@USCDiver (USCDiver) posted a new topic, subject "Wireless Home Networking help needed!". It read:

   I have been having a problem with my home network in the last 3-4 days.
    
    I am running a Dell Inspiron 5000 Windows 98 500MHz Celeron with a Dell 4800LT wireless PC card that I bought in 2000. My network is a Toshiba PCX2500 cable modem on RoadRunner connected to a Linksys Wireless Access Point Router.
    
    My problem is that my internet connection will fail about 10-15 minutes after I boot. I can reboot and get another 10-15 minutes before it fails again. I can also “Stop” the PC card and then put it back in with the same results. My roommate has a desktop PC plugged into one of the hardwire ports on the router and he has not had any disruption of service, so I think it's on my end that the problem is occuring. The LEDs on the wireless card are the same when it is working and when it is not working. The Status Light blinks green normally. And the Activity Light flickers normally. I have two PC Card slots and I get the same problems in both.
    
    My thoughts are that either 1)my wireless card is burned out or 2) it's something that's failing on my laptop and I'll need to get a new one (God forbid). I can take my machine up to my school's campus and see if I get similar problems on their wireless network.
    
    Apparently I'm now getting even less network time now. I started typing this immediately after restarting and my connection failed while typing (~5 minutes).
    
    Any suggestions from the Teeming computer savvy Dopers?

@USCDiver (USCDiver) replied

    Bump and addition…
    
    I've also been getting several emails to my Junk Mail folder that they had detected a virus rodriguezlisa@example.org. Is this a hoax to get me to reply, is it for real and is it possible that it is causing my problems? I scanned my HD yesterday with McAfee using the 19 Aug 2003 DAT file with no viruses found. Also all the supposed email viruses I've sent have been to people not in my address book.

So @Balthisar (Balthisar) replied

    If the PCMCIA card hotter than normal when you remove it?

Then @buckgully (buckgully) said

    Sobig acts like a couple of previous viruses, where it scans an infected machine for email addresses and sends out email pretending to be from those addresses. So someone that happened to have your email somewhere (could've just been on a webpage) has the virus and it's pretending to be you. You're not alone, in the past two days, I've gotten about 50 messages with the virus and even more reject messages.
    
    As for the wireless problem, it could be a lot of things. Does the software that controls the card tell you signal strength? Keep an eye on it, it might be something interfering with the signal.
    
    Or it might be something overheating.

Then @Cleophus (Cleophus) said

    Do you have any of the following?
    
      1. A cordless phone that operates in the 2.4 GHz range
      2. A Bluetooth-equipped device
      3. A neighbor with a wireless network, or any of the aforementioned devices
    
    
    
    Any of those can cause interference with a wireless network.

Then @USCDiver (USCDiver) said

    **Balthisar** the card is indeed hot, though I can't speak to being hotter than normal because I rarely take it out. Until this latest problem.
    
    Thanks **buckgully** , I scanned my machine multiple times with different antivirus scanners, including the free one that is listed on the Snopes Sobig website with no virus detected. I have my McAfee set up to update itself every week, so I'm usually pretty up to date on my anti-virus.
    
    **Cleophus** , I do not have a 2.4GHz telephone. Actually I've had this network running for a year with no real difficulties until now. I specifically got a 900MHz phone for this reason.  
    I have no bluetooth deviced  
    I can't say if I have neighbors with those devices either. I suppose I could go knock on their doors.
    
    Thank you all for your help.

To which @USCDiver (USCDiver) replied

    If I may bump this one more time with some new information.
    
    I have continued to have the same problems with my network. Thus far I've tried the following things:
    
    1)Tried someone else's network card in my machine; same result.
    
    2)Tried someone else's computer in my house on my network; inconclusive as their computer was not set up for my network and I didn't have time to go through the setup.
    
    3)Tried a different wireless router; same result
    
    4)Today I formatted my harddrive and reinstalled Windows 98. Since I did that I have had the “New Hardware Wizard” pop up for “PCI Card” and I can't find whatever software it wants for that (not on Win98 disk, or my Dell drivers disk) so I click through at which time the Wizard pops up again with PCI CardBus and then Generic CardBus Controller which I can install a driver for from the Win98 CD. This exact seqence has happened 3 times in the process of reinstalling and rebooting everything.
    
    I wonder if there isn't some sort of hardware miscommunication from my PCI slots.
    
    Any more thoughts?

Then @astro (astro) said

    If your direct wired roomate is not experiencing any break in service and it's not the wireless card, and it's not the router, and it's not the cable feed, and it's not external interference since your card reboots and works fine every time after a service break and reboot, you're pretty much left with something specific to your notebook. If it's not your notebook you've likely misdiagnosed something somewhere along the line.

After which, @USCDiver (USCDiver) added

    Alright, just wanted to make sure I wasn't leaving something out before I dumped a couple grand on a new machine. Thanks **astro**.

@astro (astro) replied

    > *Originally posted by USCDiver *  
    >  **If I may bump this one more time with some new information.
    > 
    > I have continued to have the same problems with my network. Thus far I've tried the following things:
    > 
    > 1)Tried someone else's network card in my machine; same result.
    > 
    > 2)Tried someone else's computer in my house on my network; inconclusive as their computer was not set up for my network and I didn't have time to go through the setup.
    > 
    > 3)Tried a different wireless router; same result
    > 
    > 4)Today I formatted my harddrive and reinstalled Windows 98. Since I did that I have had the “New Hardware Wizard” pop up for “PCI Card” and I can't find whatever software it wants for that (not on Win98 disk, or my Dell drivers disk) so I click through at which time the Wizard pops up again with PCI CardBus and then Generic CardBus Controller which I can install a driver for from the Win98 CD. This exact seqence has happened 3 times in the process of reinstalling and rebooting everything.
    > 
    > I wonder if there isn't some sort of hardware miscommunication from my PCI slots.
    > 
    > Any more thoughts? **
    
    Although your notebook is getting long in the tooth and should be replaced with a unit running XP for maximum surfing pleasure you might be able to get your wireless network problem solved by getting a wireless USB adapterlike this for 40-50 dollars or so. Granted it's not as nice and neat as an internal unit but it might allow you to bypass the specific hardware bellyache your notebook might have internal network cards.
    
    Here are the Win98/ME drivers for your Texas Instruments PCI-1225 CardBus Controller
    
    BTW have you double checked your PCCARD slots. IIRC your machine should have 2. Is there anything in the other slot next to your wireless network card?


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