Here is a network issue that stumps evey tech I've dealt with

[Griffino]

Check this out. I have a Dell M6400 laptop. It came with a wireless-G card and software called Dell Control Point, it was there to manage my connections. It would connect and make all my other devices flakey, also it would take about 3-10 minutes to connect. The problem (I thought) was just the software. I generally hate preloaded windows in new computers so I bought and installed Windows 7 home version which works beautifully. Now I use the windows zero configuration manager like my other computers use flawlessly. New problem: when this wireless card tries to connect, it kicks off every other device on the network.

My home network is a Cisco router with one wired desktop, one wireless laptop, one wireless printer, and my IPod touch. At work it's a Netgear router with one wireless printer and my IPod touch. All this in addition to this laptop because it goes with me to each location.

In each location when this laptop tries to connect wirelessly, every other device goes offline and has to be reset.

Dell's solution: replace the mobo 3 times, wireless modem once, wireless antenna once, and the wireless switch once. This fixed nothing. I've dealt with about 6-7 different techs through Dell and the local service and no one has ever heard of this nor do they have a solution for it.

My solution: throw this thing in the garbage???

 

[tlarkin]

Uh OK, this is interesting...

1) Why are you using a Cisco router at home? - just curious

2) What do the logs say? Do any of your routers or network controllers log anything?

3) Does the machine have an active network virus or malware that could be spamming the network or sending out lots of packets? Have you totally wiped out the HD completely and reinstalled from scratch to eliminate any and all software issues?

4) Update the drivers for your wireless card

5) Replace the wireless card

6) Take laptop to the firing range and proceed to fill it with bullet holes.

 

[Pck21]

Uh OK, this is interesting...

1) Why are you using a Cisco router at home? - just curious

2) What do the logs say? Do any of your routers or network controllers log anything?

3) Does the machine have an active network virus or malware that could be spamming the network or sending out lots of packets? Have you totally wiped out the HD completely and reinstalled from scratch to eliminate any and all software issues?

4) Update the drivers for your wireless card

5) Replace the wireless card

6) Take laptop to the firing range and proceed to fill it with bullet holes.

That was my first question too!!! LOL! My second question, why a Netgear router at work??? It's usually the other way around.

So let me get this straight: Anytime you connect to a wireless network via the laptop, all other connected devices are then disconnected regardless of the wireless network? I've never heard of that. Not even a little bit. Have you tried connecting to a friend's wireless network? I find it hard to believe that a wireless device (a client no less) could disconnect all other devices on a network. That sounds like the best hacking tool ever lol.

If you're up for it, you can download WireShark and do a packet capture analysis when you connect the laptop. After that, look at the logs on the Cisco router and see if there are any errors at the time you connected the laptop. That should give a picture of what's going on network wise. I'm still new to Cisco (studying for my CCNA) but it almost sounds like an STP issue...if that's even possible.

 

[Griffino]

yup, very curious indeed!

1. it's actually a linksys at home
2. never checked the router logs....I'm not THAT smart!
3. two totally new reinstalls of Windows and fresh out-of-box state.
4. yup
5. yup
6. I'll be getting to that soon enough

And Pck21, you are correct, everytime I try to connect it never does...it just boots everything offline....even the IPod touch!

 

[Griffino]

Crazy I know....they're out of ideas and sending me a completely new computer. Still after probably a dozen techs, no one has ever heard of or can find a solution to this problem....What is this Twilight Zone?

 

[tlarkin]

It would have to be causing some sort of interference I would assume to knock everything off, because it can't affect the other clients but only the signal rather.

 

[dannaswolcott]

Uh OK, this is interesting...


6) Take laptop to the firing range and proceed to fill it with bullet holes.

I would do the same, I have never heard of the problem, Only thing I could think of why it would be bumping each computer off the network would be possibly due to a IP address conflict. But I am glad they are replacing the laptop, I dont like DELL very much. I would have took option 6 : )

 

[The Qban]

I've actually heard of something like this. It actually has nothing to do with the router and nothing to do with the laptop! Hmmmm, i sound dumb dont i? yeah i know. Its the same situation with PS3's for examples and Xbox's. I've seen some PS3's and Xbox's that wont connect to a wireless router when the wireless router has MAC filtering or limits, etc. Sometimes the devices just act funny.
Though this is hard to explain there really isnt a definate answer. Although one thing that I would recommend as to get rid of variables is see if someone has a USB wireless card they can lend you. And use the same software you were using with your onboard wireless card to verify if it still kicks other devices off. if it doesnt, then its the onboard card, if it DOES then its the software, try switching back to the software that dell uses to manage the connections, the Control Point rather then the zero software.

If all this doesnt work, then step 6 of tlarkins suggestion. Some devices just dont work the way they are supposed to and some software doesnt work the way its supposed to. Working on a helpdesk for a 100,000+ user/computer sized network, you see some strange stuff.

 

[tlarkin]

I've actually heard of something like this. It actually has nothing to do with the router and nothing to do with the laptop! Hmmmm, i sound dumb dont i? yeah i know. Its the same situation with PS3's for examples and Xbox's. I've seen some PS3's and Xbox's that wont connect to a wireless router when the wireless router has MAC filtering or limits, etc. Sometimes the devices just act funny.
Though this is hard to explain there really isnt a definate answer. Although one thing that I would recommend as to get rid of variables is see if someone has a USB wireless card they can lend you. And use the same software you were using with your onboard wireless card to verify if it still kicks other devices off. if it doesnt, then its the onboard card, if it DOES then its the software, try switching back to the software that dell uses to manage the connections, the Control Point rather then the zero software.

If all this doesnt work, then step 6 of tlarkins suggestion. Some devices just dont work the way they are supposed to and some software doesnt work the way its supposed to. Working on a helpdesk for a 100,000+ user/computer sized network, you see some strange stuff.

The router could be failing, but my home router is a Linksys WRT54GL and I have 3 wireless devices, 2 desktops, a Wii, a PS3, Xbox 360, HTPC, and my phone hooked to it all the time. All with static leases, port forwards, and other configs

Routers should be able to handle most client configurations a home user tosses at it.

I would have to guess something is causing the router to reboot, why that is, not sure. Could be the router, but since it is always the Dell that causes it (and you are sure you singled out the Dell???) then it is more safe to assume that the Dell Laptop is the cause...assume though, not verify.

 

[Griffino]

Normally I would investigate things like this further, but it's actually a company computer and I'm no longer going to be employed by them in about 3 months. Knowing me, it would take 2 months of "getting around to it" and another month of "fixing" it on my own.

 

[linkin]

I would assume that the network card is faulty in some way. i guess the cure is filling it with bullet holes

 

[ROFLcopter]

FYI to all wondering about the router. Linksys is made by Cisco. He more than likely has a Linksys router that has Cisco on it somewhere (mine does).

I doubt it's a hardware issue because i've never heard of a setup like this where one connection kicks all the others off.

It's not a faulty router because if it was then nothing would be able to connect.
It's not a faulty NIC because you wouldn't be able to connect in the first place.

Must be something software side. Try uninstalling any dell software. Try running some anti-virus scans and see if that works.

 

[tlarkin]

FYI to all wondering about the router. Linksys is made by Cisco. He more than likely has a Linksys router that has Cisco on it somewhere (mine does).

Linksys routers are not made by Cisco, they are made by Linksys. Cisco wanted to tap into the consumer market, so they just bought out Linksys, and slapped their name on the box. There is no cisco tech in those routers. Those routers are all broadcom based hardware.