Need help with wireless network

[zmzhang]

Hi, a couple months ago, I got a SMC 7004AWBR wireless router with a D-Link DWL-520+ wireless card. At first, it was stable. Recently, it is becomming more and more unstable. I need to pull the plug and reset it every few hours since the internet gets dropped.
Recently, comcast upgraded the cable internet in my area to 3mb/s. I reset the modem and the router and when I did multiple speed tests, I was getting around 300k/s. I pluged another computer directly into the modem and the speed test for that was 2.8mb/s. I tried updating the firmware, which didn't really solve any problems.
A friend suggested I download network stumbler to see the stats on the router's broadcast. I've noticed that the router's broadcast sometimes shuts off for a second then turns back on. Example
Any suggestions?

 

[AFB]

In a command promp on the wireless computer, type without quotes "ping Ip_address_of_router -t". After about two minutes, hit ctrl+c. Post the results.

 

[zmzhang]

Results:

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\User\Desktop>ping 192.168.123.254 -t

Pinging 192.168.123.254 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=13ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=9ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.123.254: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64

Ping statistics for 192.168.123.254:
Packets: Sent = 138, Received = 138, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 4ms, Maximum = 13ms, Average = 5ms

 

[AFB]

That looks fine, do you have any 2.4 GHz wireless phones?

Also, try reinstalling the drivers for the network card.

 

[zmzhang]

I do have a 2.4ghz cordless phone. But when I turn it on and go through the channels, the ping is unaffected. I tried reinstalling the drivers and I get the same result.

 

[AFB]

Try updating the routers firmware. You can normaly find this on the manufactures website.

 

[sharq]

Your network stumbler screen shot says that it picked up 2 AP's where you are. Is the second AP also yours? Do you know if it was a new addition to your area? That might be causing some interference. One way to solve this would be to move the wireless router around. Could be other things, but it's a thought.

 

[zmzhang]

I have the latest firmware in my router. The second AP isn't mine. The two AP are on different channels though. I'll try moving the AP around

 

[sharq]

Yeah, I noticed the channel difference, but if it's on the same frequency (which it most probably is) then it can cause interference. If a cordless phone and even a microwave can do it, any 2.4ghz device will cause some interference. Anyways, let us know if moving your AP helped.

 

[AFB]

Don't worry about it to much, my router does this to.