Vista Wireless Connection Is Periodically Lost

When you try to use a wireless network adapter to connect to a Microsoft MN-500 or MN-700 Wireless Base Station, you may notice that the wireless connection drops periodically. This issue may occur at seemingly random intervals, from several minutes to an hour or more.

This issue may occur if one or more of the following conditions are true:

- There is a problem with the firmware for your base station.
- IEEE 802.1X authentication is enabled.
- Your universal serial bus (USB) wireless adapter is experiencing problems that are related to the USB bus.
- Your Internet is a DSL connection that uses Point to Point over Ethernet (PPPoE) authentication.

To determine and resolve this issue, use the following procedures in the order they are presented. After you complete each procedure, test to see whether the problem is resolved. Continue to the next procedure if it is not.

Part 1: Disable IEEE 802.1X Authentication

Examine each computer that is experiencing the symptoms described in this article, and disable IEEE 802.1X authentication. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Network and Internet, click Network and Sharing Center, and then click Manage network connections.
3. Right-click the network that you want to disable 802.1X authentication for, and then click Properties.
4. Click the Security tab, and then, in the Security Type list, click No authentication (Open).


Part 2: Update Firmware
To update the base station firmware, follow these steps.

Connect to your base station and to the Internet to follow these steps, if the following conditions are true:

- If you lose your connection only after a long time, follow these steps while your connection is working.
- Use a network cable to connect to your base station.

1. In the Broadband Network Utility (BNU), on the Tools menu, click Base Station Management Tool.
2. Type your user name and password to log on to the Base Station Management tool.
3. In the menu pane, point to Management, and then click Upgrade Firmware.
4. Under Current Base Station Firmware Version, note the version and date listed.
5. Follow the steps that are listed under To upgrade the base station firmware.


Part 3: USB Wireless Network Adapters

If you have a USB wireless network adapter, you may experience problems that are related to the limitations of USB. If you have multiple USB devices, the USB network adapter may share data bandwidth, power, or both to a degree that it causes you to experience the symptoms that are described in this article.

To resolve this issue, try the following suggestions:

- If your computer has more than one USB bus (two USB ports typically share one USB bus), connect the wireless network adapter to its own USB bus. Connect your other USB devices to a different USB bus.
- Disconnect any unused or unnecessary USB devices.
- Use a powered USB hub to connect the network adapter to the computer.