Problem with internet when roommate gets on

[mgraybill]

We have a Linksys router at my house with MAC filtering, I run Windows 7 32 bit, one of my roommates runs Windows Vista 32 bit, and the other Vista 64 bit. We've noticed that whenever my roommate with 64 bit Vista turns on her computer and connects to the internet we get kicked off for a few seconds, then back on. Also, it will occasionally kill our internet connection completely or just cycle through being fully connected and connected with limited connectivity if we try to get on if she is already on the wireless or if she is wired directly in to the router. We have absolutely no issues when friends are over running various OSes or when she isn't home, only when she gets on the internet.

We've tried using passwords instead of a MAC filter, changing the broadcast channel, making the network hidden, everything we can think of, but nothing seems to work. Our internet always messes up when she gets on.

Any ideas as to what could be the problem?

[cliffdodger]

I would find out if this roommate has file sharing programs running and turn them off or at least set the options to limit the number of simultaneous connections and maximum upload and download bandwidth via the program.

The more simultaneous connections (even one's taking a small amount of info) the more your router has to keep track of and especially with linksys going cheap and cutting back on the ram in their routers they tend to get bogged down easier from this.

That particular friend could also likely have a worm that's trying to attack others computers over the network or a virus/trojan trying to send out spam or participate in dos attacks whenever she's online or one that hosts illicit material.