ISP told me to turn off zone alarm

we have an aerial on our roof that transmits to a tower about 10 km away

have looked into other wireless divices but none of them operate at the same frequency.....2.4 GHz so we have ruled that out

 

The D-Link AirPlus DWL-520+ is what you have on a PC

http://www.dlink.com.au/products/wireless/dwl520 /

D-Link AirPlus Enhanced 2.4GHz Wireless PCI Adapter

This means from where ever your router is placed..it appears you are going Wireless to not only your PC but also the laptop.

I am surprised they did not at least forget about going wireless to your PC and just go with a Cat5e cable out of the back of your router and then hardwire that into the back of your PC tower into a DFE-530TX+ Dlink fast ethernet adapter..( or similar product).


http://www.dlink.com/products/?model=DFE-530TX+

That way at least there is one less wireless hop to your PC and effectively at least that PC is hooked up directly then to your ISP service.

Still not a fail safe method..but that would take out any unknown in the system setup you have..that the dlink stuff might ever be causing a problem..and then easier to even isolate daily problem as they come up.

 

should i still do the above

 

yea we bi-passed the wireless aspect at one stage to rule out any problem there .....thats the first thing the tec did when he came out to our house

 

do not worry about the ones you can not delete because they are in use..

 

Since on your PC you have the dwl-520+ it has this feature..

The D-Link AirPlus DWL-520+ also includes a configuration utility that can quickly and automatically discover available wireless networks and create and save detailed connectivity profiles for those networks most often accessed. The DWL-520+ is a powerful 32-bit PCI adapter that installs quickly and easily into desktop PCs and when used with other D-Link AirPlus products automatically connects to the network. And all D-Link wireless adapters can be used in ad-hoc mode to connect directly with other cards or in infrastructure mode to connect with a wireless access point for access to the Internet in your office or home network.

You can see that utility in your start> programs..or else it is already loaded in your tray by the clock..if you double click on that Icon..you can see what the utility can do..

Do you have one of those ?

 

mmmm......it seems i do but when i click on it i get a sound of non complience an it won't open

 

Bummer..


well if you can get it to work this is what it can do..but it is possible since you have XP..you might have to use the XP ding a ling thing.


But i have it working on my PC and it is a cool utility..to tell you want is happening all the time.


this is what it is all about for the dwl-520+ and many of their other wireless adpter products


http://support.dlink.com/downloads/#


Launch Config utility

There are two ways to get to the configuration utility for the D-Link adapter configuration software.

- A D-Link Icon AirPlus Utility will appear on the desktop. You can get to the utility by double clicking on that Icon.

- In the system tray right next to your clock you should see an Icon that looks like stairs. You can click on this Icon, and it will also take you to the Configuration utility for the wireless card.

Note: If using Windows XP, the D-Link utility may not run. You must use the built-in (Wireless Zero Config) utility.

(see the link I have below on that)




Link Info screen

Either way you open the configuration utility it will take you first to the Link Info Screen. This screen will give you information on your connection.

The Status field will give you the Mac address of the Access Point or the Wireless card that you are connected to.

The ESSID is the “Name” of the Wireless network. Every computer that you wish to communicate on your wireless network MUST have the same ESSID. The ESSID is also case sensitive, so be careful when typing it. D-Link uses default for the default ESSID.

The Tx Rate is the speed at which the files will transfer.

The Channel is the channel the wireless devices will communicate on.

The Link Info, and the Signal Strength, both monitor your connection to the wireless device listed in the Status Field.




Configuration
To change any settings on this page you will select Configuration from the menu on the left.

From this page you can change the settings that were listed on the Link info page. As mentioned before the SSID needs to be the same as on all wireless devices in this network.

Wireless Mode will allow you to select what you are connecting to. Set the wireless mode to Ad-Hoc if you are connecting to another wireless card, or select Infrastructure mode if you are connecting to an Access Point or wireless router.

The Best Tx Rate to use is Auto. Auto will allow you to connect to the network at the best speed for your network. If you are running on a regular 802.11b (not enhanced) then you will need to make sure the Tx Rate is set to Auto.

Leave the Preamble to Long Preamble for normal use. If you have high traffic or large file transfers, then change the preamble to short.

When you have finished making your changes click on the Apply button to apply your changes.







Encryption
Encryption can be used to add privacy to a Wireless network. To enable Encryption select the Encryption link from the left hand menu, then check mark the Data Encryption box.

In the Auth Mode field click on the down arrow and select Shared Authentication.

Down at the bottom under the Key Format, make sure you select Hex from the drop down menu, and then select number 1 under the Network Key.

There are three choices for Encryption under the Key Length. You can select 64,128, or 256-bit encryption. The bit encryption you select will determine how long the secret Hex key will be. If you are using 64-bit encryption the key will be 10 characters, for 128-bit the key will be 26 characters, and for 256-bit encryption the key will be 58 characters. When you have entered in you secret encryption key in the field provided, then click on the Apply button.

You make the key up yourself. Valid HEX characters are 0-9 and A-F. The key must be the same on all wireless nodes.

Note: Encryption is only a form of privacy, and is not to be confused with security. Encryption can also cause overhead to the packets, and can cause a wireless network to drop connection more than a wireless network without encryption.



Site Survey

Site Survey is used to list the available wireless networks in range of your wireless card. In the Available Network box a list of all available networks will appear.

The Mac Address of the Access Point or wireless card will be listed first. Then the SSID will appear, as we know from before the SSID (or ESSID) is the “name” of the wireless network. It will also tell you if WEP (encryption) is enabled on the Access Point is enabled, what channel the network is running on, and if the network is run by an Access Point (infrastructure) or a Wireless Card (Ad Hoc network).

