laptop computer gets knocked offline about once each day

W

whiteheater

Active Member
I have a cable modem and Cisco linksys router set up so other computers in my house can use them to get online through this home network. Seemed to work OK until recently but now it seems my laptop computer (a Compag Presario CQ61 Notebook computer with an AMD Athlon 2 Dual Core M320 2.10 GHZ processor and 3 GB RAM memory 64 bit OS and Windows 7 Home Premium with a Wireless LAN 802.11b/g/n WLAN. Security type is WPA2-PSK. The laptop is one of three computers in the house and is NOT connected directly to the cable modem and router.

For the last month or two it seems I get knocked offline and have to reset the router and/or modem to get back online about once each day, mostly in the afternoon. When i check the internet icon in the tray, it seems I find that instead of the home network icon (my SSID which has a "house" icon) there is a "public network" icon (like a park bench). There are other SSID names listed of other computers that neighbors use (signal strength is usually fair to poor while mine says excellent). Sometimes this seems to happen when someone is using the main computer that is hooked up to the cable modem and router but not always.

Is there anyway to check to see what might be causing this and fix the problem?
 
Are you finding your laptop connected to someone else's network? Go into Network and Sharing Center and click the link to configure your wireless networks on the left. Your network should be moved to the top of the list so it gets top priority. Also consider removing any unused networks from the list to prevent automatically connecting to them.
 
My connection is at the top of the list and I can't connect to any of the neighbor's connections because I don't have their security key. I was just knocked off the internet a few minutes ago again and just had to unplug the router and then plug it in again and I was online.

So what else could be knocking me off the Home network and to a Public network? Something is causing the home network to go to the public network.
 
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Forgot to mention that the main desktop computer that the cable modem and cisco router are connected to- is usually online when my laptop goes from "home network" (my SSID) to "unidentified network" and I can't get online when this happens. And occasionally it happens when the main desktop computer isn't even turned on. (Cell phones and microwave ovens in the house aren't causing the problem as I've checked on that already.)
 
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