Someone please help me before I throw my Macbook and broadband router out of the flipping window!!!!

[FruitynNutty]

Why oh why oh why is my internet so sloooooooooow lately? I'm sure dial-up would be quicker . Sometimes it's really fast but mostly it takes so long that the page I'm trying to load up fails. Also, why does the airport signal keep disappearing?

I thought the whole point of having a wireless broadband was so you don't have to be wired up?

Unfortunately I know nothing about computers/internet but I have been shown how to re-connect if I lose the signal. So, to begin with, what is VPN (PPTP)? and does it need to be connected/configured? It says it is configured but not connected just now.

Also, when the airport loses connection (which is all the blardy time ) how come the name of our internet doesn't always come up? Meaning I can't always click it.

I'm in the same room as the router FFS, why should it lose connection all the time?

I'll be surprised if I can actually send this at all!..............................

Nope, just as I suspected "Address not found", I'll try again..................................

[Fimbo]

You can throw my mac out while you are about it. I hate it, dh wanted it, he loves gadgets and gizmo. I was perfectly happy with my old black computer and large keyboard, but oh no, he couldn't type with the old keyboard. Have given up with safari too and gone to firefox.

Sorry I can't help you either as I know nothing about computers at all.

[FruitynNutty]

I'm with Firefox too, don't like Safari at all.
This is also a DP gadget. He has no idea why it's so crappola either - fat lot of help he is .
Bollox, signal gone again, ah it's back again. I swear it has a mind of it's own, I wonder if I'll be able to send this post............................

Hahahahahah "Address not found" again! Well, what a farking surprise, aaaggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, will keep trying!....................
"Address not found" again! I will not give up! I will send this post!...............................

[Fimbo]

I will give this a wee bump for you and hope some who can help will be along soon....

[poppy34]

sounds like your modem/router is losing its signal, try disconnecting from mains for a minute and restarting it, dh is mac obsessed and this is normally the first step

[EyeballsintheSky]

Any spare Macs, please send them to
EyeballsintheSky's Rest Home for Unwanted (preferably new and shiny) Macs
etc etc

Silly question, but have you rebooted the Airport?

[FruitynNutty]

Ok, it's just taken me 15 minutes to get back onto MN. Thank you Poppy I've just done that and it seems to be working............for now! Actually I only left it off for about 10 seconds as I'm too impatient. I'll try and leave it for longer if when it happens again. It's been driving me up the wall all day!
Thanks Fimbo for the bump

[FruitynNutty]

How do you reboot the airport? Is the airport the router? I am completely clueless and DP at work.

[FruitynNutty]

Oh my god, that's two posts without a hitch!

[poppy34]

thats ok - dh was so happy to have a geek question he'd be keen to help if you had more problems (and it would give me some peace from having to pretend I understand what he is talking about)

[poppy34]

the airport is the little triangle of waves on top right..if you click on it it gives you menu option to control and turn off and on so you can click to turn off and click again to turn on...

[poppy34]

channeling dh there...

[FruitynNutty]

oh yeah, I tried that several times - every time the triangle disappeared. Sometimes our internet name would disappear as well so I couldn't even click on it to re-start it.
So far so good though after turning router off at the mains!

Also, why oh why does the charger connect with a stupid magnet? Only have to knock it for it to drop out! There must be something wrong with our charger because the battery life icon often comes up when the charger is in. I really have to wriggle and push the bit that magnetises into the laptop for it to be charging again. Does that make sense? Perhaps we need a new charger

[frogs]

Also worth turning the whole shebang (router and modem and puter etc) off at the mains overnight. Ours gets very slow if it's left on for several days in a row.

[FruitynNutty]

We turn everything off at the mains every night. Quite religious about that - nowt left on stand by
Although, during the day, pooter/router is on all day pretty much

[poppy34]

that's what put dh onto the modem/router unreliability, as the wireless signal must be failing for it not to appear on the list of available networks under the airport icon. He's suggesting you ensure you have the modem on the main phone socket where the phone line comes into your building as this is where you'll get the best signal. Also ensure you have microfilters on all your phone sockets.

Your problem with the mains socket sounds unique, maybe you trod on the mains lead? if so I'd probably head the way of ebay if it gets too irritating.

[Ingles2]

are you at the end of a telephone exchange or in a really built up area Fruity?
I'm mac and wireless and rural and sometimes the signal down the line is so slow/poor I can't connect for long. Check the flashing lights on your router. You should have at least 3 if not 4. If you only have 2 and 1 is flashing it's searching for a signal. Turn off your router, wait a minute then, try again. Otherwise you'll have to talk to BT.(in India..sorry)

[frogs]

If you have a cable modem you can also try taking the internet cable out of the router and plugging it directly into your laptop -- that way you can see whether the problem lies with the service or the router.

[FruitynNutty]

Just had everything off for a good 10 mins as it was playing up again.

It's so frustrating. I'm with Talk Talk and I've heard the exchange is quite far away. I'm in SW London so hardly the sticks!
We live in a tiny maisonnette so only have one phone socket anyway which has a micro filter on.
I might have a look on Ebay for a charger while I can get a signal!
It's weird because even if the triangle thing is on full, I can't always load a page. Usually says "Network timeout" or "Address not found"
This is quite a recent thing though. When we 1st went wireless (only a couple of months ago) it was fine.
Funnily enough, it seems to have a problem with DP. I could be on it all day and not have a single problem but as soon as DP went on it, it would stop working Now I'm having trouble too. I don't think it likes either of us

[FruitynNutty]

Ok just wired it up to the router. Seems to be working again. But I don't know if it's just randomly fine again or if it's because I've wired it up.

The wireless light is flashing btw. Power, DSL and internet lights are on.

[Ingles2]

well that's right.... so if you go back to wireless what happens?

[FruitynNutty]

I'll try it (I'm quite enjoying being able to use the internet right now though!)
..................................

[FruitynNutty]

Ok, if this post works then it's working for now. Signal full (triangle thingie)

[FruitynNutty]

It was very slow to load up the page but it worked Looks like I'm back to using the wire then - was much faster, it must be the router - I suppose. Oh great, only bought it about 2 months ago, no idea where the receipt is.

[onager]

Sounds like you solved it, but I thought I'd mention that VPN would usually be for connecting to a work computer network so you can do work at home.

I know nothing about MACs so I suppose it could have another meaning.

If as you say VPN is configured but not connected this might be nothing to do with it.

[FruitynNutty]

well, it's only solved for now. Unfortunately the phone socket is in a funny place in my living room. So now I've got to use the wire, I don't get the luxury of the sofa This chair is very uncomfortable!