Troubleshooting Q&A - October 20, 2004

Function getCurrentSectionName(strFullPath) Dim iLocation Dim strTemp iLocation = InStr(2, strFullPath, "/", 1) If iLocation = 0 Then strTemp = "" Else strTemp = Mid(strFullPath, 2, iLocation - 2) End If getCurrentSectionName = LCase(strTemp) End Function %> <% Dim strCurrentFilePath Dim strCurrentSectionName strCurrentFilePath = Request.ServerVariables("URL") strCurrentSectionName = mainGetCurrentSectionName(strCurrentFilePath) %> <% ' Sets JavaScript to show INTM banners: ' Handles sectional targetting for home page within. ' strBanner is the position indicator (ie. 468x60-1). ' Hotwired strBanner="javascript" to insert the call to the appropriate javascript file. ' Don't forget to modify JS file as well when modifying ad positions! Sub mainShowOASBanner(strBannerPosition) Dim strPositionsRequired If Request.QueryString("ads") = "none" Then Exit Sub If LCase(strBannerPosition) = "javascript" Then ' Spit out JavaScript line: Select Case LCase(strCurrentFilePath) Case "/index.asp" Response.Write "" Case Else Response.Write "" End Select Else ' Process standard banner call: ' Determine banners needed strPositionsRequired = "468x60-1,120x60-1,125x800,flex,336x280-2,house_ribbon,ciu,cp1,cp2,cp3,cp4,cp5,cp6,cp7,cp8,cp9,cp10,cp11,cp12,cp13,cp14,marketplace01,marketplace02,marketplace03,marketplace04,marketplace05,marketplace06,marketplace07,marketplace08,marketplace09,marketplace10,send,accessunit_one,accessunit_two,accessunit_three!marketplace10,marketplace11,marketplace12,interstitial,68x60-1,125x125-1,125x125-2" 'Homepage targetting Select Case LCase(strCurrentFilePath) Case "/index.asp" strPositionsRequired = strPositionsRequired & ",accessunit_one,accessunit_two,accessunit_three" Case Else strPositionsRequired = strPositionsRequired & ",accessunit" End Select 'If Request.ServerVariables("REMOTE_HOST") <> "216.15.51.195" Then ' Spit out banner text 'Response.Write "" & vbCrLf Response.Write "" '& vbCrLf Response.Write "

" & vbCrLf Response.Write "" & vbCrLf 'Response.Write "" & vbCrLf 'End If End If End Sub %> <% Sub mainShowQUADBanner(strBannerPosition) Dim positionkey If letter_mappings.Exists(strBannerPosition) then positionkey = letter_mappings.Item(strBannerPosition) Else Exit Sub End if If (strCurrentSectionName <> "home" and strCurrentSectionName <> "") Then urlkey = "www.practicallynetworked.com"& "/" & strCurrentSectionName Else urlkey = "www.practicallynetworked.com" End if Dim lstIndxOf,lstPeNm lstIndxOf=InStrRev(currentFilePath,"/")+1 If lstIndxOf <> 0 Then lstPeNm=LCase(Mid(currentFilePath ,lstIndxOf,Len(currentFilePath))) end if If (indexPages.Exists(lstPeNm)) then pagekey = "index" else pagekey = "other" End if Response.write("") if(StrComp(strBannerPosition,"interstitial")=0) then GetQUADScriptforInterstitialAd urlkey, pagekey, positionkey Else GetQUADScript urlkey, pagekey, positionkey End If 'GetQUADScript urlkey, pagekey, positionkey End Sub Sub GetQUADScriptforInterstitialAd (urlkey, pagekey, positionkey) Dim strquad_position, strquad_type, stroas, strzflag_nid, strzflag_cid, strzflag_sid, strzflag_sz, strzflag_width, strzflag_height,strzflag_x 'checks whether the current URL is present into the QUAD_ads from the config If (QUAD_ads.Exists(urlkey)=false) then call keyExistsLikeAd(QUAD_ads,urlkey) end if 'if ad not found for suitable look for default values On Error Resume Next Dim page_data page_data=QUAD_ads(urlkey)(pagekey)(positionkey)("zflag_cid") If Err.Number > 0 OR page_data="" Then 'set the default values If (adExists=false) then Dim URLS,PAGES URLS = QUAD_ads.Keys urlkey=URLS(0) ' current URL PAGES =QUAD_ads.Item(URLS(0)).Keys pagekey=PAGES(0) ' current page 'If the current page accessed is or page If Len(lastPageName & "") <> 0 and indexPages.Exists(lastPageName)=false Then pagekey=PAGES(1) ' page end if end if End If On Error GoTo 0 ' turn error handling off again If (QUAD_ads(urlkey)(pagekey).Exists(positionkey)) then strquad_position = QUAD_ads(urlkey)(pagekey)(positionkey)("quad_position") strquad_type = QUAD_ads(urlkey)(pagekey)(positionkey)("quad_type") stroas = QUAD_ads(urlkey)(pagekey)(positionkey)("oas") 'strpage_channel = QUAD_ads(urlkey)(pagekey)(positionkey)("page_channel") strzflag_nid = QUAD_ads(urlkey)(pagekey)(positionkey)("zflag_nid") strzflag_cid = QUAD_ads(urlkey)(pagekey)(positionkey)("zflag_cid") strzflag_sid = QUAD_ads(urlkey)(pagekey)(positionkey)("zflag_sid") strzflag_sz = QUAD_ads(urlkey)(pagekey)(positionkey)("zflag_sz") strzflag_width = QUAD_ads(urlkey)(pagekey)(positionkey)("zflag_width") strzflag_height = QUAD_ads(urlkey)(pagekey)(positionkey)("zflag_height") strzflag_x = QUAD_ads(urlkey)(pagekey)(positionkey)("zflag_x") Response.write("") End If End Sub Function keyExistsLikeAd(QUAD_ads,urlkey) Dim keys,i,configURLpatern 'Create some variables keys = QUAD_ads.keys 'Get the keys For i = 0 To QUAD_ads.Count -1 'Iterate the array configURLpatern=keys(i) if(InStr(configURLpatern, urlkey)>0)then 'we have such URL pattern then set taht as urlkey urlkey=configURLpatern exit for end if Next End Function Function mainGetCurrentSectionName(strFullPath) Dim iLocation Dim strTemp iLocation = InStr(2, strFullPath, "/", 1) If iLocation = 0 Then strTemp = "home" Else strTemp = Mid(strFullPath, 2, iLocation - 2) End If mainGetCurrentSectionName = LCase(strTemp) End Function %> <%GetQuadJavaScripts() %> <% If (Not IsQUADEnabled) Then %>

