Sending email with attachment drops wireless connection

I can hardly believe that it's true, but I can duplicate it every
time...

Whenever I try to send an email with an attachment - either while at
work through the Notes client, or at home through GMail - my wireless
connection drops. It's no problem to surf the web, check email
download attachments to emails or virtually anything else, but when I
try to SEND an email (with an attachment) it chokes.

Is there some setting on my wireless card (have a crappy IBM T42 laptop
unwillingly forced upon me by my company) that can correct this
problem? I've been experiencing various wireless problems for months
now, but the tech support at the office can't fix it, and this problem
is now the icing on the cake.,,


Thanks!
Chris

On 26 Jul 2006 13:18:12 -0700, chris@koenigweb.com wrote in
<1153945092.818973.114830@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups. com>:

>I can hardly believe that it's true, but I can duplicate it every
>time...
>
>Whenever I try to send an email with an attachment - either while at
>work through the Notes client, or at home through GMail - my wireless
>connection drops. It's no problem to surf the web, check email
>download attachments to emails or virtually anything else, but when I
>try to SEND an email (with an attachment) it chokes.
>
>Is there some setting on my wireless card (have a crappy IBM T42 laptop
>unwillingly forced upon me by my company) that can correct this
>problem? I've been experiencing various wireless problems for months
>now, but the tech support at the office can't fix it, and this problem
>is now the icing on the cake.,,

What does "chokes" mean? What is the _exact_ symptom? Does the
wireless icon switch from connected to disconnected, then back to
getting an address? How do you recover? It's hard to suggest a
solution without knowing much more about the problem.

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

Here's exactly what has been happening:

1. Turn on computer and connect to wireless network - get response of
"Excellent" connection (IBM T42 Thinkpad with Intel(R) PRO/Wireless LAN
2100 3B drivers v. 1.2.4.35 2/28/2005 installed by company support
tech)

2. Browse to GMail mail account, compose new message to anyone, and
add attachment (zip, xls, pdf, anything) and press "Send"

3. Internet Explorer spins for 1-2 seconds and then Wireless icon
located in the system tray switches from the connected/green to the
disconnected/red.

4. Wait a few seconds and recieve popup baloon that says "Wireless
Disconnected" message.

5. Click the message and force reconnection. Wireless reconnects
successfully with "Excellent" connection and I am able to browse the
internet at will, including downloading large files, with no issues.

I suspect that there's something to do with the "upload" of the
attachment when I press "send" but I'm not sure. I thought, at first,
that it might have something to do with the Ajax-style code on GMail,
but it does the same thing to Lotus Notes when I try to send an
attachment from there.

I have noticed, since my original post, that as I move around the
office/house, the phenomenon comes and goes, so I *can't* reproduce it
every single time, but once it starts happening, it will behave the
same way as I try to send mail over and over...

John Navas wrote:
> On 26 Jul 2006 13:18:12 -0700, chris@koenigweb.com wrote in
> <1153945092.818973.114830@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups. com>:
>
> >I can hardly believe that it's true, but I can duplicate it every
> >time...
> >
> >Whenever I try to send an email with an attachment - either while at
> >work through the Notes client, or at home through GMail - my wireless
> >connection drops. It's no problem to surf the web, check email
> >download attachments to emails or virtually anything else, but when I
> >try to SEND an email (with an attachment) it chokes.
> >
> >Is there some setting on my wireless card (have a crappy IBM T42 laptop
> >unwillingly forced upon me by my company) that can correct this
> >problem? I've been experiencing various wireless problems for months
> >now, but the tech support at the office can't fix it, and this problem
> >is now the icing on the cake.,,
>
> What does "chokes" mean? What is the _exact_ symptom? Does the
> wireless icon switch from connected to disconnected, then back to
> getting an address? How do you recover? It's hard to suggest a
> solution without knowing much more about the problem.
>
> --
> Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
> John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
> Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
> Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

On 26 Jul 2006 20:38:52 -0700, chris@koenigweb.com wrote in
<1153971532.734026.203520@s13g2000cwa.googlegroups .com>:

>Here's exactly what has been happening:
>
>1. Turn on computer and connect to wireless network - get response of
>"Excellent" connection (IBM T42 Thinkpad with Intel(R) PRO/Wireless LAN
>2100 3B drivers v. 1.2.4.35 2/28/2005 installed by company support
>tech)

The "excellent" part is pretty much meaningless.

>2. Browse to GMail mail account, compose new message to anyone, and
>add attachment (zip, xls, pdf, anything) and press "Send"
>
>3. Internet Explorer spins for 1-2 seconds and then Wireless icon
>located in the system tray switches from the connected/green to the
>disconnected/red.

Perhaps a browser problem. How about Mozilla Firefox or Opera?
Also, I strongly recommend full virus and spyware scans.

>4. Wait a few seconds and recieve popup baloon that says "Wireless
>Disconnected" message.
>
>5. Click the message and force reconnection. Wireless reconnects
>successfully with "Excellent" connection and I am able to browse the
>internet at will, including downloading large files, with no issues.

What if you just wait? Will it reconnect on its own?

>I suspect that there's something to do with the "upload" of the
>attachment when I press "send" but I'm not sure. I thought, at first,
>that it might have something to do with the Ajax-style code on GMail,
>but it does the same thing to Lotus Notes when I try to send an
>attachment from there.

Any attachment? The same attachment?

>I have noticed, since my original post, that as I move around the
>office/house, the phenomenon comes and goes, so I *can't* reproduce it
>every single time, but once it starts happening, it will behave the
>same way as I try to send mail over and over...

Given that it sounds more like interference with sending. It might well
affect long FTP uploads too.

I'd personally start by removing and reinstalling drivers for your Mini
PCI wireless card, using the latest generic driver from the Intel site.
<http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/wlan/sb/cs-010623.htm>

If that doesn't work, I'd next upgrade the Mini PCI card to the Intel
2200BG, which is much improved over the 2100.

p.s. I think the T42 is an excellent product. I personally use a T41.

>John Navas wrote:
>> On 26 Jul 2006 13:18:12 -0700, chris@koenigweb.com wrote in
>> <1153945092.818973.114830@i3g2000cwc.googlegroups. com>:
>>
>> >I can hardly believe that it's true, but I can duplicate it every
>> >time...
>> >
>> >Whenever I try to send an email with an attachment - either while at
>> >work through the Notes client, or at home through GMail - my wireless
>> >connection drops. It's no problem to surf the web, check email
>> >download attachments to emails or virtually anything else, but when I
>> >try to SEND an email (with an attachment) it chokes.
>> >
>> >Is there some setting on my wireless card (have a crappy IBM T42 laptop
>> >unwillingly forced upon me by my company) that can correct this
>> >problem? I've been experiencing various wireless problems for months
>> >now, but the tech support at the office can't fix it, and this problem
>> >is now the icing on the cake.,,
>>
>> What does "chokes" mean? What is the _exact_ symptom? Does the
>> wireless icon switch from connected to disconnected, then back to
>> getting an address? How do you recover? It's hard to suggest a
>> solution without knowing much more about the problem.

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>