wireless network advice needed

I have a Buffalo air station and lately we've been having problems picking up signals from it.


There are two macbooks and a Vista PC laptop using the air station, plus an old desktop PC that plugs into it. The laptops are having trouble.


Could it be because of the air station? It's about three years old. Or could it be something internal in the computers? The desktop has no problem receiving the signal so I'm assuming it's not netvigator that's the problem.


My kids have also suggested in the past that someone else might be hacking into our network and slowing it down. How do you stop that?


I'm ignorant about these things. Any advice is appreciated.

It is solid state but if it is three years old there is probably dust which can screw things up. First things first: clean it. Take the vacuum and suck out air from all the vents. Surprisingly many issues are solved by cleaning computers and electronics.


If nothing else has changed on your desktops and laptops then I would definitely look at the router. Your kids may well be right. Another possibility is that there is another router in the vicinity that is interfering. You should go into the wireless config on the router and change the wireless channel. There may be some trial and error involved until you find a good one.


You should still secure your network. Here's what you need to do. Note that I don't know how your menus are configured exactly (they vary by brand and router) so you might need to dig around a bit. Also headings might not be called the exact same thing as I say.

- Use your browser to log onto the router. If you're lucky the default address will be listed on the router itself.

- Under Admin or Admin config, back up your current configuration. This creates a file that you can use to restore your config in case things go south.

- Also under Admin, change (or create) the admin password. Use letters and numbers. Write the password down.

- Under wireless config, change your SSID. This is the name of your network.

- Also under wireless config, change the authentication to one of the WPA variants, then create a key. This is used by the computers to connect to the network.

- "Cloak" your network by unchecking "broadcast SSID". This means the network will not be visible (without a scanner) and you can't connect without knowing the SSID.

- A further, and probably excessive, measure is to allow only certain machines to connect. You can do this by using the "MAC filter" feature.

- When you're done, back up your config again.

- Set the new connection settings on your computers. Make sure it all works.

- If you can't access your router anymore through the browser, there is a reset button. The method varies but most routers will reset if you hold it for ten seconds. All the settings will then revert to factory default.

Thank you for such a detailed reply. I will try these things. One question - how do you use your browser to log onto your router?


Thank you again!

If you have the manual, it will tell you what ip address to key-in in your browser to access the router. Usually it is 192.168.1.1

As punter says. Also some manufacturers, including Buffalo, put the IP on a label on the actual router.


Here's a summary: http://www.practicallynetworked.com/support/wireless_secure.htm . I missed the last point about disabling remote administration. Oops.

Thanks guys, but I have no idea where to find the router on my browser. I am really in the dark on this. I've tried clicking on different things but no mention of Admin config or ip address. Where do I find these?

In the address bar (where you would write "www.cnn.com"), type 192.168.1.1. Assuming that is the correct address, you will get a dialog prompting for a username and password. Typically on Buffalo the default would be "root" and no password (alternatively "admin" and "admin").


After that, the management interface will come up.

Thank you both for taking the time to help me. I found my way to the Admin config page and will take it from there. The address turned out to be 192.168.11.1 in case anyone else is thinking of trying this.

Have fun!