<% Else %> <% End If %> <% If (Not IsQUADEnabled) Then %>

<% Else %> <%mainShowBanner("interstitial") %> <%mainShowBanner("send") %> <% End If %>

<% If (Not IsQUADEnabled) Then %>

<% Else %> <%mainShowBanner("468x60-1") %> <% End If %>

Product Reviews

• Routers
• Hubs/Switches
• Wireless Gateway
• Wireless AP
• Wireless NIC
• Network Storage
• Print Servers
• Bluetooth Adapters

Troubleshooting
& Tutorials

• Networking
• Internet Sharing
• Security
• Backgrounders
• Troubleshooting
Guides
• PracNet How To's

User Opinions

Practicallynetworked Glossary

Find a Network Term

<% If (Not IsQUADEnabled) Then %>

<%Else %> <% If LCase(strCurrentFilePath) = "/index.asp" Then %> <% mainShowBanner("336x280") %> <%else %> <%mainShowBanner("336x280") %> <%End If %> <% End If %>

<% If (Not IsQUADEnabled) Then %>

<% Else %> <%mainShowBanner("accessunit") %> <% End If %>

Find a Hotspot...

Add this search code to your site!
Copyright 2003Jupitermedia


	Most Popular Tutorials

• Microsoft Vista Home Networking Setup and Options
The most daunting part of upgrading to Windows Vista may be trying to figure out where in the layers of menus the networking and file-sharing options are hidden.

• Do It Yourself: Roll Your Own Network Cables
It may not be something you do everyday, but having the supplies and know-how to whip up a network cable on the spot can be very handy.

• Tips for Securing Your Home Router
Seemingly minor and easily overlooked settings can still have profound security implications. Here are some steps you can take to make sure your wired or wireless home router � and by extension, your network � is as secure as possible.


	Most Popular Reviews

• Microsoft Windows Home Server
If you have a home network, you'll welcome the easy file sharing, remote access and the image-based backup features of Windows Home Server.

• Iomega StorCenter Network Hard Drive
Iomega's fourth generation StorCenter Network Hard Drive brings many of the features found in higher-end storage devices down to an attractive price.

• MikroTik's The Dude
This free tool delivers many of the same capabilities that you'd find in pricey network monitoring tools. As long as you don't mind tinkering, The Dude is a decent network utility that should be worth the download.

<% If (Not IsQUADEnabled) Then %>

<% Else %>

<%mainShowBanner("ciu") %>

<%mainShowBanner("CIU-FLEX(CIU-2)") %>

<% End If %>

Troubleshooting Q&A - October 20, 2004

New Computer, Wireless Connection Gone Awry

Even if your new computer is a beauty with a wireless LAN adapter built in, your connection could still get ugly. If your WiFi is dropping, here are some simple suggestions to help you pick up some consistent strength in your signal.

