MSBBN: Wireless network connection drops every few minutes

When you are connected to a MN-500 base station using a wireless network adapter, the wireless connection drops and then reconnects every three to five minutes.

Note: When this behavior occurs, the Microsoft Broadband Network Utility (BNU) may indicate that there is nothing wrong with the wireless signal strength.

This issue may occur if the following conditions are true:

• You are use a computer that has Microsoft Windows XP service pack 1 (SP1) installed.
• 802.1X authentication is enabled for your wireless network connection.

In Windows XP SP1, Microsoft changed the authentication process for networks that use 802.1X authentication. If the 802.1X authentication does not complete correctly, the connection is dropped. The MN-500 base station does not support 802.1X authentication. Therefore, the authentication is not completed correctly.

To resolve this issue, configure your wireless network connection so that it does not use 802.1X authentication.

Windows XP

1. Click Start, point to Connect To, click Show all connections, and then double-click your wireless network adapter.
2. On the General tab, click Properties.  
3. Click the Wireless Networks tab.
4. Under Preferred Networks, click your home network, and then click Properties.  
5. Click Data encryption (WEP enabled).  
6. Click the Association tab, and then click to clear the Network Authentication (Shared mode) check box and the The key is provided for me automatically check box, if they are selected.
7. Click the Authentication tab, and then click to clear the Enable IEEE 802.1x authentication for this network check box, if it is selected.
8. Click OK two times to accept the changes.

Windows Vista

1. Click Start
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   , and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Network and Internet, click Network and Sharing Center, and then click Manage network connections.
3. Right-click the network that you want to disable 802.1X authentication for, and then click Properties.
4. Click the Security tab, and then, in the Security Type list, click No authentication (Open). Click OK.

For more information about how to configure Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security settings for your wireless network, open the BNU, and then click Microsoft Broadband Network Utility Help on the Help menu.

Note: The wired equivalent privacy (WEP) key that the network adapter uses must be the same as the WEP key that the Wireless Base Station is using.

For specific information about the settings for the wireless network at your workplace, contact your system administrator. To learn how to enable 802.1X authentication in Windows Vista, follow the instructions in the "Enable 802.1X authentication" topic in Windows Vista Help and Support. To view the topic, follow these steps:

1. Click Start
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   , and then click Help and Support.
2. In the Search Help box, type Enable 802.1X authentication, and then click Search Help.
3. Click the appropriate topic.