Wireless interface loses default route by unknown reason

Question

Hey folks, i have really weird problem with my wireless connection.

Problem:
I can connect to access point (manually and with manager), internet is working for about 5-7 minutes and then the connection breaks up. The only way to get it back online - put the interface down and up. Access point is WEP encrypted and there is no problems with passwords/signal because i was using it for a while without any problems.

System: Ubuntu 8.04 32bit

Wifi: Atheros 5007 with madwifi drivers

Wireless Configuration:

IEEE 802.11g  ESSID:"2WIRE717"  Nickname:""
Mode:Managed  Frequency:2.437 GHz  Access Point: 00:18:3F:03:B8:79   
Bit Rate:18 Mb/s   Tx-Power:16 dBm   Sensitivity=1/1  
Retry:off   RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
Power Management:off
Link Quality=38/70  Signal level=-57 dBm  Noise level=-95 dBm
Rx invalid nwid:609512  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

I was trying to find out what can cause such behavior, but didnt get any satisfying results. Then i noticed that the "Rx invalud nwid" rate is really big. But it doesnt explain the reason.

Please help with an advice.

Answer 1

Your answer is probably here:

http://madwifi-project.org/wiki/InvalidNWID ... looks like someone with another wifi access point is on the same frequency/channel and is stepping all over your signal. If you recently moved or someone else recently moved in near you, try changing your channel in the access point/router configuration.

"no problems with passwords/signal because i was using it for a while without any problems" means absolutely nothing -- you never know the effect outside changes can have, so when you can't solve a problem another way it's best to rule them out if it's easy to do so.