[H-GEN] peculiar wireless problem on Mandrake laptop

[David O'Brien]

I'm not saying this is the answer, but...

I wondered if it were just a simple case of interference between the laptop 
and the WAP, but given the proximity (about 10ft) I wouldn't have thought so. 
However, I cleared the path a bit, removed a couple of obstructions and am 
currently sending this email by wirelessly ssh'ing into my Linux box and 
running KMail. I've also successfully been to several sites on the web.

Simple solution to perplexing problem?  Time will tell...

David


On Thursday 14 July 2005 00:32, David O'Brien wrote:
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>
> I have Mandrake 10.1 installed on a Dell D800. I use a Netgear wireless
> card to connect to my wireless access point at home, have been using if for
> several months with no trouble. It just hooks up and works (infrastructure
> mode, not ad hoc). I use smb4k, gaim, Firefox, do all sorts of remote
> connections to other boxes (Windows and Linux) at home, the whole works.
>
> Yesterday I installed 3 different instances of XP Pro in VMWare (part of
> Diploma study requirements). I did this in class, and while there was no
> internet or "outside" lan connectivity at the time, I made the three
> installs part of the same workgroup and they could all talk to each other
> fine. I have other Virtual Machines installed which I have used before,
> they connect to the Internet fine. I'm not sure if the Virtual Machine info
> is related to the problem or not.
>
> Part way through the evening we considered hooking up the laptop to the
> wireless lan in the classroom. I got as far as plugging in the card and was
> about to start "fiddling" the configuration but decided against it because
> I didn't really need it in the classroom and I had reservations about
> messing with the setup anyway, rememberiing past experience with wireless
> setup, and being a bit green in the Linux department.
>
> Since then, the wireless connection has been really iffy at home. It does
> connect, but the signal strength is bad, it drops out a lot, I can't
> connect to the Internet (although, strangely, when I start Firefox it goes
> straight to the home page. I can rarely go anywhere else).  smb4k is
> completely unreliable and gaim, etc., keeps dropping connections. I have no
> idea what's going on. If I connect to the lan with cable everything is
> perfect. With just wireless (eth1) I get an IP address, I can ping
> everything on the lan, netmasks, etc., all seem fine, it just seems to lose
> the plot trying to do anything else. One thing I have noticed, if I connect
> to gaim or whatever it seems *reasonable*, but if I then go and try to
> connect to the 'net, Firefox basically hangs and the whole shebang goes
> pear-shaped.
>
> Apologies for being so long-winded. I'm at a loss as to know what's going
> on here. Any suggestions welcome.
>
> thanks a lot
> David

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