USB Network Adapters

[jpom]

Well I still stand by the fact that I am getting better signal strength and speeds with my USB apdapters then I ever did with my PCI Cards. That said though I have having one issue, and hoping somebody here might have an idea.

My USB adapters keep losing connection, it's not random or anything but rather only seems to happen during extended periods of not using the internet. For Example it will be connected when I go to sleep but when I wake up it will not be connected, yet if I start a ping -t to the router when I go to sleep then when I wake up in the morning the connection will be fine. On the other hand my laptop is using a PC card and never loses connection so I know it's not the router or anything like that.

I image that somewhere somehow the computer is powering down the USB ports which is causing the Adapter to lose connection. I have gone through the Device manager and unchecked the opion to "Allow Windows to turn off this device to save power" on all o my USB ports, I have gone through and set all my power managment to Always On, and there is no power options for the adapter it's self in the device manager.

Anybody have any other ideas on what i can try??

TIA
James

**Edit**
It just occurd to me to grab a powered USB Hub, figure that might help, so I'll try that tonight. Suggestions are still Welcome though.

 

[ming]

How much bandwidth are you using through the USB connection? I'm just guessing here, but it could be to do with the heat generated inside the USB network adapter from intense data transfers.

Happens to my router when it gets too hot.

 

[Admiral Michael]

See if this option is checked/exists:

 

[jpom]

Ming -- The problem is that while the unit is transferring it is fine, it only disconnects after extended periods of no use, if it's being used for online games, downloading even just running a ping -t it stays connected no problem. On the other hand if I leave the house for the day and just leave messenger on, by the time I get back it's disconnected if I leave messenger on and leave a ping -t running to the router then the computer stays connected all day.

Admiral -- Looked but couldn't find anything of the sort for the adapter itself, I found that option on all my USB ports in device manager and unchecked them but still no joy.

Thank You,
James

 

[jpom]

Well I don't understand it myself but Ming it looks like you were right, at least to an extent. I had to do 3 things in order to get these stupid things to stay connected. 1 I had to plug them into a powered USB hub, 2 I had to decrease the beacon intrval on my router from the 100ms default to 50ms, and 3 I had to stand the usb adapter up on their side. From what I can tell the majorit of the heat is generated on the bottom and when the adapter is sitting on it's little rubber feet there is not enough room underneath for airflow to cool it. I still don't understand how the units would overheat and disconnect when no data was being transmitted but would stay connected no problem so long as something like a ping -t to the router was running.

Either way it seems that none of these solutions will work completely without the others, both computers have been connected for 18 hours straight, one being used for most of theat time and the other hasn't been touched, this is a lot longer then it usually stays connected without being used so we'll see how it goes.

Anyways Ming thanks for the suggestion as I honestly wouldn't not have thought of it otherwise.

Thanks for the help Ming and Admiral.

James