Wireless connection problems with Bellsouth Netopia wireless router.....

I have a customer with 6 desktops in a "Wireless Office Network" using
Bellsouth's Netopia wireless router which appears to be dropping the
connection.

I looked in the log and noticed the router resetting or rebooting at 2
A.M. in the morning and the computers not reconnecting to the network.

I even rebooted the router and re-did some of the config parameters
on-site and noticed then that the computers did not reconnect. They said
"CONNECTED" and even had a valid IP address and signal strength saids
GOOD but no connection...got the "page cannot be displayed" screen.

In most cases for an extended period, I would check the computer's
config and the IP address which I manually hardcoded in would come up as
"0.0.0.0" after a couple of hours. I would either have to disconnect
from the wireless network, or reboot the computers.

I even hardcoded the IP address into all the machines, bypassing the
DHCP server and the same deal.

The computers run 24/7 are really never rebooted unless necessary.

All of the computers are doing the same thing and they are all running
Windows XP HOME. There are at least 8 different wireless signals from
other different routers or offices present in the vicinity (in the list
of available wireless networks).

In one instance I notice the wireless cards in a couple of the computers
actually DISABLING themselves and I would have to either successfully
re-enable them or reboot the computers.

I was told that the computers would drop the wireless connection
continuously at 15 to 20 minute intervals during the day but of course
I'm not there to verify that.

I did notice that there was no password on the router and did put one in
- thinking someone could be hacking it and rebooting the wireless.

A server computer with a hardcoded ip address with a hardwired
connection also located there does not appear to have any disconnection
issues.

I hardcoded the ip address in order to eliminate the router's DHCP
server as the culprit.

I find it hard though that all the computers would be doing the same
thing and then not reconnecting when I am on site changing the router
information after rebooting all of the computer just minutes earlier.

This points to a bad router even though bellsouth denies it but I just
want a second opinion.


Any help would be appreciated.....
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