Wireless network cuts off every 6 minutes for 30 seconds?

Question

I am working off of an unsecured wireless connection from a local hotel and I've been using it for 8 months, no problem.

As of last week, it has started to lag out every 6 minutes for 30 seconds.

In other words, every 6 minutes, the internet cuts out. I don't get d/c from the router, I the internet just stalls. I play games online and this of course ruins my games experience. I was just wondering why this is? My girlfriend's laptop does the same thing now so it's not something on my laptop.

I tried renew/release my IP and it didn't work.

It's a timed thing, I can time it almost to the second. Every 6 minutes, for 30 seconds.

I live in the hotel, I pay monthly because I am taking a course. I am not stealing the signal. Ive talked to them about this but they said there is nothing wrong. I want to give them suggestions on how to fix it but I don't know what to tell them

Answer 1

If this is happening to other users at the same time, there is definitely something wrong with the wireless access point that you are connecting through.

I don't buy it being DHCP. First off, getting an initial DHCP address would never take 30 seconds -- more like 3 to 5, and a renewal takes milliseconds. A DHCP renewal does NOT cause a drop of the connection -- it simply resets the timer and continues to use the same IP address that it had. (Some ISPs do force an IP change but SOHO routers and WAPs never do that and it's virtually unheard of to see a captive portal system in a hotel do it either.)

I'd suspect that something at the hotel is causing the WAP to reboot. It may get it's power from a circuit that supplies some high-powered equipment and the voltage drop when that equipment kicks in is causing it to reboot. It takes a WAP about 30 seconds to boot up so that theory does make sense.

Hotel staff are usually totally clueless on their internet services. They contract it out to a third-party firm and wouldn't know a WAP from a CAT-5 cable. If it's a single WAP with problems, they may be getting a good signal at the desk and for that reason will tell you that nothing is wrong. Like I said, they're mostly clueless. There should be a toll-free number you can call for support -- virtually every hotel I've stayed in had one.

In the interim, it might be possible to pair with a different WAP in the hotel. Most installations have multiple WAPs and you can often force your wireless to pair with a different one -- look for a mandatory access point option and type in the MAC address of the WAP. If you can't find that, try moving to the other end of the building so you connect through a different WAP. If the problem goes away, you've identified the source of the problem.

Answer 2

It sounds to me that the router is dropping your IP address and refreshes it's addresses every six minutes, this is a time frame that you can configure on the router, and it takes around 30 seconds to negotiate a new address with your computer, it makes sense. You would have to figure out why the router drops the IP every six minutes. try accessing the router's config. go to Start, All programs, Accessories, Command prompt. type ipconfig and enter the number that you see on the Default Gateway in your internet explorer. hopefully you can get into the routers config under DHCP server options, check the IP lease time. change it to the maximum available option. email if more help needed.

Answer 3

Well, your first sentence pretty well sums this up. "An unsecured wireless connection." Do you live or work in the hotel? If not, what on earth makes you think you are the only one war-driving on the hotel's connection? You are stealing signal, so if it "ruins your game experience," don't expect people who pay for their wireless connections to feel sorry for you.

Answer 4

I will advise you to:

Reset your router and make sure you include a WEP to secure your network.

Upate your router drivers. Write the name brand of your router and go to the manufacturer and download the latest drivers for your router.

Scan for trojans with your antivirus just in case a hacker will play with .

Joe.