Questions tagged [wireless-networking]

Also known as WiFi. This tag should be used when asking home WiFi networking questions or connecting your personal computer to a public network. Questions about enterprise or corporate wireless networks are off topic.

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How can I get the same SSID for multiple access points?

I need to upgrade my existing wireless infrastructure and this time I want 2 access points to cover my house, since I get blind spots no matter what with a single AP. I have physical cabling to my ...
krosenvold's user avatar
  • 6,787
51 votes
7 answers
171k views

Merging two incoming broadband lines for faster Internet

We have a broadband line coming into our building which delivers around 8-10Mbps, which is okay but not great. Fiber is available in our area (30-100Mbps) but it's not available where we are just yet. ...
sam's user avatar
  • 4,149
12 votes
4 answers
9k views

Unable to access outside service from inside LAN

I have a weird port forwarding problem. I tried to open my port 22 to the outside network. I was able to access it as long as I am not inside the LAN. I can access it from my office for example. But ...
erotsppa's user avatar
  • 383
66 votes
4 answers
82k views

How to launch a command on network connection/disconnection?

I have a wifi connection that requires to authenticate using a web form once the wireless link is established. I know how to automate the authentication with a script that uses curl/curlIE. But how ...
dolmen's user avatar
  • 1,252
20 votes
1 answer
31k views

Network devices getting an IP address in the 169.254.x.x range?

I'm totally confused by what's happening to my wifi router, so seeking help here. Configuration I have a modem/wifi router (Netgear CG3000D—let's call it main) connected to cable and configured with ...
Dennis K's user avatar
  • 303
140 votes
4 answers
65k views

How does Windows know whether it has internet access or if a Wi-Fi connection requires in-browser authentication?

In Windows 7, the notification area networking icon will show an error indicator if there is no internet access , and the error icon goes away once there is a successful connection to the internet . ...
nhinkle's user avatar
  • 37.4k
31 votes
2 answers
295k views

Difference between Ethernet splitter and switch

I have one Ethernet port that is wired directly to the router on another level. However, I want to run a desktop and a server both off this one Ethernet port. Can anyone tell me the difference ...
studiohack's user avatar
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10 votes
8 answers
3k views

Which methods help to improve wireless signal?

My router is in my family room, and there's not much I can do to move it, it's in the corner of the house. My room and computer is upstairs and I only get a signal strength of about 17 percent while ...
L1th1um's user avatar
  • 243
15 votes
6 answers
26k views

A good solution to switch between different network settings?

I use my laptop (Windows Vista Ultimate) to connect to a wireless network in college, which assigns a dynamic IP address, and at home, with a static IP address and DNS server. I'm looking for a good ...
Moayad Mardini's user avatar
130 votes
8 answers
249k views

Is it better to use a crowded 2.4GHz Wi-Fi channel 1, 6, 11 or "unused" 3, 4, 8, or 9?

I understand that 2.4GHz Wi-Fi channels overlap, and that the most popular non-overlapping set of channels in the US is 1, 6, and 11. Generally, my signal strength on channels 1, 6, and 11 are much ...
Luke's user avatar
  • 1,613
119 votes
10 answers
447k views

Make Windows 7 ignore WiFi when ethernet is available

When I dock my Windows 7 laptop, I want it to prefer the wired ethernet connection over WiFi. This is a pretty straightforward thing to do on my Mac - I just reorder my network preferences, and it "...
jkooker's user avatar
  • 1,357
26 votes
3 answers
162k views

How to monitor bandwidth use of each device on wifi network

I have in my home a standard Comcast cable internet connection. I have it going from the wall to a cable modem, and from the modem to a late-series Linksys router, which provides wired and wireless ...
GWLlosa's user avatar
  • 576
47 votes
6 answers
112k views

How does Windows 7 decide which route to take if 2 connections to an internet source exist? (e.g. a Wireless and an Ethernet one to a router)

How does Windows 7 decide which route to take if 2 connections to the Internet exist? (e.g. wireless versus wired)
j riv's user avatar
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24 votes
4 answers
91k views

Using two wireless NICs at the same time on Windows 10 desktop PC

I have read similar questions in the past (i.e. How do I use my dual band Wi-Fi card to connect to 5GHz and 2.4GHz simultaneously on Windows? and Connect multiple WiFi networks simultaneously), ...
Shackrock's user avatar
  • 820
273 votes
12 answers
77k views

Why does my microwave kill the Wi-Fi?

Every time I start the microwave in the kitchen, our home Wi-Fi stops working and all devices lose connection with our router! The kitchen and the Wi-Fi router are in opposite ends of the apartment ...
Ohlin's user avatar
  • 1,953
43 votes
2 answers
22k views

What's the maximum actual bit rate of an 802.11g connection?