By Ron Pacchiano

Q. I just purchased a new Dell Inspiron 9100 laptop computer. The system is top of the line with Windows XP Professional, an ultra high-resolution LCD display (1900 x 1200), 1GB of memory, 80GB HD, 3.2GHz processor and an integrated wireless LAN adapter. I absolutely love this system and it is without a doubt the best system I have ever owned.

However, nothing is perfect. For some strange reason my wireless connection is dropping every few minutes. I don't understand what could be causing the problem, but it is very annoying. First it's up, then it's down, then it's up. I can't stand it anymore. I tired talking to Dell's tech support, but that has proven to be useless.

I was hoping that you might be able to help me. Do you have any idea what might be causing my wireless signal to fluctuate so dramatically? My last notebook, a Sony Viao with a D-Link wireless adapter, never exhibited this type of behavior. Also, I was curious to know what other variables might limit the range of my wireless network. Even with my Viao I felt like the range on it was nowhere near the advertised distance. Thanks for your help.

A. Congratulations on the 9100. That's a great system. However, I understand what you mean regarding Dell's tech support these days. It's definitely not up to its past standards.

In any case, I think I have a suggestion for you that should clear up your problem. I've seen this condition before and it's actually a pretty easy fix. Usually this behavior occurs when your connection is configured to use 802.1x Authentication, but your current hardware does not support it. To correct this situation all you need to do is disable this authentication process. To disable it just follow these steps:

Click Start, select the Control Panel and double-click the Network Connections icon.
The Network Connections screen will appear. Right-click the Wireless Network Connection and select Properties.
On the Wireless Network Properties page you'll see three tabs. Select the one that says Wireless Networks.
Select your network connection from the list of available networks and press the configure button.
Now click the Authentication tab.
The Authentication screen will open. Remove the check mark in Enable IEEE 802.1x authentication for this network
Click OK to close the window and close all other open windows. Reboot your computer.

Your wireless network should now be able to maintain a signal to your wireless network without interruption. If, however, you're still experiencing the same problem after restarting the computer, then check out this article on from the Microsoft Knowledge Base. It goes over these symptoms in more detail and might be able to help you get around the problem. I can tell you that I have had this problem in the past and this solution has always worked for me, so it should work for you as well.

In regards to the second part of your question about what variables could affect the range of your wireless network, the answer is lots of things. You need to always keep in mind, that range is limited by the number of walls, ceilings or other objects that the wireless signals must pass through. Typical ranges vary depending on the types of materials and background RF noise in your home or business. The key to maximizing range is to follow these basic principles:

Minimize the number of walls and ceilings the signal must pass through — Each wall or ceiling can reduce the range of your wireless devices. For optimal results you should position your access points, routers and computers so that the number of walls or ceilings between them is minimized.
Building materials do matter — A solid metal door or aluminum studs may have a negative effect on range. Try to position access points, routers and computers so that the signal passes through drywall or open doorways and not other materials.
Make sure that the antenna is positioned for best reception by using the software signal strength tools included with your product. Increasing the height of the router or access point is also helpful.
Keep your product away (at least 3-6 feet) from other electrical devices that generate RF noise, like microwaves, Monitors, electric motors, UPS units, etc.
If you are using 2.4GHz cordless phones or X-10 (wireless products such as ceiling fans, lights, and home security systems), your wireless connection will degrade dramatically or drop completely. Anything using the 2.4GHz frequency will interfere with your wireless network.

For the average home, range should not be a problem. However, if you do experience low or no signal strength in areas of your home that you wish to access, consider adding a repeater to your network. This would be positioned directly between your computer your wireless router. When a wireless signal is transmitted it is very strong. The longer it travels, the weaker it becomes. This continues until the signal has degraded beyond use. This is known has attenuation. The repeater works by picking up the weaken wireless transmission and regenerates it. Once regenerated the signal is rebroadcast. This process can effectively double the range of your wireless network.

Use our feedback form to submit your questions on home or SOHO networking issues. We cannot guarantee to answer every question we get, but we’ll consider them all.

<%If (Not IsQUADEnabled) Then %>

<%Else %> <%mainShowBanner("fl1") %> <% End If %>
<%If (Not IsQUADEnabled) Then %>

<%Else %> <%mainShowBanner("fl2") %> <% End If %>
<%If (Not IsQUADEnabled) Then %>

<%Else %> <%mainShowBanner("fl3") %> <% End If %>
<%If (Not IsQUADEnabled) Then %>

<%Else %> <%mainShowBanner("fl4") %> <% End If %>
<%If (Not IsQUADEnabled) Then %>

<%Else %> <%mainShowBanner("fl5") %> <% End If %>
<% If (Not IsQUADEnabled) Then %>

<% Else %> <%mainShowBanner("336x280-2") %> <% End If %>