Can Anyone Help?
 

I'm in a house with 5 computers, (3 Desktop, 2 Laptop,) which all receive the internet (provided by NTL) wirelessly from a Belkin Router. Well, at least this should be the case but my computer fails to pick it up.:td:

I have a BT USB adaptor, and once installed it claims to be connected on the bottom toolbar. However, when i open up explorer, all i get is the This Page Cannot Be Displayed page.

On the status window i noticed that although i am sending out 'packets', i am not receiving any! Can anyone please help???:shocked:

Brad

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

What IP address have you got on your PC?

Is it a 192.x.x.x address???

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

no, i realise tht it should look something like that but is 0.0.0.0 at the moment! that's not good obviously!?

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

have you got any firewall software (or maybe even Windows own) running and maybe blocking the connection?

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Have you confirmed if the adaptor is compatible with the router? I thought BT equipment was based around ADSL technology where as NTL BB is not. Can you tell us what model router and what model adaptor you have?

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

I have Norton, but ive turned off autoprotect. Im not sure about any windows progammes. what else is strange is that if i reset my pc to factory defaults and install the USB again, the internet works but only for a short while, and then the packets stop receiving again.

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Stop Norton from running at start up and try again, something you are running or have installed has stopped the connection, firewall would be chief suspect to be honest.

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

the router is a Belkin 802.11g (wireless) and the USB adapter is a Bt Voyager 1055. it claims on the box that is is compatible with 802.11g networks.
Thanks for all this help,

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Hmmm it says most other 11g networks but if it works with a clean install then it must be something installed or altered that is stopping the connection. Can you try it without nortons installed and with just the XP (if installed) firewall running?

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Moved to the Networking forum.

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

okay shall i try uninstalling Norton AntiVirus? Might this enable it to work immediately or should i uninstall Norton before attmepting to install the adapter? (Ive just reset it to factory conditions.)

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Reset what to factory conditions? I would try without Nortons fullstop to begin with and see what happens.

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

i had reset my computer to an earlier restore point, i have now removed norton using the add/remove programmes function, reset the computer, installed the USB adaptor, and reset again as required, however, the IP is again 0.0.0.0, so does this mean that it wasnt norton? or can it still be affecting it somehow?

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Try this

Click start and then Run
type in the open box "cmd" (without quotes) and press enter
type ipconfig /release and press enter
then type ipconfig /renew and press enter

and report back what happens

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

ok I have tried to renew the IP via cmd, it failed, the message I got back was:
Windows IP Configuration

No operation could be performed on Local Area Connection while it has its media disconnected.

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Media State ...: Media Disabled.

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:
Connection Specific DNS Suffix:
Autoconfiguration IP Address:...169.254.193.144
Subnet Mask:.........................255.255.0.0
Default Gateway:

When I tried ipconfig/renew, similarly it failed, claiming to have been unable to contact my DHCP Server it timed out.

I just have no idea how to fix this! As always any help would be awesome, thanks. brad

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Ok, have you tried

Shutting down the PC
Power off the router (for about 30 secomds to 1 min)
Turn router on, wait for everything to settle
then turn the PC on

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

If all your other machines are working fine then the router shouldnt be an issue (Unless there is a limit to how many connections it can have at once. Way to test this, take one machine that works offline, see if you can then pick up an address)

If you are getting a 169 address (Assuming all the others are 192) then the machine isnt receiving a DHCP address from the router. So it points to the USB wireless adapter you have. Have you tried it in another machine? Does it work for anybody else? What are your settings on the wireless? (Dont post them as you dont want your neighbour hijacking your internet ;) )
With wireless cards/wireless USB devices I have found that sometimes they work with their provided software, sometimes they work better with the built in windows/XP wireless interface. Have you tried to use both?

Try using it on a different machine if you can see what you get there, then you can identify if its the device or a firewall etc.
If it works on other machines, then try to disable the firewalls (As suggested etc) see if that makes a difference. If you can, have a look in the firewall logs, see if its dropping anything.
What are the other wireless devices? G?B? etc.. Is the router transmitting in G? (I have to turn the feature on with mine etc)

Hope that helps to narrow down to what the issue is..