Using a wired connection, I get a 38 Mbit/s download speed. When I switch to wireless one (Linksys WRT54GL router with Tomato firmware), the speed drops to 23 Mbit/s even if the distance between the ...
Marek Grzenkowicz's user avatar
41 votes
10 answers
223k views

Ping works fine, but no Internet connection in browser

Without having changed any settings, I can't access the Internet anymore through my laptop running Windows 10. Every browser tells me the connection has timed out. I can connect to the router and ...
quacodas's user avatar
  • 521
20 votes
3 answers
56k views

How to give preference over one network connection over another?

Like most laptops, it has both ethernet and wireless networking options. Likewise, I have a wireless router with 10/100/1000 Mbs. 90% of the time, wireless speeds suffice. But once in a while, I ...
Chad Harrison's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
8k views

Hotel like Wifi manager

Does anyone knows which are these systems that manages paid wifi networks and some hotels and airports? Even better, would anyone know a open/free project that would do or could be adapted to that ...
flpgdt's user avatar
  • 467
8 votes
1 answer
4k views

Automatically picking network settings based on the wifi network [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: A good solution to switch between different network settings? Whenever I bring my laptop to office, to connect to the wireless network, I have to set the static IP address ...
user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
3k views

Creating a custom domain on my Wi-Fi network with a Windows computer and Apache

I have a router and a laptop. On my laptop I have installed WAMP which includes Apache. I have configured Apache to grant access over intranet. Using IP address I can access the server from any other ...
Jinendra Khobare's user avatar
64 votes
3 answers
136k views

Does a wireless-N (802.11n) network have poor performance when in b/g "mixed" mode?

It seems to be an "old" wives tale that, when using a wireless-N router in "mixed mode" to support legacy 802.11b or 802.11g devices, the performance of 802.11n clients will suffer....
BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft's user avatar
40 votes
14 answers
463k views

Windows 10 Wi-Fi issue: "Can't connect to this network"

A little background - I have a Lenovo G50 which was running Windows 8.1 up until a few months back. Then came along the free upgrade to Windows 10. Microsoft updated the laptop OS to Windows&...
Dust_In_The_Wind's user avatar
22 votes
9 answers
102k views

Connect to Wi-Fi access point with specific MAC address

I can see several (5+) Wi-Fi access points with the same SSID, but different MAC addresses (using InSSIDer). However, my Windows 7 laptop always keeps connecting to one of the APs, and I suspect it's ...
dbkk101's user avatar
  • 879
22 votes
2 answers
46k views

Windows 10: Phones appearing in Network

Yesterday, Network listing on Windows 10 file explorer showed me one external phone. Thus, I changed my router WiFi password just in case. Nevertheless, I checked this today and I found 5 new phones ...
IvanRF's user avatar
  • 975
21 votes
4 answers
72k views

Tethering on Windows 7?

Is there an option in Windows 7 (or 3rd party) to offer Tethering (that is, act as a WiFi hotspot while being connected to a WiFi network?)
ripper234's user avatar
  • 11.5k
18 votes
5 answers
37k views

Wired to wireless bridge in Linux

I am attempting to set up my Raspberry Pi as a bridge, using Debian wheezy. I have a hostapd.conf: (some details changed for security, and yes, I know WEP is no good)... interface=wlan0 bridge=br0 ...
adrianmcmenamin's user avatar
14 votes
3 answers
156k views

Is the wifi password stored somewhere in windows-7? [duplicate]

One of my friend connected me to the wifi in our area . Now my computer automatically connects to that wifi. I don't need to enter the password. I wanted to browse internet using my android phone. ...
steve's user avatar
  • 377
13 votes
5 answers
11k views

Automatically prefer Ethernet over WLAN

Is is possible to force IP connections over the wired ethernet if it is connected and over wireless LAN if the wired ethernet is unavailabe (e.g. cable disconnected). Both network connections would be ...
EricSchaefer's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
8k views

USB WiFi dongle device that can emulate a virtual mass storage device for a home video player

Is there a USB WiFi dongle device that can: Emulate a virtual mass storage device for a home video player But in fact shows the files from a network-shared folder?
bender's user avatar
  • 71
2 votes
2 answers
2k views

How can I open different browsers' windows with different network adapters?

I am trying to test a Wi-Fi network and I need to have the possibility to open different windows of Chrome or Firefox with a specific network adapter (for example, I have two Wi-Fi network adapters – ...
Manuel Boluda Gonzalez's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
834 views

Sluggish smart-home wireless devices

I have a question. I have been experiencing delays when controlling my smart-home devices when everyone is home and using the internet. The internet is not slow, (300Mbps) but I think the one router ...
DaLanik's user avatar
  • 23
165 votes
2 answers
95k views

What is a "Magic Packet" for waking a computer?

