Intel 2200bg Losing Speed, then disconnecting

Question

Greetings! I'm wondering if anyone else has the same trouble as I'm having.

I'll first explain the problem, then I'll explain the set up and what I've done to try and correct the problem.

I just got a new Inspiron 8600 with the Intel 2200bg chip in it. However, the card seems to gradually lose speed (54mb, then 48, 24, 11, 4, 2, 1), and then drops the connection. It then in about 1 minute reconnects at full speed and signal strength again. My 8500 with the TrueMobile card didn't do this at all. And I have other wireless devices on my network (both "B" and "G" devices) that don't do it. Ok here's my set up. When I open the Intel "statistics" page I'm noticing 20% or more "missed AP beacons", between 2-25% "transmit retries" and pretty slow throughput.

1. The router I'm using is the WRT54G by Linksys.
2. The computer is about 20 feet from the router, and get's an 80% signal strength.
3. I've disabled the "wireless zero configuration" under services in my control panel and have configured the card with the Intel software
4. I've changed the channel on my router several times to channel 1, 3, 8, and 2. No effect.
5. My girlfriend has the exact same laptop and her's performs similarly on this network.

Is it normal for wireless cards to drop speeds like this? For example, since the start of this post I've now dropped to 48Mbps.
Does anyone else notice high "missed AP beacons" and "transmit retries" in their statistics menu?

Any ideas for me? Thanks!

johnallg · Answer

Covered many times - latest 2200 driver and router firmware, uncheck use 802.1x Authentication, search if you need more.

anthony26 · Answer

Sound like your on the right track. I would follow the recommendations from johnallg. Be sure to have the latest Intel Drivers as well as the latest firmware installed on your router. Also if you have the Windows XP WPA patch try uninstalling it. Note: I recommend updating the firmware on the router at least three consecutive times, after the third time reset the system back to default settings then reconfigure. It's also noted that if you set your to work in only G mode this may help with connectivity. BTW are you using PPPOE connection with your setup. I've been experiencing a recent problem with my router going down. I have to unplug the power for a short time. It's only been happening since I had my D600 centrino solution for approx 2 months, however I am not sure if it's my DSL modem going bad or my Centrino solution affecting the router. Let me know if you have a similar setup and experience similar problems. Thanks and hope everything works out.

mrminator · Answer

Ok. I've downloaded and installed the latest drivers but it still drops and does the same thing.

Interestingly enough, when I enabled WEP on my network it seems to have eliminated the problem. I wonder why.

mrminator · Answer

Here's the latest update. WEP did help the problem to occurr less, but in the end, it was still dropping me several times per day. When my girlfriend got the exact same laptop and got on my network and her computer was rock stable I knew it must be a problem with my system.

I called Dell and they sent me out a new Intel ProWireless card. I put it in and now my connection is rock stable. I hope this is helpful to someone else as well. If you do all the steps and still have the problem, there's a possibility you have a card that's not quite up to standards.

All the best to you. Thanks guys for the help as well.

mrminator · Answer

I haven't discovered one. I'm using a Linksys WRT54G router and I wonder if there's a compatibility issue there. The reason I say this is because I also use the computer on a 802.11b connection and don't experience these issues. The 11mb router is a DLink.

I now have an Inspiron 700m with the 2250BG card and it does the same thing so I don't think it's a problem with the laptops themselves

gamco · Answer

Same here.  Inspiron 6000.  Full speed at connection.  If left alone, will find it at 1 mbs and disconnected.  'Repair' connection restores full speed.   Posts say use the new drivers, the old drivers, etc.  Is there a definitive explanation?   Thanks.

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

Intel 2200bg Losing Speed, then disconnecting

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