[sayang]

Help help help. This is the second night I've been trying to get to the bottom of this so any feedback is much appreciated.

I basically can't get my laptop to connect to the internet via wireless (I've searched many forums and tried many options to no avail). However, I CAN connect to the internet via my ethernet/LAN connection.

The laptop is new, the wireless router isn't. I have connected to internet via wireless using this same router before with other laptops.

My Set Up
Laptop = Dell Inspiron 9400
OS= Windows XP Media Centre Edition, SP2
Wireless Adaptor = Intel Pro/Wireless 3945ABG
Router = Linksys Wireless G ADSL Gateway (Model=WAG54GS)

Problem #1: My wireless connection shows a 'Limited or No Availability' status
I ran IPCONFIG/ALL and this is what I got:
Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : SAYANGCOM
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : WAG54GS

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : WAG54GS
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-18-8B-B4-CB-6C
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.100
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.111.39.1
192.111.39.4
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 29 March 2007 22:06:56
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 30 March 2007 22:06:56

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 3:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-19-D2-02-F2-4A
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.98.7
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
Immediately I suspected the issue was the missing default gateway. So I reset the router and re-started the PC - no change.

I then proceeded to manually configure my TCP/IP settings to look like this:
Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : SAYANGCOM
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : WAG54GS

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : WAG54GS
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-18-8B-B4-CB-6C
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.100
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.111.39.1
192.111.39.4
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 29 March 2007 22:06:56
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 30 March 2007 22:06:56

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 3:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-19-D2-02-F2-4A
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.102
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.111.39.1
192.111.39.4

This time it worked and my wireless connection was up and running (or so I thought)... enter problem #2.

Problem #2: Wireless is connected but cannot connect to internet
Although my wireless is now connected, I cannot seem to get on the internet.
I have tried pinging 4.2.2.1 and there is no reply. I have been told this indicates that there is something probably wrong with the gateway still. This is where I get confused as I'm not sure now if it's a set up issue or my router is faulty.
I have checked my router and everything seems fine. Are there any other checks or tests I can run to eliminate problems. It's a minefield out there!

[sayang]

Forgot one more thing... I've disabled my AV & firewall. Also I have disabled my wireless security for the moment to ensure nothing is interfering.

[coulterp]

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-19-D2-02-F2-4A
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.98.7
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
Immediately I suspected the issue was the missing default gateway. So I reset the router and re-started the PC - no change.

The wifi adaptor is not contacting the DHCP server, and therefore not acquiring an IP address. So not only is the Default Gateway an issue but the IP address shown is useless (it is one Windows will issue specifically because it cannot contact a DHCP server).

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-19-D2-02-F2-4A
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.102
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.111.39.1
192.111.39.4

Right idea (assigning an IP is the correct subnet), but not addressing the problem, because as you then find you still do not have an internect connection.

Since your initial problem is no address issued from the DCHP server (router) I'm wondering if you have a wireless connectivity issue related to encryption.
Do you have encryption switched on in router? If yes, the wifi needs to be configured to use the same encryption (WEP, WPA, whichever you have selected) and the same encryption keys entered.
Or when you say "... I have disabled my wireless security ..." do you mean encryption is off, and is it off in both the router and the wifi card?

[sayang]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I've double checked my router & adaptor (via Intel ProSet Wireless) and both have encryption disabled.

I also tried connecting to wireless with another laptop (that successfully connected to wireless in the office) and same problems as stated above occurred.

[happyrck]

this should get you new address's

Lets try and see whether you have equipment related problems. In this step, we will allow the equipment to self-diagnose and resolve the problems.

If you suddenly lose connectivity over your High Speed Internet line, have a slow connection or are unable to browse the Internet despite indications that you are connected, it is possible that your modem is not communicating properly with the Internet network.

Save all your current work, close all open applications, then shut down your computer ...unplug router and modem

Power up the modem first and after it gets initialized and all the lites are steady..
power up the router...after all the lites are on...
power up the computer

The above steps should take care of your problem

no joy then try this..

TCP/IP stack repair options for use with Windows XP with SP2.

