Notebook can't see WiFi router, lInternet connection lost

English Network/Internet
1

A Toshiba Satellite C55-A notebook running 64-bit openSuse 13.1 with KDE loses the Wi-Fi connection after 8 to 10 hours. I’m managing the connection now with Network Manager, after setup in Yast. Only way to reconnect seems to be a reboot. However, the reboot requires a power off/on cycle as the “restart computer” button (from the ‘Leave’ menu or from CTL-ALT-DEL) shuts down the OS but hangs with only a few lines of text visible (I hit ESC to remove the boot screen).

Dropping the Wi-Fi link and not completing the reboot both seem odd behavior. Could they be linked? This machine had a problem with the WiFi a few weeks ago and reinstalled oS 13.1 (without formatting the partition that mounts on /home). Could there be something in the user config that persisted to cause the problem?

Another Toshiba notebook (Satellite A665-S, 64-bit openSuse 13.1, KDE) sitting next to the first has no trouble holding the Wi-Fi connection to my router. The two notebooks typically show different access points in the ‘Scan’ function of Network Manager. At the moment the C55-A shows two APs, on channels 1 (mine) and 11. The A665-S shows them and four additional APs, two on Channel 6 and two more on channel 1 for a total of six. The four additional APs show signal strengths of 20-30%; the first two are about 70% (mine) and 34% (external). Closed the ‘Available Networks’ window and launched ‘Scan’ again on the C-55A which still shows only two APs.

Both machines are current with online updates.

Thanks for reading. Even wild guesses appreciated.

2

Hi
Are they both running the same wireless cards…


/sbin/lspci -nnk |grep -A2 Network

System position and orientation can make a difference in what they see on a scan. Pick a common spot, ensure orientation and screen (as this is where the aerial lives), plus aerials can be different for the two systems. Some have them on the top left and top right , some both meet in the top middle etc…

3

also have a look at the signal strength on both machines,
its under the network manager icon

  • left click the mouse over the icon in the system tray
  • position the mouse over the wifi connection
    (three icon will then appear, from the right; disconnect, spanner, square)
  • click on the square then
  • click on the details tab

the optimum position can then be found for the wifi link by moving the laptop base
and tilt angle of the screen

its assumed kde is being used