Wireless router stopped working...what to check?
 

I have a wireless router in my home office. The desk machine is hooked in through the router, but my work laptop will no longer connect. It will show up on the list of wireless networks, but it can't seem to connect. I have checked the codes for the security and I'm still have trouble... time for a new router?

Reboot the router?

If that doesn't work, connect back in via CAT 5 cable and check setup and / or reflash.

my set up does that randomly
the cat 5 connections are fine and work 24/7
the wireless is very flakie
rebooting does reconnect but it will crash again in a few hours

on my unit you have to unplug the power to reboot

Who makes the router? I had a linksys a few years back. After the one year time it started losing ports. One port stopped working, then a second and finally I was down to the WiFi and one port.

I called linksys and they could have cared less as it was one month past the warranty date. Bought a netgear unit and its worked for three years just fine.

Could be your router going out... and not just settings.

It's a Belkin and it was free (new) from my brother. I think part of the problem was it was picking up my network too low in the queue. It would pick up my neighbor's (unsecured...he's an IT guy!) before mine. Seems to work now. For now.

Mine stopped working when a neighbor's tree got struck by lightning.

Reboot the router, check for firmware updates, if the router configured to allow via MAC address, delete and readd the entry for your MAC. I have a netgear that would occassionally drop my computer. Updated to the latest firmware and presto, have never been dropped since.

+3.14

There were 3 guys went out to lunch. On the way back, the car suddently shake and stop running. The dirver pulled over and exhaled "we are going to be late", then they start to guess what the problem was. The guy sit in the back, who was a geology engineer said "I think it's just an after shock". The guy up front, who was a chemical engineer said "then how come the car doesn't start now? I think there must be something in the gas. Where did you get gas last time?". The driver, who was a mechanical engineer said "no no, I know cars. I think it might just be a battery". Another guy sit in the back, who was a software engineer said "you guys keep talking about problem but I hear no one talk about solution." Everyone turn around and ask "What is your solution?". The SW engineer responsed "FIRST THING WE SHOULD DO is getting out of the car, then get back in, shut the doors, and start the car as... REBOOTING it"

I've had mixed results with DLink and LinkSys routers, but my experiences with NetGear routers/switches has been 100% positive. Ther're all cheap and easy to confogure, but the NetGear hardware seems to last longer. Just my .02 worth...