Recurrent loss of Wifi signal?

I am currently using a new 6000 with the Intel Pro 2200 card connected to my Apple Airport Extreme base station (router) which distributes my DSL to my iMac and Powerbook as well. In owning my Powerbook (my other laptop) for about 18 months, I think I've lost the WiFi connection less than 3 times. Since connecting my 6000 I have lost it at least 3x/day. I just get regular messages that my Wifi signal is too low or lost. This occurs even if my 6000 is stationary and about 3 feet from the router. I then select to "Repair" the connection and in about 10 seconds it's back... until the next loss. Judging from this thread:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=11402&highlight=wifi+connection

it sounds like there may be some issues with the IntelPro 2200 cards. Some folks found that updated drivers fixed the issue while others noted changing routers. Have folks using Dell's or specifically the 6000 found a consistent fix for this?

My Powerbook Airport admin utility has a setting for "auto reconnect when signal is lost" so even if it dropped, I probably would never know it because of an instant reconnect. I can't find a similar setting on my 6000 to do something comparable. Does this exist or a utility that can be installed to accomplish the same thing instant reconnect in the background if disconnect is detected? Any thoughts specifically from Dell/6000 users would be appreciated. Given the multitude of issues brought up by users of various computer manufacturers in the thread above, it's hard to know where to start Thanks in advance.

 

When a PC loses its wireless connection, it will try automatically to reconnect. When you click repair, you're doing the same thing manually. It basically kills the old connection, and tries to obtain a new IP address.

As to a fix, it's an Intel problem, but they're continually updating drivers. I'd do that and get the latest firmware for your router.

 

New Intel drivers were released last week which supposedly will help this problem- just researching it for a 2915 card on another computer- same prob. with 2200 and 2915 cards. I was told to upgrade the drivers from here: http://support.intel.com/support/wireless/wlan/sb/cs-010623.htm
Truthfully, this is my daughter's machine and I will have to talk her through it, so I would love to hear some positive feedback first- so, if you update the drivers and find it helps, please post back

 

In what way will it try to do this automatically? If my wifi signal diminishes, and I try to load a webpage, it just tells me it can't or not connected to the internet... if I'm using iTunes and I try to get CD data from CDDB and wifi faded, it just says can't connect. Under what circumstances do you find your laptop automatically restores it's signal?

I'll try the new drivers as well and thanks.

 

If it loses the connection, it will try to re-establish it. If it's just weak, that's different.