Computer Experts - Setting Up A Wireless Router

[Mnementh]

I hate that I have to ask this, because I'm far from computer illiterate, but this is getting to be so frustrating.

I have two laptops in my apartment and I'm tired of having to switch the ethernet cable from computer to computer, so I bought a wireless router yesterday and tried to set it up today. I followed the steps on the installation disc exactly, but something still isn't right. After I finished everything it said to do, my computer said it was connected to the Internet, but whenever I tried to open up a webpage, it gave me the "Page Cannot Be Displayed" message. I followed the instructions for how to add another computer to the network and that computer is having the same issue. Anyone know what I could be doing wrong?

I don't know what additional information you would need. I can tell you that my ISP is Verizon DSL and the router is a Linksys and both computers are Dells running Windows XP. Both computers do have wireless cards (though I can't remember what kind offhand) and they are both enabled. Both computers have connected to wireless Internet plenty of times in the past. If you need any more information, please let me know. Thanks!

 

[Angrypenguin]

Sorry that I'll have to start with the stupid question first...but did you cycle power your modem after you plugged it into the router?

 

[Mnementh]

You know, I guess it's really not such a stupid question because no, I didn't. Now that you mention it, it makes sense, but like I said, I followed the directions exactly as they were given and it never said to do that

I'm not at home to try it right now, but on the chance that it doesn't work, what would the next logical step be?

 

[MareQ]

I have my wireless hardwired through my desktop and my laptop and printer wireless. I don't know what to do with 2 wireless and no "main" computer.

Can you see if your firewall is blocking you at all? At work in one office I can get a wireless signal but cannot access the web until I disable my own firewall... In my other office I can get on just fine. I set up both routers the same way there @@

 

[Mnementh]

Both computers' firewalls are turned off, so I don't think the firewalls are causing any problems. Thanks, though.

 

[MareQ]

If you pull up the Linksys Easy Link Advisor - does it find your router and both laptops?

If you click the support tab does it take you anywhere?

Also did you secure your network or is it unsecured?

 

[chirurgeon]

I also have Verizon DSL and when I had to get a new wireless modem, I called Verizon DSL tech support and they walked me through it. Whenever I have connection problems I call them and they are very helpful. Try calling them.

 

[MM27]

Oh boy a router problem. I had one of those too
The guy at Staples told me that the instillation process would take "a few minutes" Yeah right. 3 hours later I called the 800 number on the box and "Bob" from India walked me through the steps. What a nice guy he was and oh so patient too.

Turns out there was something that had to be done manually with codes or something that he read to me. It works fine now, but what a day. I was ready to throw the thing out the window.

 

[Imzadi]

Is your WEP connection properly set up?

I agree, call Verizon DSL. I've had to do that twice when my WEP address (or whatever it's called) wasn't connecting properly. They are a 24 hr service.

The WEP is like a phone number. The 2 computers have to know what that phone number is so they can connect directly to it.

 

[Angrypenguin]

I guess we need to isolate if it's a router - > modem issue or if it's a router - > computer issue; I assume you can see the wireless signal with your laptops, correct? If so, it may just be a matter of reconfiguring the laptops. If that's the case, try refreshing the ip configuration on your windows XP boxes:

-Go to Start -> Run

-in the box, type "cmd"

The shell window "C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe" should appear.

Type in the phrase "ipconfig" and see what pops up; it should give you the state of all connections (whether it's LAN, WLAN, etc.).

Now, type in "ipconfig /renew"; that will help automatically reassign IP addresses, gateways, etc. Now try opening a browser and see if it works, if not, we'll have to think of something else. Good luck!

 

[Angrypenguin]

Is your WEP connection properly set up?

I agree, call Verizon DSL. I've had to do that twice when my WEP address (or whatever it's called) wasn't connecting properly. They are a 24 hr service.

The WEP is like a phone number. The 2 computers have to know what that phone number is so they can connect directly to it.

