[SOLVED] business network losing wireless connection

[jonlind]

I'm running a thrown-together business network: dsl modem through a firebox firewall/router (25 seat license), through a network switch to a windows server, to 6 wired desktops and 8 wireless laptops running windows xp and vista (business). I have two wireless ap's to cover all the area in the office. The laptops are constantly losing the ability to connect to the internet and the server over the wireless network. the wireless utility on the laptops shows that they are connected with excellent signal, but i can't access web pages or files on the server. When I restart the ap, it usually fixes the problem, but i'd love it if someone could help me figure out what to do so i don't have to do that every day. is it something with ip addresses, maybe?
thanks.

[johnwill]

Well, that would depend on what happens when they can't connect.

Let's see this when one is working, and again when it's not able to connect.

Hold the Windows key and press R, then type CMD to open a command prompt:

Type the following two commands, one at a time, followed by the Enter key:

NBTSTAT -n

IPCONFIG /ALL

Right click in the command window and choose Select All, then hit Enter.
Paste the results in a message here.

If you are on a machine with no network connection, use a floppy, USB disk, or a CD-RW disk to transfer a text file with the information to allow pasting it here.

[jonlind]

here's one of the laptops when it doesn’t connect:


C:\Documents and Settings\student.LLC>nbtstat -n
Failed to access NetBT driver -- NetBT may not be loaded

C:\Documents and Settings\student.LLC>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : laptop7
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : llc.local
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : llc.local
llc.local

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connecti
on
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-1F-CF-9E-03

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : llc.local
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Dell Wireless 1350 WLAN Mini-PCI Car
d
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0B-7D-06-BF-01
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.111.12
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.111.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.111.254
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.111.254
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 192.168.111.254
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Monday, March 31, 2008 7:50:08 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Monday, March 31, 2008 11:50:08 AM

C:\Documents and Settings\student.LLC>

Same laptop after I’ve restarted the AP (connection is now working fine):

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\student.LLC>nbtstat -n
Failed to access NetBT driver -- NetBT may not be loaded

C:\Documents and Settings\student.LLC>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : laptop7
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : llc.local
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : llc.local
llc.local

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100 VE Network Connecti
on
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-1F-CF-9E-03

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : llc.local
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Dell Wireless 1350 WLAN Mini-PCI Car
d
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0B-7D-06-BF-01
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.111.12
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.111.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.111.254
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.111.254
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 192.168.111.254
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Monday, March 31, 2008 7:50:08 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Monday, March 31, 2008 11:50:08 AM

C:\Documents and Settings\student.LLC>

Thanks

[johnwill]

When the laptop fails to connect, please do this.

Try these simple tests.

Hold the Windows key and press R, then type CMD to open a command prompt:

Type the following commands, one at a time, followed by the Enter key:

IPCONFIG

PING <computer_IP_address>

PING <default_gateway_address>

PING 216.109.112.135

PING yahoo.com

Right click in the command window and choose Select All, then hit Enter.
Paste the results in a message here.

<computer_IP_address> - The IP Address of your computer, obtained from the IPCONFIG command above.

<default_gateway_address> - The IP address of the Default Gateway, obtained from the IPCONFIG command above.

If you are on a machine with no network connection, use a floppy, USB disk, or a CD-RW disk to transfer a text file with the information to allow pasting it here.

[jonlind]

Here's from a non-connecting laptop
Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\student>ipconfig

Windows IP Configuration


Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : llc.local
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.111.9
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.111.1

C:\Documents and Settings\student>ping 192.168.111.9

Pinging 192.168.111.9 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.111.9: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.111.9: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.111.9: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.111.9: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

Ping statistics for 192.168.111.9:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

C:\Documents and Settings\student>ping 192.168.111.1

Pinging 192.168.111.1 with 32 bytes of data:

Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 192.168.111.1:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

C:\Documents and Settings\student>ping 216.109.112.135

Pinging 216.109.112.135 with 32 bytes of data:

Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 216.109.112.135:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),

C:\Documents and Settings\student>ping yahoo.com
Ping request could not find host yahoo.com. Please check the name and try again.


C:\Documents and Settings\student>

When i restart the ap, all the ping requests above go through with no errors

[johnwill]

Looks like the AP is dying, at least that's what these results are telling me.

[jonlind]

Yeah, my next step is to switch it out with another one. However, it's strange to me that this ap always works with some of the laptops, and it always works when i restart it.
The reason i mentioned ip addresses originally is that i took a look at the admin page for my firewall router, and it says that 24 of the 25 licenses i have are in use. even including every piece of equipment i have networked (including switches and print servers), i can't come up with my network needing that many ip addresses, unless the 2 WAPs i have are doubling them or something. Is that possible, and maybe the reason i'm not able to access the network all the time? If so, is there anything i can do to keep it from happening?

[johnwill]

If you're that close to the license limits, I'd suspect that's the real issue. One possibility is a machine disconnects and leaves a lease hanging and tying up a license. One thing you can do is shorten the DHCP lease time to say 1/2 hour. It shouldn't have any measurable effect on the network, but it'll allow any hanging leases to expire quicker.

[jonlind]

ok, i reset the firewall and switched out both WAPs. I think that got rid of some unused licenses, and i know which ip goes with each device now. everything seems to be working smoothly now. thanks for all your help. this is a really great service you guys provide.

[johnwill]

Glad we could assist.