"ChrisR" <chris@delete.cirobinson.everyotherword.plus.fromm y.com.address>
wrote in message news:45eaecb8$0$8726$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
>
> "Martin Underwood" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:45ead603$0$8736$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
>> "ChrisR" <chris@delete.cirobinson.everyotherword.plus.fromm y.com.address>
>> wrote in message
>> news:45ead281$0$8733$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
>>>
>> Given that more than one PC is affected and that you are getting some
>> very bizarre symptoms, I'd suspect two things: 1) interference from
>> another router on the same channel; 2) the router has died.
>>
>> Download NetStumbler (www.netstumbler.com) and install it on one of the
>> wireless PCs. With your router turned off, run Netstumbler and see what
>> other networks are visible and what channels they are using. Now turn
>> your router on and re-run Netstumbler. You should see your own network as
>> well now.
>>
>> If there is any other network on the same channel as yours, try
>> configuring your router (by an Ethernet connection from the PC) to use a
>> different, unused channel, preferably differing from any neighbouring
>> network by at least two channel numbers. I think channels 1, 6 and 11 are
>> non-overlapping; any others overlap to some extent with these. With the
>> WAG54G, I think you have to explicitly save any config changes and then
>> reboot: alway check after rebooting that the change has "taken" and that
>> you haven't reverted to the previous state.
>>
>>
>> If that doesn't solve the problem, I'd suspect the wireless access point
>> in the router. I've seen quite a few Linksys routers fail one way or
>> another - far more than Netgears, and Netgears are far more common with
>> my customers.
> Thanks Martin, but I have used Netstumbler, and I've also tried changing
> the wireless channel. The problem occurs even with the PC's right next to
> the router. I will try changing channels again and see what happens.
>
> The reports of the phenomenon I found through Google were not
> brand-dependent.
>
> Chris R
>

Have you tried turning off Windows zeroconfig on laptops?

Allan