*Vanity* Any Freeper help with Wireless Networks? *Vanity*

me | 2/13/05 | Me

[birbear]

I'm sorry to distrub your bandwidth, but I'm looking for a helpful Freeper.

This weekend I tried to install a wireless network at my parents house. I purchased a Linksys wireless router, and a Linksys PCI Wireless Network card.

Setting up the wireless router on my parent's PC was a breeze... I followed the step by step directions and it went on like a champ.

The PCI card also wasn't much trouble. I found a slot in my Dell, and it configured itself.

(Oh, both systems are running XP Home.)

Okay so the PCI card found the router, and it connected, but I wasn't able to hook to the internet. (My parents have a cable modem via Comcast High Speed Internet). I found something that said, "repair connection" I clicked on that, and I had internet access -- for a little while.

After about three hours, I went back to my PC, and discovered that although the router and the PCI card seemed to be talking to each other, I had no access to the internet.

I tried everything I could think of, rebooting, reinstalling the card, etc... and still no access to the internet.

My dad, today... tried reinstalling the router...went through the step by step guide... got it all up and humming... and voila, my PC was accessing the internet again... for a little while. But after a short time, we lost it again. We tried rebooting both systems, tried reinstalling everything again... and this time no luck at all...although the PCI card is still finding the router.

We've tried changing channels, chaning settings, changing everything we can find, all to no avail.

Can anybody give me an idea of what to look for? What I need to do to keep the internet up and humming on my PC? And what to click on when it does go down?

Thank you

[birbear]

Thank you very much. Should I run ipconfing on both systems? the one with the router/modem? or the one linking to it?

[Cold Heat]

Sounds like a driver problem.

Try going to the factory driver downloads, and get the one you need for XP and the wireless modem that you have. Check and compare the serial numbers of the drivers.

This sounds exactly like what happens to me if MS downloads a new driver from their site to my PC. I have to change it.

The modem works fine for a few hours and drops off. Drivers are weird. Some need the new, and some a older version for the same modem. Not sure why, but a driver change, older or newer version than you have now, may well correct your problem.

[birbear]

that's an interesting question. And somebody else also asked if I had run the network wizard.

According to the documentation for both linksys products, for a wireless connection the set up was different than setting up a LAN. Basically for the PCI card, I installed it, it asked for a driver -- which was on the enclosed CD -- and then it did whatever it had to do, and automatically found the wireless router. The documentation said nothing about setting up an actuall network like you would with a LAN.

And the router setup was even easier. But yet, it always felt like something was missing.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

Power Management?

Windows update since you installed the new hardware?

Disable the XP drivers and use the manufacturers drivers?

[NCjim]

Not to be funny, but only on your PC assuming your Dad's PC is working. Is his wireless also, or connected via LAN cable?

ipconfig /all can be run anywhere at any time - it just displays the configuration

ipconfig /release removes any knowledge of a prior DHPC address assignment (called a lease, usually about 24 hours)
if you haven't connected for a while it is released anyway

ipconfig /renew renews an existing lease or requests a new one if you don't have one, such as if you've released it or
if the DHCP server (the router in this case) has never seen your PC before

[arjay]

I sometimes have to unplug the cable modem and the router at the same time. Leave them unplugged for 2 minutes and then they reboot and work just fine. YMMV.

[Cold Heat]

With both using XP, I don't think the network setup helps much. It won't hurt though.

Wireless on 802 and the like is different than setting up a hard wired net.

The thing almost sets it's self up. All you do is put the security tag # in, and sometimes it does that automatically.

The drivers for the modems are a pain sometimes. Gotta get the right one that likes your machine.

The problem usually happens in laptops.

[marajade]

Our setup is different. We had to have a network system for both computers to use the one modem. We have wireless DSL.

[marajade]

All I had to do when I got a new Dell laptop recently was put the PC card in and click on the "e."

[Snapple]

Right. Me too. But if that doesn't work, you have to shut down all the computers on the system also.

I can't remember if you turn the computers back on before or after you unplug and plug in the two wires.

I am not too good with technology.

[Cold Heat]

Yes, the new ones are designed for internet cafe use and motels, etc.

Just walk in and sit down!

[birbear]

thank you again. When I ping the router from my PC I get "request timed out" 4 times.

[NCjim]

that sounds very much like the case where you are not getting a valid address - what address is the router assigning to your PC?

[marajade]

Sounds like your laptop isn't connecting to the router.

[Triggerhippie]

I don't know what region you're in, so I don't know how helpful this will be, but here goes... Your router has the ability to "spoof" a MAC address (It can display whatever MAC address ComCast has stored for your NIC). If the MAC address that you send doesn't match the one that they have stored in the system you will not be able to logon. You can always explain to the Comcast Techno-wienie that you had to replace your NIC and give him the router's native MAC if you can't find a way to spoof the MAC. That being said, I suspect that that isn't the issue at all. MAC addresses do not change involuntarily and any issue that arises from a mismatched MAC will NOT allow you to get to the internet at all. Do you have any desktops that plug directly to the router? Do they connect? Are they able to connect while the wireless cannot? The router should have a separate section on wireless connections which should enable you to specify which wireless NICs can access the router (and, again, that is based on your Wireless' MAC address) You can find out your MAC address by clicking: type in "ipconfig /all" *minus the quotes* and the MAC address will be listed as the physical address. I hope this helps. If you need more info or have any questions send a private reply (no need to kill the bandwidth)

[Bassfire]

ping for later, son having same problem

[HAL9000]

Some of those routers - especially with web-based administration - have a extra command you must use to save the configuration to flash memory. Otherwise, it will revert back to the previously stored settings.

If they continue to experience problems, tell them to get a Mac.

[stylin19a]

are you running a firewall ?

[Spirited]

Thank you for posting and for all who contributed answers.

We were working this same problem until almost 1AM this morning. Seemed as though we couldn't get on or couldn't stay on.

Haven't dared to turn off since finally getting it.

[backhoe]

Check ( and perhaps join ) the forums here:

http://forums.speedguide.net/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=73

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/wlan

http://discussions.virtualdr.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=32