That's true Imzadi, but that only applies to routers that are closed/locked and secure. Given that this is a brand new router, I'm guessing that the OP hasn't set up WEP encryption yet?

 

[RadioNate]

you might have to change the mode on your DSL modem. We had to do that with BellSouth, but not with SBC.

When you log into the router how is it connected to the internet? PPPoE? or something else?

 

[Barbossa]

Dumb question: did you connect the router's "uplink" port to the DSL modem?

I agree that bouncing power to the router is a good thing to try.

As a sanity check, connect your laptops to the router via Ethernet cable (there are typically 4 Ethernet ports at the back of the router). Check if there is any difference. If so, then the problem may be related to the wireless connection.

...and make sure you use wireless encryption. WPA is preferable to WEP (which is a weaker encryption method). Linksys routers will also let you do MAC address filtering, which will allow only your laptops to communicate with the router.

 

[Angrypenguin]

Dumb question: did you connect the router's "uplink" port to the DSL modem?
.

That's not that dumb of a question either. I once spent 20 frustrating minutes trying to figure out why my desktop that I had configured directly into the router couldn't get online, only to discover I had plugged in the router directly to the modem and had completely forgotten to actually plug in my computer into the router as well.

 

[Mnementh]

Thanks, everyone. I'll try everything in this thread to see if it works then, as a last resort, I'll call India (A.K.A. Verizon) and see if they can walk me through things.

Weird story about the security situation, and one of the things that frustrated me the most. While the setup wizard was running, at one point it asked me if I wanted to enable the security and I chose yes. After everything was done, when I went to look at the list of available wireless networks to find mine, it said that it wasn't a secured network. And on top of that, looking at the list of computers on the network, there were our two, and then a third mystery computer. I still don't know how that got there, considering I had JUST set up the network.

Anyway, after seeing it wasn't a secured network, I went back and tried to do it again. After fighting with it for about 15 minutes, I finally got it secured. I think, however, after reading about the WEP and WPA comparisons, I'm going to start from scratch, but this time follow the advice of both the disc and everyone on here.

 

[BethR]

Thanks, everyone. I'll try everything in this thread to see if it works then, as a last resort, I'll call India (A.K.A. Verizon) and see if they can walk me through things.

I wouldn't hesitate to call Verizon. You won't get someone in another country and most of the time, they are very helpful to me.

 

[Charade]

The other thing to check is to see if the wireless adapters in the laptops are set to "DHCP" (or get an IP address automatically from the router). They will still "see" the wireless network but won't be able to get out to the internet.

If you do the "ipconfig /all" and the wireless adapter's IP address is *not* something like 192.168.X.X, the adapter didn't get an IP from the router, it assigned itself a Microsoft default (usually 169..X.X.X).

 

[Loubon]

Let your girlfriend do it.

 

[Charade]

Let your girlfriend do it.

Ooops, I thought the OP was the gf.

 

[mtblujeans]

I am completely computer illiterate but I do have a wireless set up at home (I say that because I would be useless to answer any questions about my set up). The router (Linksys) and the printer are set up to my desktop computer and my laptop accesses them thru a wireless card.

Whenever my DS came home from college, he could not pick up the secured wireless signal so I would have to take the firewall down for him. (We had installed a Belkin wireless network card in his desktop and he has XP OS.)

Other DS built his own computer this summer and he put Vista OS and the same Belkin card in it. His computer would not go on the internet either, although it gave us a message saying it could find a wireless signal.

We called Linksys who helped us call Microsoft. We found out the Vista OS would not access the internet with that wireless card and we had to buy a newer one. With that information, Linksys helped me update the router by going online to do it. The Vista OS picked right up on the internet connection after that and I am eager to see if DS will pick right up on the internet the next time he brings his computer home, too.

So, after a lengthy explanation, I am trying to say that I wonder if you may need to update your router "software"....?