Yet another tech help thread

[Demosthenes11]

Hate posting these, but this problem is really pissing me off

For some reason, my internet keeps deciding not to work lately. I run a wireless network, and the internet keeps randomly going out for minutes-hours at a time. It detects my wireless router and asks if I want to connect, and then when I say yes, it does nothing, just keeps bringing up the same thing whenever I tell it to connect. It will run fine for a few minutes and then crap out again. Signal strength always reads good as well, and even says it is connected. Reseting modem, computer, disabling/enabling internet connection, nothing fucking works. Oh and by the way, the main computer's internet is working fine

Have no idea what the hell is wrong, and I am pretty computer illiterate, can anyone help me?

[Totien]

Sounds to me like your router has gone bad.

[Almaa]

I would try a new wireless card.

[Daahan]

Most likely your problems lies with your router. Best way to see if this is the problem is just unhook the router and establish a direct connection to your computer. If it's still bad, then it's somewhere in your connection and you might have to contact your ISP and find out whether the problem is your modem, or the wiring/technicalities in your area.

[Septimus]

Could also be the modem not sending the signal to the router. There are a plethora of reasons this could happen. Yay! >_>

[Aodh]

Problem Solving 101: Find the problem!
Start at the source and eliminate all options. Can you connect to the internet plugging directly into the modem? Can you hardwired to the router? Can you wireless to the router? When you get disconnected wireless can you still connect hardwired?

What you're trying to find out is if it's a problem with your ISP, Modem, Router, Wireless card or something else. Then you can try replacing the issue.

Keep in mind that WiFi runs on the same frequency as your microwave, cell phone, most portable telephones and a lot of other radio based equipment. At my house we have a Sony phone which jams all frequencies to contact the handsets when the phone rings. Took me a while to figure out why whenever there was a call I would be DC'd. I ended up taking all the portable phones, putting them next to the antenna and paging the base from the handset. Found out which phone caused the problem.

[Demosthenes11]

Problem Solving 101: Find the problem!
Start at the source and eliminate all options. Can you connect to the internet plugging directly into the modem? Can you hardwired to the router? Can you wireless to the router? When you get disconnected wireless can you still connect hardwired?

What you're trying to find out is if it's a problem with your ISP, Modem, Router, Wireless card or something else. Then you can try replacing the issue.

Keep in mind that WiFi runs on the same frequency as your microwave, cell phone, most portable telephones and a lot of other radio based equipment. At my house we have a Sony phone which jams all frequencies to contact the handsets when the phone rings. Took me a while to figure out why whenever there was a call I would be DC'd. I ended up taking all the portable phones, putting them next to the antenna and paging the base from the handset. Found out which phone caused the problem.

heh, my phones do that too, pisses me off

Didn't try all the stuff you listed, but I was messing around on the laptop we have, and turned on the setting which allows other computers to receive internet through the laptop, and suddenly the internet works fine. I forgot to mention earlier that the laptop internet always works fine. My computer isn't reading the info from the router or what? o.O

Edit: or it was an odd coincidence
I'll do all that suggested stuff tomorrow when I have time

[Killgannon]

Problem Solving 101: Find the problem!
Start at the source and eliminate all options. Can you connect to the internet plugging directly into the modem? Can you hardwired to the router? Can you wireless to the router? When you get disconnected wireless can you still connect hardwired?

What you're trying to find out is if it's a problem with your ISP, Modem, Router, Wireless card or something else. Then you can try replacing the issue.

Keep in mind that WiFi runs on the same frequency as your microwave, cell phone, most portable telephones and a lot of other radio based equipment. At my house we have a Sony phone which jams all frequencies to contact the handsets when the phone rings. Took me a while to figure out why whenever there was a call I would be DC'd. I ended up taking all the portable phones, putting them next to the antenna and paging the base from the handset. Found out which phone caused the problem.

heh, my phones do that too, pisses me off

Didn't try all the stuff you listed, but I was messing around on the laptop we have, and turned on the setting which allows other computers to receive internet through the laptop, and suddenly the internet works fine. I forgot to mention earlier that the laptop internet always works fine. My computer isn't reading the info from the router or what? o.O

Edit: or it was an odd coincidence
I'll do all that suggested stuff tomorrow when I have time

Long time reader first time poster (I'm a techie so thought i could help out here)

Is your laptop wirless too or wired?

If Yes, then you probably have a problem with the router's wireless connections.

If No, then you may have a problem with your PC's wirelss NIC

Another thing to consider is positioning, Do you happen to have lead pipes in your house? (kinda hope not...) or is the PC upstairs and the Wireless router downstairs? (going through a floor sucks... my laptop thats wireless and downstairs doesnt ever get a perfect signal downstairs but it still works) Any close neighbors also running a wireless connection? (doubt this has anything to do with it...)

Mostly what Aodh said is what you'd want to do and what I as a tech would have had you done in the first place.

[Demosthenes11]

Thanks for all the input by the way, hopefully will help me fix it

I'll try everything later after JoL (on a different comp atm), my girlfriends dad gave me a wireless card to try out to possibly see if that is the problem, so I can try this too