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Ok, here's where I stand with the problem now! The USB adapter works fine on other computers, I've checked and i have neither Norton or Windows Firewall running on my pc.

What is the Windows XP wireless interface? how do I use that? Im sorry mhuggett but i didn't really understand what the last sentence of your comment meant. All the other wireless devices it uses are computers, and my internet fails to work even when it is the only one on and the others are all off. This is massively frustrating so if any one can give me any more advice that'd be great.

Brad

---------- Post added at 18:18 ---------- Previous post was at 18:17 ----------

Also, apologies to MadGamer for not replying, I have tried restarting the router, but again there was no change! brad

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Have you tried uninstalling the device in control panel then removing it from pc restarting pc and then adding device to a different usb port and reinstall the software?
Also if the network is encrypted (it should be) you will need to add either the hex key or other details before you can connect properly anyway
I dont understand how no one has mentioned anything about encryption lol

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

zinglebarb, i did what you advised but to no avail, our network isnt encrypted but it never has been, and all the other pcs on it work fine. HELP!!

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

your network is not encrpyted I mean man wooooot

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

its the student ethos; share and share alike. Is that actually going to prevent me gaining internet access then???

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

I have no idea .Theres something in your settings doing it its not uncommon and without sitting at it I personally will have problems finding it.Have a look in your router see if theres any limiting settings.And as for student ethos I wouldnt want a stoned student floating around my network.I thought you guys were ment to have brains ;)

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

okay cool, so how can i check the router settings on my pc?

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

you will need to browse to it from someone elses.I dont think your pc is seeing it at all.In a web browser type in the address 192.168.*.* rtfm to fine the ip then the password is normally admin but this also will be in the manual

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

okay yes i can get the router settings from another pc, and have logged in. Youre right i can't access these from my own pc. What's the next step? brad

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Look through the settings for anything specific to one IP address or anything that looks wierd.

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

on the DHCP client list there are 4 listed computers, with IPs of 192.168.2.* and one which has no details except the word unknown under the Host Name Column. Im guessing that ones mine! I cant see anything else really unusual.

---------- Post added at 19:33 ---------- Previous post was at 19:28 ----------

ah now this is unusual:

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Sorry if I confused you Brad, but the fact that the USB wireless device works on the other machines shows that its not the device, or the router, which is a step in the right direction.

When I mentioned XP "Doing it itself" I meant, do you have to install drivers to get it to work? Or do you just plug it in. With the ones I have used, sometimes it was easier not to use the drivers that were supplied if XP was happy and picked it up itself.

Right... Where we stand
Router - Working ok.
USB device - Works when you use it on another machine.
"Problem machine" - When you put the USB wireless in, we "Think" its working, but you are not picking up an IP address from the router
Firewalls - There are none on the "Problem Machine". Is the default windows one switched off? (Not that it should matter as it should let DHCP requests through!)

Can you just confirm a few things for me as we are assuming a few things here. We are assuming that the router is giving out DHCP address, eg you plug a machine in and you get a IP address of 192.168.0.x with a default gateway of 192.168.0.1 blah blah... Yeah? (Or very similar)
(Just seen your reply - so I know that its using DHCP)

Have you tried to put a static address in? See if you get any joy there?

When you try to "View wireless networks" to pick one to connect to, does it actually say connected? Limited connectivity? Anything like that?

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

it claims to have connected, usually with an excellent signal. The IP i get is either blank, ie. 0.0.0.0, or it is 169.254.*.*

Is the default windows the firewall the one on the advanced settings of the connection propeties? If so, that is off.

How would i go about using a static IP?
Thanks for your patience!

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Ok.. This is normally where I mess it up.. ;)
If you can check the wireless settings on the router, what channel is it using?
Dont ask me where abouts it will be (Normally advanced wireless settings) as different routers have it in different places, but you need to make sure that the lappy and router are using the same channel, otherwise it will connect but give you the issue you have.