My wireless adapter (Intel Dual Band Wireless-N 7260) has two settings in Device Manager which I cannot explain. Wake on Magic Packet Wake on Pattern Match After a bit of research, I found this ...
AlainD's user avatar
  • 4,675
35 votes
3 answers
171k views

Laptop wireless networking options: 1x1 vs 2x2

I am currently customizing a Lenovo Thinkpad. Under the section "Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters" there are two options. Default: ThinkPad 1x1 b/g/n Upgraded: ThinkPad 2x2 a/b/g/n (+$10 AUD) ...
Valamas's user avatar
  • 1,545
31 votes
3 answers
98k views

Use Windows 10 wifi hotspot with no internet connection

I'm trying to play a video game with my friends that requires a local wifi network that allows UDP broadcasts. The dorm wifi doesn't allow UDP broadcasts, so I'm trying to set up my laptop as a ...
user1224595's user avatar
27 votes
5 answers
71k views

How to take advantage of two Internet connections (WiFi / Wired)?

I have two separate internet connections, one through WiFi and other Wired. However, generally I have observed that Windows try to use only one ( mostly faster one/ Or Wired by preference - I am not ...
Madhur Ahuja's user avatar
  • 1,919
24 votes
7 answers
14k views

How to extend Wi-Fi signal across rooms?

I moved into a new place and my old Wi-Fi router just doesn't have the range to get into all the rooms. I've been investigating a lot of options and I'm wondering what other folks have done here. ...
user avatar
23 votes
3 answers
19k views

Should uploading a file on DSL kill the download speed?

I have the 20,127/893 Kbps service through CenturyLink DSL. I've ran speed test and it typically reports speeds close to that. Except whenever I upload something substantial. Like a video file to ...
Jim McKeeth's user avatar
  • 5,097
22 votes
8 answers
50k views

Force refresh (re-scan) wireless networks from command line?

How can I force Windows to re-scan for available wireless networks from the command line? (i.e. I'm looking for the command-line equivalent of pressing F5 on the GUI.)
user541686's user avatar
  • 23.9k
17 votes
4 answers
33k views

When concurrently connected to wired and wireless ensure Windows 7 uses wired connection

When I am at my desk and my laptop is in its docking station I want to ensure that it uses its wired connection and not my wireless network. I am hoping/guessing that the preference in connection is ...
ahsteele's user avatar
  • 1,914
16 votes
3 answers
20k views

Can a Linux machine act as both a wireless client and access point simultaneously using a single physical WLAN interface?

If I have only 1 physical WLAN interface, is there some hackery that can be done so that it can be a client of an existing access point and at the same time also act as an access point for other ...
ThatGraemeGuy's user avatar
15 votes
3 answers
70k views

How to get a stored WLAN "password" from Windows 7?

I'm trying to connect to my friends wireless network, but we don't know the password (ie. network/WEP/WPA key). The WLAN is secured by WPA2. My friend's laptop with Windows 7 connects automatically ...
user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
62k views

How to get assigned IPs by hostednetwork?

I just started using Microsoft Virtual WiFi or hostednetwork from Command Prompt to share my internet connection through my WiFi adapter and it's good so far! The only issue I face however is that I ...
Giovanni Mounir's user avatar
10 votes
4 answers
2k views

How to network two locations through 130m of trees

I want to network two locations. Their physical distance is around 130m (418 feet) and it is covered with trees. The target link speed should be at least 10Mbit. I have considered using UTP but its ...
Odys's user avatar
  • 1,621
7 votes
2 answers
48k views

What are the best WiFi settings for my situation?

I am trying to tweak my WiFi settings on the router and on my laptop so I can enjoy using the WiFi at my attic. For now I only get headaches because I cannot move freely around with my laptop at the ...
user avatar
7 votes
4 answers
1k views

What's the best way to increase the range of my 802.11g router?

I have cable broadband, and as such the router has to be attached to a cable modem which also has to connect to the TV. That means the router is stuck in the corner of my house. This is good when I'm ...
Rich Bradshaw's user avatar
237 votes
15 answers
576k views

Does it make sense to keep different SSIDs for 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless networks?

My router can have different SSIDs for 2.4 and 5 GHz and I'm not sure if it's better to have the same SSID or not. Initially I put the same network but I got confused when the MacBook Pro displayed ...
sorin's user avatar
  • 11.8k
159 votes
10 answers
25k views

Is it really possible for most enthusiasts to crack people's Wi-Fi networks?

Can most enthusiastic users (even if they are not professionals) use well-known techniques to break through the average home router's security? Some basic security options are: strong network ...
kvhadzhiev's user avatar
  • 1,439
21 votes
2 answers
21k views

How to run a program when connecting to a specific network in Windows 7

I want to have an executable run every time I connect to my wireless network at home. The purpose is to sync a folder on my laptop with my desktop machine. Is there any way run a program or script ...
Lucas Wilson-Richter's user avatar
19 votes
2 answers
12k views

How to keep Windows 10 connected to wifi without internet?

I have a Wifi AP without internet access that allows me to access some devices at home. I want my Windows 10 to keep connected to that wifi network, but once Windows detects there is no internet, it ...
Natan's user avatar
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