Problem with multiple laptops connecting via wireless

Call Me Jimmy

Hey, I don't see any recent threads regarding this problem.

I have a Linksys wireless router connected to a PC downstairs directly. The internet works perfectly and all is grand down there.

The problem occurs when I am connected to the internet wirelessly on my laptop. Anytime my sister turns on her laptop (which automatically connects to the internet) she gets a connection for a minute and then both our connections drop.

This happens every time without fail. Before she got her laptop my laptop had almost no connection-dropping.

Does anyone have any idea what the problem is?

Thanks in advance for any help.
Jim

irlrobins

Do you have DHCP enabled on router and both laptops?
Have you allocated enough ip addresses to the allocation pool?
What model Linksys router do you have?

Call Me Jimmy

Ok well DHCP is enabled on the router, I can't seem to find where it says if it is enabled on the laptops. Could you point me where to go?

It says there are 50 DHCP addresses available in the router DHCP thing.

I am unsure as to how to check how many IP addresses are in the 'IP address pool'.

Thanks a lot

irlrobins

Ok 50 addresses are available via DHCP or in the ip pool.

To check to see if your laptops are getting ip addresses assigned by dhcp do this: Start->Control Panel->Network Connections. Right click on your wireless connection icon, choose properties.

In the new window that opens, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and then click properties. You should have "obtain an ip address automatically" ticked.

Call Me Jimmy

Hmmm both obtain IP addresses automatically and the DHCP thing in the router is as i said... it mustn't be that then...

irlrobins

Ok try this, connect to wireless network using ur laptop (leave sis's off). Once you're connected, open a command prompt (start->run->cmd) and enter "ipconfig". Note the ip address it has (prop 192.168.1.x). Leave your laptop on and boot up your sis's. Once it's connected check it's ip address in the same manner as above. Let us know if they are the same or different.

Call Me Jimmy

my ip is 192.168.1.100
hers is ............... 103

hmmm...... does that change anything? btw thanks a lot for the quick replies

irlrobins

No not really. My first thought was that the problem was due to an ip address conflict. However this does not seem to be the case.

TBH, I'm not sure what could be causing this. Sorry.

Saruman

Does it work both ways? If she is on first and you connect does she get kicked off?

Call Me Jimmy

Hmm... well the crazy thing is that I havent dropped a connection since I first posted, I doubt its fixed tho coz I don't think I actually changed anything.

Normally hers would knock mine off as well, its commutative.

irlrobins

Call Me Jimmy wrote:

well the crazy thing is that I havent dropped a connection since I first posted

Ah, the magic of boards.ie....

Call Me Jimmy

Arrrrrghh still happening... I have established we are not using the same IPs so is there anything else that could be causing our loss of connection?

This is so pissing off

Call Me Jimmy

we both have to turn the router off and then on again and restart our laptops to pick up the signal from the router again, then if we both use the internet it drops.

Does anyone know even who I should ring to get some info?

irlrobins

Well sounds like a router problem so prob best to contact Linksys. Contact details on their website.

Call Me Jimmy

ok thanks, will do.