Gaming with Windows XP and USB Wireless Adapters

 
I had a frustrating problem with a computer running Windows XP Home Edition attached to a USB wireless adapter.  The computer would disconnect from game servers for 3 seconds every  60 seconds.  I contacted tech support at the equipment manufacturer, SMC, and all they gave me was canned, useless advice.  It took me several hours to locate a solution on the web: disable the Window's XP Zero Configuration service.

Apparently, this service searches for available access points every 60 seconds, and that was causing the disconnects.  You would think that this problem would not only have a larger presence in web search engines, but that tech support people would be aware of the fix.  That, unfortunately is not the case.

You disable this service from the Administrative Tools section in your control panel.  Be aware that this will remove the "Wireless" tab from your adapter settings, but that can be returned by simply reactivating the service if you ever need it.  Problem solved.  Happy Fragging . . .