I have a 17" powerbook running Panther, and a home WiFi network with a
Linksys wireless router. Sometimes everything is fine for days; lately, it's
been losing its airport connection (can't see the router, not just the
outside network) - about once a day, the airport icon at the top of the
screen becomes grayed out and that's it... All other computers in my house
continue functioning, so I know it's not the router itself. The good news
is that rebooting the machine brings everything back to normal. But it's a
pain! I shouldn't have to reboot OSX that often. Any thoughts? Anyone knows
why this might happen, how to diagnose it, and what I can do about it?
Thanks!!

--

Mike Levin
mlevin77@comcast.net

In article <BC0B151B.6A58%mlevin77@comcast.net>,
Michael Levin <mlevin77@comcast.net> wrote:

> I have a 17" powerbook running Panther, and a home WiFi network with a
> Linksys wireless router. Sometimes everything is fine for days; lately, it's
> been losing its airport connection (can't see the router, not just the
> outside network) - about once a day, the airport icon at the top of the
> screen becomes grayed out and that's it... All other computers in my house
> continue functioning, so I know it's not the router itself. The good news
> is that rebooting the machine brings everything back to normal. But it's a
> pain! I shouldn't have to reboot OSX that often. Any thoughts? Anyone knows
> why this might happen, how to diagnose it, and what I can do about it?
> Thanks!!

Do you have the latest version of the Airport software? Do you have to
completely reboot the machine or can you a) Use Internet Connection to
turn off Airport and turn it back on or b) Change to a different
location (under the Apple menu) and then back again? Also, do you have
other wireless network connections or is this the only one? If it's the
only one, have you ruled out some kind of interference in the 2.4 GHz
band? (You could get a copy of MacStumbler to check this out; also to
make sure you have a signal to work with.)

Hope this helps to diagnose the problem.

Don

--
Donald S. Hall, Ph.D.
Apps & More Software Design, Inc.
www.appsandmore.com
don at appsandmore dot com
"Schedule your AppleScripts with Script Timer"

I am running Autoupdate, so I'm assuming my Airport software is the latest.
I have not tried the other methods you mention, so I'll try them next time
it loses network. This is the only wireless connection I'm supposed to have,
but having downloaded and run MacStumbler, I do see two other wifi networks
in range, although weaker than mine - must be the neighbors! I will also try
running it next time I have this problem, to see if I even see the wifi
signal. Thanks!

Mike

On 12/21/03 11:33 PM, in article
spamback-C44210.21334321122003@news.telus.net, "Donald Hall"
<spamback@127.0.0.1> wrote:

> In article <BC0B151B.6A58%mlevin77@comcast.net>,
> Michael Levin <mlevin77@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> I have a 17" powerbook running Panther, and a home WiFi network with a
>> Linksys wireless router. Sometimes everything is fine for days; lately, it's
>> been losing its airport connection (can't see the router, not just the
>> outside network) - about once a day, the airport icon at the top of the
>> screen becomes grayed out and that's it... All other computers in my house
>> continue functioning, so I know it's not the router itself. The good news
>> is that rebooting the machine brings everything back to normal. But it's a
>> pain! I shouldn't have to reboot OSX that often. Any thoughts? Anyone knows
>> why this might happen, how to diagnose it, and what I can do about it?
>> Thanks!!
>
> Do you have the latest version of the Airport software? Do you have to
> completely reboot the machine or can you a) Use Internet Connection to
> turn off Airport and turn it back on or b) Change to a different
> location (under the Apple menu) and then back again? Also, do you have
> other wireless network connections or is this the only one? If it's the
> only one, have you ruled out some kind of interference in the 2.4 GHz
> band? (You could get a copy of MacStumbler to check this out; also to
> make sure you have a signal to work with.)
>
> Hope this helps to diagnose the problem.
>
> Don

--

Mike Levin
mlevin77@comcast.net

I tried what you suggested, with the following results. When the airport
signal disappeared this time, I first checked MacStumbler. It saw nothing
whatsoever (together with the grayed-out Airport status indicator, this
suggests that the card itself stops working - not that there is anything
wrong with the signal). I then tried changing to a different location and
back, and turning Airport on and off. Neither helped - still no signal. I
then rebooted, and got it back no problem. Does anyone have any ideas why
the Airport might stop working and need to be rebooted?

Mike

>> In article <BC0B151B.6A58%mlevin77@comcast.net>,
>> Michael Levin <mlevin77@comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>> I have a 17" powerbook running Panther, and a home WiFi network with a
>>> Linksys wireless router. Sometimes everything is fine for days; lately, it's
>>> been losing its airport connection (can't see the router, not just the
>>> outside network) - about once a day, the airport icon at the top of the
>>> screen becomes grayed out and that's it... All other computers in my house
>>> continue functioning, so I know it's not the router itself. The good news
>>> is that rebooting the machine brings everything back to normal. But it's a
>>> pain! I shouldn't have to reboot OSX that often. Any thoughts? Anyone knows
>>> why this might happen, how to diagnose it, and what I can do about it?
>>> Thanks!!
>>
>> Do you have the latest version of the Airport software? Do you have to
>> completely reboot the machine or can you a) Use Internet Connection to
>> turn off Airport and turn it back on or b) Change to a different
>> location (under the Apple menu) and then back again? Also, do you have
>> other wireless network connections or is this the only one? If it's the
>> only one, have you ruled out some kind of interference in the 2.4 GHz
>> band? (You could get a copy of MacStumbler to check this out; also to
>> make sure you have a signal to work with.)
>>
>> Hope this helps to diagnose the problem.
>>
>> Don

--

Mike Levin
mlevin77@comcast.net

Can you set that router to a different channel? I had this kind of problem
with Airport card/ABS Extreme and it turned out to be reflections of the
signal, I forget the technical term for it. "Ghosting" maybe. These
reflections happen in my place because the external antenna is parallel to
an adobe wall (I'm in Santa Fe) and adobe wall reflects the radio wave. The
distance from a reflector is critical too, which is why either changing the
frequency or repositioning the radiator fixes it.

