Intermittent WiFi Issues

[Thelink89]

Hi I have been having problems with my Windows 7 MSI GE60 0NC laptop as of lately. On occasion when I am connected to the internet wirelessly I would disconnect after some time randomly. It says I am still connected to my network but there is no internet access with the yellow triangle and exclamation mark where the wireless signal bar is.

When connecting via ethernet everything is fine and I don't disconnect at all. However when I do disconnect through WiFi if I were to reconnect everything would be working again. Of course I can keep on doing this forever but it gets quite annoying especially when playing video games or watching Netflix.

I have tried many different solutions through google but with no resolution. If someone can guide me through a solution it would be much appreciated.

Edit: Had written wrong model number.

 

[ronintexas]

What distance are you connecting - and are there obstructions (walls, floors, HVAC, electrical wiring, electronics, etc.) between you and the router?

 

[Thelink89]

I am relatively close to my router. Within 10 feet I would say. Sometimes I am in the same room as the router and yet it still disconnects intermittently as I described above. Other times I am in my room next to the room containing the router.

This problem only on my laptop. All other devices seem to not have the problem. I have also tested it on two different wireless networks and it happens with both of them.

I also forgot to mention, even after a full restore with the MSI recovery agent the problem still persists.

Edit: Added some more information.

 

[ronintexas]

Wireless can be a real challenge. Usually I setup my wireless routers to have different SSIDs for each radio (2.4 GHz vs. 5 GHz) so I can determine which method the devices are connecting to, and which radio may have problems.

If you have interferences from a neighbor's network, or other devices, you may need to change the channel that the router is using.

What brand/model router do you have?

 

[Thelink89]

I have a TC8305C from Comcast. I have tried changing the channel the router uses before but I still get the no internet access thing sometimes. My laptop is the only device to have this problem. Do you think I may have a failing wireless card?

 

[ronintexas]

It is possible. Interference is a big problem, sometimes changing the channel helps - sometimes changing from 2.5Ghz to 5Ghz helps. If your router from Comcast has external antenna (most do not), you can try to rearrange them for better reception.

Your router doesn't have external antenna....but you can try to lay it on it's side, stand it up, or rotate the modem's angle. Wi-fi is directional (it broadcasts in a 360-degree pattern going out, but the further you get from the router, the more sensitive it gets to the direction of the device's antenna vs. the router antenna).

When the antennas are parallel, this should give peak performance.

 

[Thelink89]

Alright I'll try moving the router around. I'll comment back if I still have issues.

 

[Thelink89]

Nope I still have the disconnection problem. It seems to happen within a span of a couple of minutes to several hours or so.

 

[ronintexas]

Do you have cordless phones (they use the 2.4GHz frequency), wireless speakers, blutooth or other wireless devices in that room (or between you and the router)?

 

[ronintexas]

If you are gaming on a wireless connection - you may want to consider getting a powerline adapter from the router to your room - they are around $50, and will give you a better connection in most cases (it depends upon the house). They also have "MOCA" adapters that you can use to get the ethernet connection to your room.

You can even place a router in your room connected to the MOCA or powerline adapters to get better signal.

 

[Thelink89]

Yes I do have cordless phones and other wireless devices in my room but since my laptop seems to be the only one having issues I'll just RMA it since it is still in warranty. I don't usually game on my laptop at home because I have a desktop but I will tell my roommates about the powerline adapter or the MOCA adapters since they game wirelessly.