I have recently bought a new Acer laptop & am having all sorts of difficulties connecting wirelessly to the internet.

I have a Netgear DG834GT router which is also wired connected to PC, PS3 & XBOX360 - the router is situated near my amp, game consoles & PV box.

When trying to connect via laptop, I am sat around 6 feet away…… sometimes it will connect first time but then drop out minutes later & then I am unable to connect again. Sometimes I can connect again but will continue to drop out again & again. & then sometimes I cant connect at all.

I have moved router to more central position in room - no difference
I have changed to different channels on router (1,6,11) - no difference
I have switched off all security on router - no difference
I have switched off all AV equipment (ie TV, Sky box) - no difference
I have moved laptop right next to router - no difference
I have pulled hands free phones power from mains - no difference
I have checked power settings on laptop - no difference
Used inSSIDer when i have eventually connected & I seem to get signal strength of about 50...I can see other peoples connections & they have a strength no more than 10 but have moved channels further away but I again get drop outs)

When connected I am getting a d/l rate of around 2 mb/s (my wired PC gets around 3-4mb/s)

I assume it's something to with interference (??) but can anyone help

Cheers in advance

André

tried disconnecting the wired ones from the router?

Hi

Yes I have

I have also connected wired from laptop to router & everything works fine

if you can go to a wifi hotspot and check if the adapter functions properly. if so eliminate the wireless adapter as the source of the problem and suspect the router. i've had a couple wireless routers go south.

Have you checked the manufacturer's website for updated drivers/firmware & info on any known issues ?
Is the wireless device a removeable one ? If so, remove it ... check it for obvious signs of damage and clean any dust etc off it if need be, then re-attach it properly. Remember to ensure the aerial is re-connected of course

Considering the hassle you've gone to already then you might just like to buy a new wireless adaptor, they're pretty cheap. £10+. A USB one is probably cheapest, but if you don't like it physically sticking out from the laptop, then you could get a PCMCIA one if your laptop has a slot for it. I see you're from the UK. I've bought a lot of items from uk online retailers over the years and found ebuyer to be cheap and reliable. this cheap adaptor has many good reviews

Edit: oh yeah, surfer's right. take the router's wireless out of the equation first

you hopefully have already sorted this, but a good thing to try is if you log into your router, try changing the wireless to a different channel. Skip at least 3 channels so if it is on 5 go to at least 8. Reboot the router and see if that helps.

If your neighbours are on the sale channel, your wireless card will get all confused with signals on the same frequency. Would explain the drop outs