new laptop drops wireless connection

[cubby1223]

Brand new Lenovo R61i laptop connecting to an AT&T 2701HG-B dsl modem/router. About every 3 hours, the laptop drops connection with the router. On the router admin pages, it lists the computer as connected and inactive. On the laptop, it either says no connection, or trying to get an ip address.

If I use the command ipconfig /renew, I will either get a message that says media disconnected, or the DHCP server is handing out an ip address already in use on the network. The second remark is probably bull because I can input a static ip address and the connection still refuses, usually saying "media disconnected".

Reset the computer and it connects back to the router. For roughly 3 more hours. So it makes it very difficult to troubleshoot as I have to wait forever to watch any change.

It came with extra wireless connection software, and after these problems I uninstaled that and kept with windows built in zero configuration service. Same problem.

Another laptop works fine, keeps the connection forever.

What might I possibly be able to do, before buying new router & card to test different combinations? Thanks.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Well, short of updating the driver and router firmware I cant see much that would cause an issue.

Edit, also make sure the card isnt set to "allow to turn off to save power" in the dev manager

 

[cubby1223]

From what I've been reading from Google searches, suggests the problem is the router somehow is determining the laptop is "inactive" then pretty much stops all activity with it. I have access to different types of dsl modems, my best guess to do now is pair a regular dsl modem, and pick up a linksys (or whatever other brand) router.

What the weirdest part seems to be is that the 3-4 hour timeframe between disconnects, is not related at all to any of the reboots done to the laptop in-between. Suggests it's not a power option on the laptop. I'll certainly uncheck that option anyways, though. Thank you for the reminder.


Really hoping someone here has first-hand experience with this same issue.

 

[robisbell]

check the properties of the wifi adapter in device manager, sounds like a possible power saving or the card is going into a low power mode, how far away are you when this happens, and what's between you and the router physically?

 

[cubby1223]

Replaced the AT&T modem/router today with a dsl model only box & Linksys router. 10 minutes later the laptop drops off the network again. So it's not the router. And this time a reboot did not reconnect the laptop to the router, like it had in previous attempts.

While the laptop cannot connect to the router I want, I see there's an unsecured router in the area, select that one, and the laptop connects up immediately and resumes connection with the internet.

Dropped my router down from WPA to WEP encryption. Also noticed a TVT Packet Filter installed in the network setup, apparently belongs to some Lenovo Rescue & Recovery software, which seems unimportant, so I uninstalled that. Seems to be working, only time will tell. Did also check the driver is updated.


And then finding this page just makes me mad:
http://forums.lenovo.com/lnv/b...hinkpads&thread.id=953