Best Buy, Geek Squad, NetGear, LinkSys, Belkin and my gray hair...

In case any of our tech-savvy gurus are reading, let me just lay out the thus-far scenario.

At home, we used to have Optimum Online. Back when we had that, our Internet connection was fine. Even in the basement, I got a strong connection that allowed me to watch streaming videos and do all sorts of other stuff. Then, last year, we switched to Verizon FiOS. Last week, we went back to Optimum. The original LinkSys router we had wasn't to be found, so I went to go get a new one. They gave me a NetGear router - N-series - and after installing it, the setup told me I needed v2. I went back to Best Buy and they told me there was no v2. So they gave me a LinkSys and I brought it home - no dice. I went back and set up an appointment with the Geek Squad to come over and do it, since I'm obviously incapable of installing a wireless router. While I was there, I got a Belkin wireless router - supposedly the best they have. I came home, couldn't get it to work and left it for the Geek.

Two days later, the geek comes and gets everything situated. We once again have a wireless network. He leaves and the network slows to a crawl. One of the laptops on the network can't get on no matter what. So I call them back. Someone comes over today and can't figure out the problem. I go back to Best Buy and speak with the supervisor - after I return the range extender we got a few days ago - and he sends someone else over. This guy was here for a while - but to no avail.

I can't find a constant variable in all of this. My laptop (Toshiba with Vista) connects at full bars, no problem. Another laptop (Vaio with Vista) has had lots of trouble connecting and maintaining a connection. A third laptop (Dell with XP) can't connect at all. A fourth laptop (Mac) connects with trouble; lost connection, slow speed, etc. If I bring the Dell down the street to the neighbor's house, and get on to their wireless network, then there's no problem at all. If I bring any of the laptops to my exact seat in the living room, they still can't connect and/or establish the same connection/speed that I have. Even sitting right next to the router, the troubled laptops are still troubled.

The range extender was worthless. When the geek inserted an up-to-date PCM/CIA card into the Dell, it didn't change the connection or speed of the Dell, which suggests that there's interference. But there are no video cameras in the house, no baby monitors, and the cordless phone is 5.8 gHZ, not 2.4. Nothing's changed since a year ago when we last had Optimum, but now it's not working at all. If anyone has any advice or suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Not sure which neighbors have what - but there are a few local networks that pop up on my screen when I search for our network. The first guy who was here today switched us from challenge six and 11 to channel nine. Still no dice.

 

Yeah - both in-house laptops have built-in wireless. But one's a high-end five-year-old Dell with XP, and the other's a nine-month-old Vaio with Vista. So there's a huge difference there in built-in wireless, but both have trouble. My year and a half-old laptop with Vista has no trouble (in the living room).

How do I find out on each laptop, if they're 802.11g or 802.11n...? I assume one or more of the Geeks that were here already looked at this, but you never know.

I'm about ready to hear that exact same thing, because these guys can't figure anything out...!

What other devices, besides laptops and the wireless router would be 802.11 B or N...? Could it be possible that everything in the house (or most of it) is on N and the new modem is on G...?

 

No wireless mice. There's an XBox in the house; it's supposed to have wireless capabilities, but I don't know if they work. The neighbors might have 2.4gHZ phones, but that was never a problem before. Someone called the cable company yesterday and they said the best modem is a Scientific Atlantic - so why they gave us a Motorola is beyond me. Best Buy doesn't have any Scientific Atlantic modems and they don't know where I can get one.

 

It's a lot grayer today than it was yesterday.

 

I'll check on the Bluetooth stuff, but I doubt it. Another Geek is coming over on Friday - along with some new-fangled piece of equipment that can't even be purchased in stores - it had to be bought online - so we'll see what happens then. I'm on a one-month free trial with one of those Sprint wireless flash drive connect-anywhere-thingies, so I had to use that last night because now this Internet thing is affecting my machine (which was, hitherto, imputrescible).

My landlord noticed that some of the old Verizon boxes were still plugged in to the wall. Not hooked up to anything, but nevertheless the powered on. I know that definitely had something to do with it, but they've since been unplugged - and the connection trouble with my laptop started when these things were unplugged...!!!

Oh, and to answer your question (sorry), the Toshiba and Vaio both came new, out of the box, with Vista.