Network connected, but no network access? Very odd

[GLO]

OK, here goes... Could XPpro sp2 be hindering this some how?

I have a wifi router (Dlink DI-714P+) connected to my broadband internet access.

The wifi router is connected to 2 desktops (by cat5) and the wifi connects to a laptop (using PCMCIA DWL-650+ card) and 2 other desktop machines (using PCI DWL-520+ cards).

All wifi connected PCs within 23m (from front of house through to all of the backyard) work perfectly, but one of the desktops is 25m away (in a brick granny flat at the end of the backyard) and using the standard Dlink antenna's wont get any reception (inside the granny flat).

So i purchased 2x 7db antenna's; one for that desktop and the other for the wifi router. When i had connected a 7db antenna to the PC in the granny flat, i got some signal and was temporarily able to surf the net. The next day I couldnt surf the net, but i could see the network in the site survey.

So i decided to add teh 2nd 7db antenna to the wifi router to boost it and give a better signal to the PC in the granny flat 25m away.

The reception improved to 100% signal quality and 55-60% signal strength, but i still could not get onto the internet or check email. Again the software said i was connected and XP wifi said the same.

So, i decided to disable the firewalls and antivirus programs. Still no network or internet access, but network connection seemed fine...

I then decided to rebuild the PC again with XPpro sp2 (slipstreamed install, which was the same as before) and have not installed Norton Antivirus or Zonealarm. I also made sure that XP firewall is disabled.

I have also tried both static IP address and DHCP for the wireless PCI card (DWL-520+) with the correct gateway 192.168.0.1 (the Dlink DI-714P+ ip address) and my ISP primary and secondary dns details.

I have set the correct SSID and channel as well as the correct encryption password too.

What else can i try?

Thanks in advance!

[brian873]

This is not much help; but.....

Double check all settings because its amazinig the amount of typo's you make. Faiiliing that haave you tried without any encryption.

hail hail

[jpatto]

I would also say try using the connection without encryption also disable Windows FW (remember this was included with SP2) if its on, to see if that makes any difference.

What happens if you set DHCP to automatic? reason why i ask is sometimes setting this to automatic may help too.

[GLO]

Thanks for your responses.

The problem has been resolved. In order for us to get internet traffic we had to get the signal above 60%, anything below it would connect but not pass data.

I dont know why, but thats all it was.

The frustrating thing was that it had worked in the same position a week ago for a few hours then in the morning we couldnt get net access or even a network connection. Nothing was moved or changed.

SO later i purchased a 7db antenna which provided us with a network connection but no data pass through. This was when signal was 55-60% and it only hit 60% for a moment then dropped again.

Once we found a better sweet spot today, we were getting consistant 60-63% and data was passing through, and net access was restored.

The long and short of it was that we needed 60% signal strength in this case.