Is my hardware configured properly?

[edek]

I am using wireless connection ad-hoc. card 1 is on linux, card 2 on windows xp. No encryption. The connection keeps connecting/disconnecting periodically (period = about 2sec.)

On LINUX:
iwconfig gives:

wlan0   IEEE 802.11g  ESSID:"local"  Nickname:"FC8"
          Mode:Ad-Hoc  Frequency:2.412 GHz  Cell: 02:E0:01:22:D1:62   
          Bit Rate=11 Mb/s   Tx-Power:29 dBm   Sensitivity=0/3  
          RTS thr:off   Fragment thr:off
          Encryption key:off
          Power Management:off
          Link Quality:34/100  Signal level:-74 dBm  Noise level:-96 dBm
          Rx invalid nwid:0  Rx invalid crypt:0  Rx invalid frag:0
          Tx excessive retries:0  Invalid misc:0   Missed beacon:0

ifconfig gives:

wlan0     Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:06:4F:42:DB:57  
          inet addr:192.168.0.33  Bcast:192.168.0.255   Mask:255.255.255.0
          inet6 addr: fe80::206:4fff:fe42:db57/64 Scope:Link
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:361 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:190 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:29129 (28.4 KiB)  TX bytes:35546 (34.7 KiB)
          Interrupt:20 Memory:ddeffc00-ddeffc25

ON WINDOWS XP:
ipconfig /all gives:

Ethernet adapter wireless Network Connection:

         Media State............: Media disconnected
         Description..............: Intel(R) PRO/Wireless LAN 2100 3B Mini PCI Adapter
         Physical Address..: 00-0C-F1-00-6D-92

Is my config OK? Why it would connect/disconnect periodically?

[digitalocksmith]

It may be that if you don't have encryption turned on that someone else is using your router to connect to the internet.
If enough other people can see an unprotected network to use, they may be degrading your access.

You can download a handy little app called Netstumbler and use it to check on your nearby wireless networks and see what channel number they're using.
Most wifi routers default setting is CH11, so I'd change yours to something like 3 or 6 if you suspect this may be the problem.
http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads/

There may also be a host of other variables which are contributing to your issue, however i only raise this one for you to check first because running any wireless connection without encryption is a no no!

Regards

[edek]

thanks for reply!
I believe no one is using my Internet connection but me. There are no wireless networks around here - I am in a suburbs of some small town :)))
Any other ideas?

[edek]

I've found something weird...
Is it OK if I have multiple devices with the same name (I have only one 'Realtec Wireless') - there should be only one wlan0 - true? See attached screen shoot...

[digitalocksmith]

This may be an issue, it looks as though you have unintentionlly created another device whilst you have been configuring the hardware during troubleshooting.

USB network adaptors are famously unreliable and perhaps the signal is inadvertantly 'switching' between the 2 device setups which may be causing your signal drop out.

You are correct in saying there should only be one so delete the unused device and see if this helps with the issue.

Let me know how you go!

[edek]

So, I've deleted one wireless card from the list shown in the picture above.
I did not mention that I am using Windows drivers on Linux, what is possible with NDISwrapper (more here). The two devices that appeared in the picture might be the same hardware loaded once by Linux (using kernel drivers) and second by NDISwrapper service. I followed the instructions on how to disable kernel driver (here) which said (at the very end) add [I]blacklist drivername [/I]to module configuration file (typically /etc/modprobe.conf) . I rebooted - the second device is back there, but it seems to work now - connection quality is 'Excellent', says Windows XP - which I'm trying to connect with Linux :). I cannot ping either side, though... (No firewalls). Any solution to that problem??

[digitalocksmith]

USB wireless adaptors in networking windows with linux, windows drivers on linux without any binary emulation.....geesh, your either the ultimate geek or you just love doing things the hard way! ;)

Even though i admire your network topology, im not much of a linux geek (i love you bill).

Are you sure your not from the linux forums having a bit of fun with us windows noobs..hehe!

I'll let some of our open source pro's have a go at this (i think we have some).

Good Luck edek :icon_biggrin:

[edek]

Thanks, but I am not a geek at all. I'm just Linux user for some time...:) You must have misunderstood what I've done (sorry for my way of explaining:-)) I've just followed couple of tutorials, thats all...
Back to the topic: If ANYone knows why I might not be able to ping my computers please help!