why does it always take several tries to connect to my wireless network?

Question

i'm running a Linksys wireless-B router with WPA security, and my laptop picks it up fine, but it always gets stuck on "acquiring network address". Usually i have to restart my router, cable modem, or laptop or some combination just to get it to connect. what's wrong with this?

in response to the first guy who answered, so should i try disabling the DHCP server on my router or my modem? can i even disable the one on my modem?

Answer 1

Well, as an old timer, with a B router, which means the router is a few years back, WPA wasn't really set up and established. So here are the questions.

1. How well does it work without WPA.? If it works well try using WEP128 instead of WPA. Yes slightly less secure but for most home users it isn't all that bad. Check the routers firmware and be sure you have the latest available! (Very important) Also check the wireless cards firmware and be sure it is also the latest! (either one of these will cause issues) Remember WPA is still fairly NEW your router isn't if it a B router. Many B cards don't even have WPA support and never will! So yes WPA with a B router may well be the issue!

2. Does restarting JUST THE ROUTER fix the issue? If so you may have a DHCP or more likely a channel interference issue (Try changing channels and try a different range for DHCP ) Channel Interference is almost impossible to locate without trial and error. The majority of routers are still on channel 6 (since that is a common default) if yours is still on 6 try changing to 3 or 9 and see what happens. (The noramal default channels are 1, 6,and 11 try to avoid them!)

3. Have you tried a different WPA passcode? You may be using one that isn't intrepreted correctly. (Again, try WEP if WEP works then use WEP 128 with HEX code and change it every month!) It works many times when WPA fails - particularly with older gear!

hope that helps. I find if I didn't restart my old linksys b at least once a week it quits issuing addresses and has to be reset. It has the latest firmware. When I got tired of that I upgraded to a G and the problem hasn't reappeared!

Good Luck

Answer 2

You should start by making sure you do not have more than one DHCP server on your network. This is the network service that gives out the IP address (when you see the 'acquiring address' message). If you had a modem from your ISP and you added a wireless router, there is a possibility that both have a DHCP server enabled.

Other than that - make sure your router has the latest firmware. Also, check to make sure your laptop has the latest wireless drivers.

You are right to think there is something wrong - getting onto the wireless network should be much more smooth/reliable that what you are experiencing. And your WPA encryption is not the problem - keep that turned on ! ;-)

11/10 - in response to your addtl details, try disabling DHCP on your router. If it makes it worse (i.e. you never get an IP any more), turn it back on. It is not very likely this is the problem, it was the first thing I thought of when you said the problem was consistently while 'acquiring' the address. Most modems/routers supplied by the ISP simply 'bridge' the connection and don't provide DHCP to LAN clients. However, I have seen some configured this way.

If this doesn't work, move onto checking drivers and firmware. Many manufacturers frequently update the firmware for their routers to resolve issues.

Answer 3

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