at the bottem of that page under "Advanced Settings"

Thanks Darkness, it's been a few years since I've had access to a 2WIRE interface.

__________________________________________________________
How can you be in two places at once, when your not anywhere at all?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I really want to become a procrastinator, but I keep putting it off.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are three kinds of people, those that can count, and those that can't.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Our great democracies still tend to think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man, and our politicians take advantage of this prejudice by pretending to be even more stupid than nature has made them." :Bertrand Russell