[vickydee]

I have a Netgear wireless router hub thing and it was working fine for months but it has just gone down ?

I disconted everything and rebotted, the internet on my decktop is working fine but I I still can't get the wirless network back up.

I have looked at the network manager window and is says Wireless Network ... Not Connected !

All the light on the front of the router seem to be ok .. Power. Wireless. Internet. are all on .. The blue ethenet cable is plugged into LAN socket4 and the light for that is on !

The Test light also went on when I botted it up .. It is now off.

I have noticed the arial in the back of the router is a little loose but it has been like that since I got it !

How can I test the router, would it be best to take it to a friends house and ask him to try it by swapping it with his router but what if it works at his house what next ?

Thanks ...

Dee

[coastie65]

Hi Vicky and welcome to the forum. You can try to reset/reprogram the router. To do this, you need to unplug the Ethernet cable and turn off the power to the router. Wait a couple of minutes then plug it in and reconnect the power to the router. It should reprogram itself. Whichever computer has the wireless connction, will probably need to be resetup as well. coastie65

[rgreen4]

Vickydee - Welcome to the PC World community.

You have assumed that the wireless router is at fault. It takes two devices to make a wireless connection. And we need a lot more information.

1. You mentioned that the antenna is a little bit loose. The antennas are actually on a small swivel so they can be moved about (like the old TV rabbit ears), but the first part of the connection (maybe 1/2 inch) next to the back should screw on and off, and should be snug. You may be confusing the swivel action as a little bit loose.

2. You mention a desktop with the internet working fine, but then you also mention wireless network. This leads me to assume (always risky) that the desktop is connected to the router via wired ethernet cable and that the second computer (notebook?) is connected via wireless. If this is not correct, please correct me.

The normal connection for a mixed network (wired and wireless) is to connect the modem (DSL, cable or satellite - not dial-up) to the WAN port on the back of the router. (WAN is Wide Area Network or the connection to the outside) Wired devices within the home should be connected to one of the 4 LAN ports (Local Area Network) so the router can connect them to the WAN (internet).

So you desktop if a wired connection, should be connected to a LAN port (it matters not which one) and then the router via the WAN port would have another ethernet cable to the modem.

If the wireless device is a laptop, many of them have a switch by which you can turn of the wireless. This is a security device in case you want to use the computer to do work in an area with an unprotected or public wireless connection.

On one of my laptops, when the wireless is turned off the light goes from blue to off. On the newer on, the light goes from blue to orange. You may want to check and see if your wireless connection on the laptop is turned off. If not, check in the device manager to see if the wireless card is functioning properly.

I you have a friend with a wireless laptop, the best way to check your wireless modem is to have him come over and turn on his laptop. It should detect and report the presence of a wireless signal.

If this does not help you, please post back the details on your wireless device and how the desktop and router are connected.

[vickydee]

Hi Coastie ...

Thanx for getting intouch but I have tried that a number of times in the last few days..

vicky

[vickydee]

Hi R Green and thank you.

1. The little screw you me you mentioned did not fit snug but it does now...

2. The answer is yes .. My laptop conects too the internet via the wireless router (which I cannot get a connection too) ..and the desktop via ethernet cable from the LAN port on the back of the router too the tower. Which is working fine.

The router is conected to the modem via the internet port on the back of the router . All the lights that should be on are on ( I think! )and are bright, the LAN port light is bright but it is flickering.

The wireless device on the Laptop I think is ok as it has found an unprotected wireless signal some where in the area. It used to show my wireless connection too but no longer does. The Wireless Network Manager window says I am not connected.

I openned the Conrol Panel then clicked on Network Connections Icon . this window says LAN or High speed Internet.

There are 2 connection here ... A Local Area Connection and a 1394 Connection.

The LAC seems to be ok with a Speed of 100Mbps with bytes beigns sent and recieved Also it has an Address Type assighned by DHCP and an IP address.

But..

The 1394 Connection does have a speed of 400.0Mbps but no bytes being sent or received, no Address Type and No IP address.

There is a click box that askes if I want to restart the connection but when I click it, it responds with a message [Winows cannot finnish repairing this problem due the the TCP/IP is not enabled for Connection] Does any of this make any sence or am I making things worse?

Is there any way of checking that the wireless router is sending out a single, to be picked up by my Laptop?

Thanks ........ :-)

[coastie65]

Hi Vicky, In the computer with the wireless connection, go to CONTROL PANEL>NETWORK CONNECTIONS, RIGHT CLICK ON LAN, CLICK ON PROPERTIES>ALL THESE BOXES SHOULD BE CHECKED,CLICK ON INTERNET PROTOCOL TO HIGHLIGHT IT THE CLICK ON PROPERTIES. both the I.P. address and obtain DNS server should have Automatic checked. coastie

[rgreen4]

Vicki a laptop (and a desktop with a wireless card) actually has two possible connections to the router. One is the wired (ethernet cable) connection and the other is the wireless connection. The 1394 connection is a firewire port which is similar to but different from the USB connection.

When you mouse over the network connection icon, you should get a pop up showing the connection. If it is disconnected, then right clicking the icon should bring up this dialog box:

!http://forums.pcworld.com/legacyimages/
1!

Clicking on Connect to a network bring up this:



(Click on the above image to enlarge and sharpen).

If you are not showing your network, can you post a clip of what you are seeing? Also is the icon in the lower right side of the screen next to the speaker showing an image similar to the previous image?

[coastie65]

Hey rg, Thanks for bringing that up, i went full bore on the USB thing and didn't give firewire a thought as the lappy in the house is USB wireless.

[vickydee]

Hi Guys

Thanks for all the work you are both putting into my problem.

I am
not sure which computor you wish me to look at Laptop or Desktop..Also
I did not mention but I have XP on the Desk top and Vista on the Lap
top not sure if this makes a differance.
I did clicked on the Network Connection icon in the Control Panel on the
laptop [which when open lookes totally differant to the one on the
Desktop but does look similar to the pic you sent ] it did not have any
connections at all and could not find any when I asked it too.
I am still wondering could the wireless router be at fault, as in could
it be broken so not sending out a signel for the Laptop to pick up...

How would I check it is working [sending out a signel for the Laptop to find] ok ?

I do not know how to take a snap shot view of my Network Connection, sorry.

Vicky

[rgreen4]

Please give the following information:
1. Make and model of your laptop. Should be found on a sticker on the bottom of the laptop. Do not ever post the serial number on line (unless on protected mfg website).

[vickydee]

Hi

Sorry not gotten intouch sooner, I was called away ...

The laptop computor is a DELL . Model .. PP29L but I not sure how this helps ?

I connected the laptop direct too the net via the modem, missing out the wirless part and the laptop runs fine .....

When I reconnected the desk top computor via the ethernet cable to the wireless router and then the modem via the cabl, the desk top again works fine but not wirless connection still.

Is there any way to check the wireless router is actually giving a signal out ? I know all the right lights are on but is that enough to say it is working ok.. ?

Thanx

Vicky

[coastie65]

Hi Vicki, I am not entirely sure of this, but First, Hook your desk top to the Router using the cable ( Hard Wired ). Once this done and you have a connction on the desk top then we need to get the laptop up. If you have a wireless card that plugs into the side og the laptop. take it out and then plug it in. Turn on the Laptop and after it boots up, you should get a message saying that a connection has been detected, if so, then follow the instructions to complete the set up. If this doesn't work, then we'll try something else. coastie