System: One new Dell Latitude D600 laptop w/Truemobile Wireless b/g, Linksys 802.11b wireless router, cable modem, Windows XP Pro.
The user of this system has been unable to maintain a solid, consistent internet connection since installing his home wireless network. He reports that the problem is worst when using AIM and MSN. It may work fine for 5-10 minutes then the messages will be delayed (up to a minute) or the connection will drop then quickly restore itself (sign off and back on). It may then start working fine again for a short time. It’s a cycle.
When using MSIE, he reports that the connection will just freeze or stop loading pages briefly, then start working. With Outlook Express, it sometimes fails to collect mail (POP).
** I just went to his house with my similarly configured laptop and I am NOT experiencing the same problems.** However, when I send a few IM’s to him, they are indeed sometimes delayed and then delivered all at once in a block.
Both laptops reports an excellent signal operating at 11Mbps.
Here?s what we?ve tried:
– Confirmed no firewall is active
– Router is in default configuration, no ports appear blocked
– Disabled powersave on the wireless adapter
– Plugged the laptop directly into the router (via cable) and we get same problems
– Physically moved the router to a new location
The catch: it seems to work normally when we plug the laptop directly into the cable modem (no router).
The keys here are that it’s intermittent and it does NOT occur on my laptop. His main complaint is with AIM and MSN. Any ideas on how to remedy these internet dropouts?
Thanks!!