Question
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Topic
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Wireless Time out
LockedMy IBM ThinkPad T42p runs XP SP-2 and connects wirelessly to a LinkSys Wireless Router BEFW11S4 to which three other computers (all desktops, all with XP SP-2) are connected wirelessly. None of these three machines have any problem and, together with my laptop, are all within the same apartment. All machines are protected by an identical (version etc.) software firewall / antivirus / anti- spam program made by Computer Associates which gets updated automatically.
My laptop functioned perfectly till about a month ago when suddenly it started with this annoying ?time out? sickness. For whatever reason and at no identifiable intervals I get a message telling me that the machine cannot access my email account anymore because there was a time out. Whatever I do, nothing improves the situation (like ipconfig /release /renew etc). Just for the detail, my power settings for the wireless card are put to ?no interruptions?. Most of the time when these time outs happen I have to log off and login again on my desktop to be able to go on the internet again. But even that is not working each time and more often than not the only solution I have is to reboot the laptop altogether which, evidently, is at best a pain in the neck, since in one evening I may have to do that 3 to 4 times!
I tried to find solutions in various discussion groups, but none of the recommendations I read and applied seem to work. I submitted the issue to Computer Associates and they thought I might have a virus. I followed their instructions religiously and did several scans, even one launched from their server. No virus was found in these elaborate procedures, most of them done in safe mode, and the situation has NOT improved.
The other day someone suggested that this might be a deliberate attempt by Microsoft, through the almost daily updates which are automatically installed, to screw up computers in order to push people towards Vista. I cannot exclude this, but than again, why would the desktops not have the same trouble, unless such screw ups were mainly directed towards portables which, probably, represent the majority of the wirelessly connected computers.
Thanks in advance for any help.
R.G.