When you find the Network you wish to connect to simply select the Network you wish to connect to, and click on the Connect button.

Note: By selecting your network and clicking on the connect button, the utility will change the ESSID of your wireless card to match that of your selected wireless network.




Wireless Zero Config Fix Guide for win XP PC's


http://scarter.atspace.com/wzc.htm




If you do ever get it running in start up..you will then see things like this in your hijackthis log for it..

C:\Program Files\D-Link\AirPlus G Wireless Adapter Utility\AIRPLUS.exe
C:\Program Files\D-Link\AirPlus G Wireless Adapter Utility\Reg.exe

 

does it also give you any info then..like a missing .dll or any other info..

 

Maybe if your reboot that PC it might work for you..if you have not rebooted since doing some of that cleaning.

 

I am also assuming your d-link router is in the same room as that PC so that you have not a concern about that 300 foot area coverage..but in any case you should still..place it as high as you can.

************************

Wireless network is easy to setup, but if you’re installing it for the first time it could be quite a task not knowing where to start. That’s why we’ve put together a few setup steps and tips to help you through the process of setting up a wireless network.

You’ll need the following to get started on building a wireless network.

Broadband connection such as DSL/Cable with a modem or existing Local Area Network connection
A wireless router or access point depending upon your connection
Wireless network adapters for all computers that you wish to add to your wireless network
When you have all the components to build a network, you’ll need to install it. This is where D-Link products are so user friendly. All D-Link products come with a quick installation guide and a detailed product manual breaking it in down to step-by-step process to help you setup your network. Read the instructions carefully and you’ll see how easy it is to install a wireless network. If you get stuck somewhere in the middle, you can always consult our 24-hour technical support team for help. Aside from that, D-Link offers installation services where a technician comes to your home and sets up your network for you.

Tips

Here are a few things to keep in mind, when you install a wireless network.

Centralize your router


Make sure you place the router/access point in a centralized location within your network for the best performance. Try to place the router/access point as high as possible in the room, so the signal gets dispersed throughout your home. If you have a two-story home, you may need a repeater to boost the signal to extend the range.

Eliminate Interference


Place home appliances such as cordless telephones, microwaves, and televisions as away as possible from the router/access point. This would significantly reduce any interfere that the appliances might cause since they operate on same frequency.

Security


Don’t let you next-door neighbors or intruders connect to your wireless network. Secure your wireless network by turning on the WPA or WEP security feature on the router. Refer to product manual for detail information on how to set it up.

more good info here on the clickable tabs

http://www.dlink.com/tutorial/wireless/setup.asp

 

Thanks Primrose
You have been a wealth of imformation....
my internet connection dropped out again so sorry i didnt get back to you sooner.....looks like i will be calling them on monday after i have done some homework

now to read up on and try to undestand everything you said .....lol

thanks again to you and everyone else

 

I assume that off this wireless antenna on your home that a cable then runs to some type of modem they gave you..and then that modem goes to your dlink wireless router.

Now if for some reason there is a problem on their end..and your modem looses it's connectiving..the standard proceedure would be to unplug the modem for a few seconds (30 is good) then plug that little power cable back into that modem box. You modem should then hunt again and reset automatically to whatever default configuration they set in.

If that got your connection back then you would know the problem is on their end..and that is also why it is nice to have at least one PC directly connected to your D-link lan with cable to an ethernet card to that PC and not being wireless since right away you would know if that fixed the problem.


If thou, this drop out you are getting is on the dlink wireless network inside your home then you take another similar approach. You disconnect the power from the router for a short time..then plug it back in..and it should automatically hunt for the info coming out of the modem they gave you and reset itself..now when it does this it will then use certian CHANNELS (see write up above) to then again wirelessly transmit to all those wireless adapters you have on the PC and laptop.

Now with D-link the default channel it chooses is usually channel 6..meaning then all those adapters will get a signal on channel 6 also but you must make sure they are set it get channel 6 and that is where this configuration UTILITY I talked about above..comes in handy..it even has a clickable screen button you can hit with your mouse to RENEW the connection..wherein it then scans all the known channels these products use (channel 1 through 11) and when it find a good signal..it then LOCKS on to it and you are good to go .

NOTE: Also of course when you reboot a PC or laptop that has these wireless adapters..during that time (reboot) the dlink software also does this hunt and search thingie..looking for the channel that has a wireless signal in that frequency and then it also can re-establish connection that way.


Now i have one thought..I have seen recently at D-link some upgrades to the software drivers on some of these adapters and also the routers... And one change for the router had to do with a channel fix thingie..wherein instead of the router when it was recycled ( this unplug.replug in power) it would use channel 1 instead of channel 6..and they also made some other fixes.

I know they applied to the DI-524 router that they have..but I do not know if they applied to the one you have.

I think your tech should know if you have all the latest drivers for all the dlink hardware you have and if the installation CD he used to install them were the latest drivers from DLINK.

 

ON your Zone Alarm firewall:

I do not know any conflicts it might have with your dlink software..BUT then i do not know what version of ZA you have. Lots of things have to happen in the boot up process of a puter and that is where it can all get messy.

I also do not know if you are file sharing or have anything set up on these PC/laptops having YOU act as a server..most file sharing proggies do that by default.

So i will talk to you like that tech.

Your dlink router has a firewall..and the built in win XP firewall is not that bad as a one way block..so if you are finding that ZA is getting in the way..then turn it off and uninstall it..then get a different software firewall if you think that extra layer will help.