From: "Chuck McKinnis" <ecs-t6x@2rosenthals.com>
Message-ID: <4A10E11B.7010605@sandia.net>
Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 22:16:27 -0600
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To: eCS ThinkPad T60/61 Mailing List <ecs-t6x@2rosenthals.com>
Subject: Re: [eCS T60/T61] T60:  Disconnect between xWLan and Router/AP
References: <list-2473294@2rosenthals.com>
In-Reply-To: <list-2473294@2rosenthals.com>
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Carl Gehr wrote:
> Pardon the long post, but I'm trying to provide all I know to minimize
> the need for follow up questions.
> 
> I have been experiencing an on-going problem for several months where
> the connection between my TPad T60, eCS 2.0 RC2 + updates, Widget
> xWLan,... and my Linksys AP unexpectedly just drops.  The exact problem
> has several manifestations:
> 
> *  The LED indicator that the radio is ON will begin blinking, usually
>    starting with a slow blink, gradually increasing until the widget
>    eventually shows that it is no longer connected, but "Searching
>    for a connection with the current profile."  At this point, I can
>    often move the 'radio switch' under the lower-left of the KB OFF/ON
>    and the connection will be re-established.
> *  OTOH, if I miss the blinking and it goes on too long, the blinking
>    stops; the LED light is OFF; the 'Searching...' continues, but there
>    is no way to get the connection back without a re-boot.  The
> physical
>    switch OFF/ON does nothing.
> *  Sometimes, though, rather than blinking, the LED light is on solid;
>    the xWLan is 'Searching...';  but again, the physical switch does
>    nothing; and a re-boot is required to recover the connection.
> 
> In the first case, where a recovery is possible, the system will just
> continue to run as usual.  In the latter two cases, most of the time
> the system will continue to do anything except a function that requires
> the network connection.  Less often, with the latter two cases, eCenter
> may become inoperative [e.g., the CPU Pulse stops working] and attempts
> to use eCenter to open a new application from a drawer, to restore
> focus to a window or just to re-boot, may end up locking the whole
> system.  The only 'recovery' in this case is to Power OFF/ON the whole
> system.
> 
> Five other pertinent points:
> *  When the connection is lost, looking at the lights on the front
>    of the Router/AP, shows the 'Wireless' light as ON.  This says
>    to me that the AP is active.  Also, this AP is cable connected to
>    my primary router that actually has the connection to the Internet.
>    PINGs from a PC that is directly connected to that primary router
>    gets responses from the WiFi Router/AP.  Recycling the power on the
>    AP does not help with this problem.
> *  If I move the TPad to a docking station that has a wired connection
>    to the primary router, I can switch to the wired connection and
>    continue operating.  BUT, an attempt to switch back to the Wireless
>    link does not see the AP.
> *  Thinking the above was a hardware problem, and since the TPad is
>    still under warranty, the WiFi card and the system board have both
>    been replaced.  No change in behavior with the new hardware.
> *  I have also booted to a USB Flash install of Linux.  While that
>    system also experiences the 'flashing LED' for the WiFi radio,
>    I have never experienced a case of the connection completely
> dropping
>    such that it requires a re-boot to get back on-line.
> *  I have used this TPad at other locations that have WiFi APs.  I
>    have seen the same eCS behavior - flashing LED and lost connections
> -
>    at those sites also.
> 
> I can only conclude, therefore, that it is something with:
> a)  eCS or one of its components.
> b)  xWLan losing its way and not being able to see the AP.
> 
> The questions are:
> 1)  Why is this happening?
> 2)  Is there some documentation that I can provide to a network
>     guru that will help answer #1?  I obviously have no clue!
> 

I am currently the technical coordinator for the AARP TaxAide program in 
the Albuquerque area.  During the last tax season, we had about 15 sites 
with Linksys routers and had problems in at least 1/3 of the sites, all 
with WinXP networks.  Needless to say, I am not a big Linksys fan.

Are you sure that the router has the latest Linksys firmware?  That was 
an issue in a couple of the failing sites.

Have you tried powering the router off and on?  In some of my failures, 
that did the trick.

Have you looked to see if DD-WRT has firmware for your router model? 
http://www.dd-wrt.com/  On some models, the DD-WRT firmware is far 
superior to the Linksys firmware.

-- 
Chuck McKinnis
1449 State Highway 14 N
Sandia Park, NM 87047
505-286-3191
http://www.7cities.net/~mckinnis/
Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord 
all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation 
shall not be cut off. Proverbs 23:17,18