-- Gnarlie
http://www.Gnarlodious.com/Cogent/Cogent.html


Entity Michael Levin spoke thus:

> I tried what you suggested, with the following results. When the airport
> signal disappeared this time, I first checked MacStumbler. It saw nothing
> whatsoever (together with the grayed-out Airport status indicator, this
> suggests that the card itself stops working - not that there is anything
> wrong with the signal). I then tried changing to a different location and
> back, and turning Airport on and off. Neither helped - still no signal. I
> then rebooted, and got it back no problem. Does anyone have any ideas why
> the Airport might stop working and need to be rebooted?
>
> Mike
>
>>> In article <BC0B151B.6A58%mlevin77@comcast.net>,
>>> Michael Levin <mlevin77@comcast.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have a 17" powerbook running Panther, and a home WiFi network with a
>>>> Linksys wireless router. Sometimes everything is fine for days; lately,
>>>> it's
>>>> been losing its airport connection (can't see the router, not just the
>>>> outside network) - about once a day, the airport icon at the top of the
>>>> screen becomes grayed out and that's it... All other computers in my house
>>>> continue functioning, so I know it's not the router itself. The good news
>>>> is that rebooting the machine brings everything back to normal. But it's a
>>>> pain! I shouldn't have to reboot OSX that often. Any thoughts? Anyone knows
>>>> why this might happen, how to diagnose it, and what I can do about it?
>>>> Thanks!!
>>>
>>> Do you have the latest version of the Airport software? Do you have to
>>> completely reboot the machine or can you a) Use Internet Connection to
>>> turn off Airport and turn it back on or b) Change to a different
>>> location (under the Apple menu) and then back again? Also, do you have
>>> other wireless network connections or is this the only one? If it's the
>>> only one, have you ruled out some kind of interference in the 2.4 GHz
>>> band? (You could get a copy of MacStumbler to check this out; also to
>>> make sure you have a signal to work with.)
>>>
>>> Hope this helps to diagnose the problem.
>>>
>>> Don

I'll try it. The weird thing is that when it happens, NetStumbler reports no
signals at all. Normally, it is able to see a couple of different base
stations in my neighborhood, all at different channels. Even if it was a
channel problem which gave me bad signal, it should still see the presence
of one or all of them, right?

Mike

On 12/25/03 9:36 PM, in article
BC10ECC2.3006A%gnarlodiousNULL@VOID.invalid.yahoo. com, "Gnarlodious"
<gnarlodiousNULL@VOID.invalid.yahoo.com> wrote:

> Can you set that router to a different channel? I had this kind of problem
> with Airport card/ABS Extreme and it turned out to be reflections of the
> signal, I forget the technical term for it. "Ghosting" maybe. These
> reflections happen in my place because the external antenna is parallel to
> an adobe wall (I'm in Santa Fe) and adobe wall reflects the radio wave. The
> distance from a reflector is critical too, which is why either changing the
> frequency or repositioning the radiator fixes it.
>
> -- Gnarlie
> http://www.Gnarlodious.com/Cogent/Cogent.html
>
>
> Entity Michael Levin spoke thus:
>
>> I tried what you suggested, with the following results. When the airport
>> signal disappeared this time, I first checked MacStumbler. It saw nothing
>> whatsoever (together with the grayed-out Airport status indicator, this
>> suggests that the card itself stops working - not that there is anything
>> wrong with the signal). I then tried changing to a different location and
>> back, and turning Airport on and off. Neither helped - still no signal. I
>> then rebooted, and got it back no problem. Does anyone have any ideas why
>> the Airport might stop working and need to be rebooted?
>>
>> Mike
>>
>>>> In article <BC0B151B.6A58%mlevin77@comcast.net>,
>>>> Michael Levin <mlevin77@comcast.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I have a 17" powerbook running Panther, and a home WiFi network with a
>>>>> Linksys wireless router. Sometimes everything is fine for days; lately,
>>>>> it's
>>>>> been losing its airport connection (can't see the router, not just the
>>>>> outside network) - about once a day, the airport icon at the top of the
>>>>> screen becomes grayed out and that's it... All other computers in my house
>>>>> continue functioning, so I know it's not the router itself. The good news
>>>>> is that rebooting the machine brings everything back to normal. But it's a
>>>>> pain! I shouldn't have to reboot OSX that often. Any thoughts? Anyone
>>>>> knows
>>>>> why this might happen, how to diagnose it, and what I can do about it?
>>>>> Thanks!!
>>>>
>>>> Do you have the latest version of the Airport software? Do you have to
>>>> completely reboot the machine or can you a) Use Internet Connection to
>>>> turn off Airport and turn it back on or b) Change to a different
>>>> location (under the Apple menu) and then back again? Also, do you have
>>>> other wireless network connections or is this the only one? If it's the
>>>> only one, have you ruled out some kind of interference in the 2.4 GHz
>>>> band? (You could get a copy of MacStumbler to check this out; also to
>>>> make sure you have a signal to work with.)
>>>>
>>>> Hope this helps to diagnose the problem.
>>>>
>>>> Don
>

--

Mike Levin
mlevin77@comcast.net