I normally find that this is the one thing that I forget to check, and when somebody visits and wants to use my wireless I sit there for ages thinking.. "Why the hell isnt that connecting..." :)

Static address... Check whats on the other machines. Then go into your network settings for the USB device (Should be in the network panel or you can get to it via the icon in your task bar if you can see it there).
Then copy the information into the IP address, but make sure the IP address is AT LEAST 1 above your highest DHCP (EG is you have 4 machines.. and their ips are 192.168.0.1, 192.168.0.2 up to 192.168.0.5 Use 192.168.0.6 as this address)
http://www.matthewhuggett.com/static.jpg

Give it a go, let us know :)

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

I've configured a few Belikn's in my time - they can be an ****!

Are you sure all the adapters are "g" standard? Have you checked MAC filtering?

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Do you know how Mac filtering works with a USB wireless device? Im not sure

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

okay, well my internet just started working briefly!!! it had aquired an IP of the 192.168.*.* and was receiving packets! excellent, however as luck would have it i stupidly swapped the usb to another port to gain a better signal, reset the pc and it stopped working! I tried to put the IP back to what it was when it was working, and nope, it again displays the dreaded, "This page cannot be displayed."

My USB is compatible with gs, but im unsure what Mac filtering is or how to check it!

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Well if you had it working, then MAC filtering isnt switched on ;)
(http://www.firewalling.com/concepts/MACfiltering.htm quick guide if you wanna read up)

Did you do anything to make it work? Or did it just start working?
As strange as it sounds, it might be a hardware issue? With probably the USB port (As it works on other machines, it doesnt appear to be the wireless device)

Right - Ignore the static address, as it can pick up DHCP so we need to concentrate on why it started working, then stopped....

How many USB ports you got on that lappy? I assume two and it has briefly worked in one and not the other, Does it sit in the port ok? Not loose or anything like that?

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

no well it just started working! very random! so how do i turn on MAC filtering?

its a desktop, not actually a lappy, so its got quite a few! two front ones, and four at the back. I might try putting the USB in some of the back ones, which is where it was when we had that glimmer of connectivity! ill get back to you with the results.

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Get it stable, then we can think about MAC filtering :)

Awaiting outcome :)
(If you have it plugged in the front ones, they might not be getting enough power! Try the back ones (Directly on the mobo) I was thinking it was a lappy! Doh!)

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Regardless of what type of device - it'll still have a MAC address....

USB is just the connection to the computer...

Check the Belkin router for MAC filtering - but as it's working I wouldn't think it's filter that way.

Once it's all working I'd get some WEP security in place!

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

We have success! The front 2 USB ports and one of the back ones must be damaged, because iv got connectivity from some of the unused ones. Well after all of the fiddling, the solution was as always, pretty simple! Thanks for all your help, especially mhuggett.

Cheers Guys
Brad :)

---------- Post added at 20:41 ---------- Previous post was at 20:40 ----------

Im getting some WEP right away! thanks Isainsbury!

cheers for your help!

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Glad it's sorted....now you can start downloading porn by the bucketload!!!

---------- Post added at 20:55 ---------- Previous post was at 20:44 ----------

MAC filtering is not very secure - it can be spoffed....

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Even though I said try different usb ports in post 19;)

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Some people never read the full post.... :erm:;)

Re: Can Anyone Help?
 

Front two ports probably dont get enough power to them, which is why it worked but not correctly.
Now you can think about securing it and looking at all the other kewl ways you can break it and wonder why it isnt working :)

Which included MAC filtering, WEP, 801.x security policies, dedicated firewalls, DMZ's and the lot :)

But serious, if its open and free access take everybodies advice here and secure it :)
Do you want Fred next door using it for free access and anything else that they might wanna try?
But stick it in another post so we can all post/spam in that one :)
Thanks to everybody else as well :)