More Wireless Network Problems: Belkin USB Wireless Adapter+Netgear Router

Hello all,
Recently my usb wireless network adapter doesn't seem to like connecting to my router.

For a while, it would only register the usb wireless every now and then on boot and it would take a few reboots for it to work when it doesn't.

Any ideas on what's going on?


If it helps, I've narrowed it down to it being a problem with the usb wireless adapter (it's a belkin thing if that makes a difference).

All other devices that occasionally use the network (PS3, PSP, Wii) still do so normally.
Nothing has changed in terms of components on the pc
i.e it's always been the same number of things in the same USP ports.
no other additional hardware
no software changes apart from the usual windows updates.
OS is XP Pro 32bit SP2.

Not at home at the mo' so I don't have the model numbers of the wireless router or the wireless adapter.

If it helps, I've narrowed it down to it being a problem with the usb wireless adapter (it's a belkin thing if that makes a difference).

Thats your problem. The BelKin USB wireless adapters have some serious problems. I've had a lot of people bring them into the helpdesk that I work at and none of them work. The only belkin product that I have found that works are their PCMCIA cards, and even they take some fanangling to get working. Everyone who has brought one in has had to return it. We've even hashed it out with our campus bookstore about it because they keep selling them! They are cheaper to buy and sell for the same price as linksys. Linksys seems to be the most compatible with every network, havn't had one fail yet. I would get one of those and I bet all your problems will go away.

Oh and if you have any Internet Security programs, that can cause a lot of network issues. NORTON AND MACCAFFE SUCK!

USB adapters are notorious for having reception problems. Does it not work in areas of your house/office that it used to work?

I would try the following troubleshooting steps to try and get to the bottom of it:

-Download a program called Netstumbler from here:
http://www.netstumbler.com/
When run, it should give you an idea of Signal Strength to your access point. Monitor these in the places you usually use your computer, and report back on them here for further info.

If it's reception problems, try a booster or some sort of gain using an antenna for more signal strength.

-Are you using the built in Windows Wireless networking client, or the manufacturer supplied one, eg. Intel. Whatever you're using, try an alternative one if possible.

-Check the manufactuers website for an updated driver, failing that try searching for an older driver than you're currently using and try both.


Try the wireless adapter in another computer to make sur the unit itself works as expected.

As I said, nothing in the setup or the arrangement of things has changed; it just stopped working one day.
All drivers are the latest.
Currently monitoring the connection via the belkin software.

New bit of news, I restored back to a month ago and it started to work again. Then after windows did an update, it stopped again. So I again reverted back to before that update and lo and behold, it's working again and has been connecting on boot 100% so far.

So a Windows Update is hosing it - you should be able to permanantly disable/disallow that particular update using the MS Update website.