I have just installed a wireless network card after previously using a USB 
wireless plug-in device.  It connects successfully and has maximum signal 
strength, but the signal keeps dropping out after 30 - 60 seconds and then 
has to re-connect.  It works perfectly during the period when it is 
connected.  There are no software / firmware updates available for the card.

I have now gone back to the USB device, as the card was too frustrating. 
Does anyone have any ideas what is causing this?  My laptop works perfectly 
off the same router.

Many thanks, Mark

"Bonzo's Montreau"  wrote in message 
news:g9oaes$fo0$1@registered.motzarella.org...
>I have just installed a wireless network card after previously using a USB 
>wireless plug-in device.  It connects successfully and has maximum signal 
>strength, but the signal keeps dropping out after 30 - 60 seconds and then 
>has to re-connect.  It works perfectly during the period when it is 
>connected.  There are no software / firmware updates available for the 
>card.
>
> I have now gone back to the USB device, as the card was too frustrating. 
> Does anyone have any ideas what is causing this?  My laptop works 
> perfectly off the same router.

I had this sort of problem with a Belkin USB adapter the other day. Even 
with the adapter fairly close to the router, I was getting "low" signal 
strength and the adapter kept dropping its connection every few minutes. 
Sometimes when it dropped, it failed to see any networks when I did a scan.

In contrast, the adapter built into my laptop, in the same position, was 
getting a strong signal and never dropped out.

I checked for other networks on the same/similar channels, I moved the 
adapter around in case of localised dead spots, I removed/reinstalled the 
software and drivers and I changed to use the Windows Zero Config software 
instead of the Belkin software. Only the last made a slight improvement, but 
still didn't cure it.

Even when the Belkin software reported a wireless connection to the router 
(and the router was pingable), there were occasions when it reported no 
connection from the router to the internet on the "pc - router - internet" 
diagram, although my laptop continued to ping external addresses so the 
router-internet connection hadn't dropped.

I replaced it with a Netgear WG111 adapter and that solved the problem.