Wireless connection Issues when Macbook and PC laptop used together

[Adikavi]

Hello, I have a Macbook Pro and a Windows PC laptop which is installed with Windows XP. I have a single Internet connection which is provided using a Motorola cable modem. This cable modem is connected to Linksys Wireless Router. I connect to router wireless using Macbook and the PC laptop to share the Internet connection. The problem is I am not able to use Macbook and PC laptop simultaneously to access Internet using Wireless connection. The wireless connection on the Macbook drops when the Windows PC laptop is connected to the Router. This continues to happen if both the computers are used together. If only one computer is used to access the Internet, then there is no dropping of connection. I cant figure out what the problem is and hence need someone to guide me in this. Please help.

[Milton.J]

I think the router is not able to handle the load of two computers connected together to it using Wireless connection and hence is tripping the connection. Router has a piece of software installed in it which helps in providing proper services to all the ports. If there are some problems in the software then the router is not able to provide proper services to all the ports or all the devices connected to it. As you are using a Linksys router, you can update the IOS of the router by visiting the official site of Linksys and downloading the latest IOS for the Model of the router you are using. Once the IOS of the router is updated you will not face problems with wireless connection.

[Snake08]

Wireless communication happens with use of Radio signals. The radio signals have a property of Interference. Two radio signals interfere with each other and destroy each other if they are not propagated properly. Also this signals interfere if the receiver and the transmitter are not shielded properly. As you are using two different computers to access the router wirelessly, there are high chances the signals are getting destroyed due to interference. Keep a lot of distance between the two computers when using wireless connection on them to access the internet. Keeping distance between the two would reduce the interference and hence prevent the connection dropping.

[Steve123]

You must be using DHCP server to assign the IP address dynamically to both the computers. DHCP server has a pool of IP addresses from which it assigns an IP address to the device connected. If two devices connect to the router at the same time there is high possibility that the same IP address is allotted to both the devices which will create duplication of IP address on the network. if the duplication of IP occurs in the network, the network connection to both the devices is disconnected. To avoid this situation, First connect one Laptop to the Router and then connect the other to router after some time say 5 minutes. This will avoid the duplication of the IP on the network and hence will avoid network disconnection.

[Big Fish]

To avoid duplication of the IP addresses on the network you can configure the IP addresses of the Laptop and the Macbook manually. Entering the IP addresses manually will disable the DHCP and will therefore remove the possibility of duplication of the address. Contact the service provider and get a Static IP addresses for the MAcbook and the laptop and configure them. To configure the IP address on the Windows laptop follow these steps :-
1) Open Network connections.
2) Right Click on Local Area Network and select Properties.
3) Select TCP/IP utilities and select Properties.
4) Now Select "Use the following IP address Option"
5) Enter the IP address, DNS and Default gateway addresses in the respective tabs and then save the settings.
To configure the Macbook Manually :-
1) From the Apple Menu, Select and open System Preferences.
2) Now select Network Preferences and Go to Advanced Tab.
3) Now enter the IP address, DNS and Default gateway address and save the settings.
Hopefully manually configuring the IP will solve your problem.

[Zachary]

Remove the Router from the network and see if the disconnection problem continues. To remove the router from the network, connect the Macbook directly to the Cable modem. Now go to System preferences and then Open Network Preferences. Click on the Internet Tab and check mark the Internet sharing option. Now save the settings and exit the wizard. Now you will be able to access Internet on the Windows Laptop without using the router. Also disable the Firewall on both Macbook and Laptop so as to enable the all kinds of traffic to flow in and out.