For these commands click on Start.... Run..... type in...CMD ....to open a command prompt box

Reset WINSOCK entries to installation defaults...type in ... netsh winsock reset catalog .... press ...enter

Reset TCP/IP stack to installation defaults...type in...... netsh int ip reset reset.log ... press ...enter

[TerryNet]

You wouldn't by any chance be blocking yourself with the use of MAC address filtering on the router, would you? Some people still think of this technique as "security."

[sayang]

Router & modem are all in 1 and lights are on. I can get DSL connection fine (I'm using the laptop connected via ethernet to write this).

Have tried running the stack repair options.
netsh winsock reset catalog - successful
netsh int ip reset reset.log - says 'the following command was not found'

MAC filtering is disabled.

[coulterp]

As your wired connections (including from the problematic laptop) to the router have no problems then I'm still thinking wireless connectivity issues.
You've enabled wireless access in the router?
You're enabled broadcast SSID in the router?
You've configured the wifi card to try to connect to the correct SSID (as broadcast by the router)?
Can you use your wifi card utilities (or Windows Zero Configuration, or Netstumbler http://www.netstumbler.com/ ) to see any wifi networks around you? Do you see any, your own or others?

[sayang]

I'm happy to be able to report that I'm posting this message via wireless!

Tried the netstumbler and it was picking up the wifi network.

In a last ditch effort, put in the linksys set up wizard in the hope it was a router issue and reconfigured router (to exactly the same settings as before) through the wizard.... and this time it worked!! Glad I saved that CD! Usually those sort of manufacturer set up CDs end up in the bin after installation.

Thanks for all your help. I'm defintely more confident about wireless networks afer this experience.

[pakita88]

Hi everyone!

I've been having the exact same problem for over 3 weeks now. I came across this post via google and it's exactly the same that's happening to me.. I've done everything that you've said above, I've even reset my router and re-configured it but still I can't get a connection via wireless (well, i can, but it doesn't work.).. and i can use it via ethernet.

I hope you can help me! Please tell me what other information do you need..

Thanks!! I'm about to cry..

[pakita88]

here's what i get when i run IPCONFIG /ALL when i'm "connected" (coz im not.. no packages are being received, etc) on this laptop via wireless.. right now i'm connected via ethernet.

by the way, my laptop works fine (the guys at telefonica - my ISP said there must be something wrong with it) because i CAN connect to other wireless networks...

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Configuración IP de Windows

Nombre del host . . . . . . . . . : FRANCIS
Sufijo DNS principal . . . . . . :
Tipo de nodo . . . . . . . . . . .: difusión
Enrutamiento habilitado. . . . . .: No
Proxy WINS habilitado. . . . . : No

Adaptador Ethernet Conexión de área local :

Estado de los medios. . . .: medios desconectados
Descripción. . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC
Dirección física. . . . . . . . . : 00-16-36-79-92-13

Adaptador Ethernet Wireless :

Sufijo de conexión específica DNS :
Descripción. . . . . . . . . . . : WLAN Broadcom 802.11b/g
Dirección física. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-A5-BE-46-D2
DHCP habilitado. . . . . . . . . : No
Dirección IP. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.3
Máscara de subred . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Puerta de enlace predeterminada : 192.168.1.1
Servidores DNS . . . . . . . . . .: 80.58.61.250
80.58.61.254

[pakita88]

i opened the other thread because this isn't MY post, i was just using it for reference. anyways, i get people telling me what not to do but no help...

[~Candy~]

I reopened the other thread. I think there was some confusion.

[daveybrighton]

I'm beginning to suspect that this is a problem with the wireless card / driver, mine is a dell 1500 wireless card (802.11draft-n/a/g) which I believe Dell has now replaced with a card based on an intel chipset.

After numerous calls to Dell and attempts by their support staff to fix it, including updating to the latest driver the problem still has not been solved.

In my case (sods law, usually at weekends or during the evening, when Dell's staff aren't available to see the problem at first hand) the connection just dissapears or gets very slow. When the connection disappears I can usually see the router in Dell's wireless card connection utility (site monitor function) but it doesnt appear in the list of 'available networks' of which there appear to be about 20 in my immediate neighbourhood - all G spec wireless routers (mine is a Draytec Vigor 2100VG voip cable modem router).

Given the times that it occurs I have come to the conclusion that the problem is caused by interference and problems which have yet to be sorted out with the draft-n spec driver. (Is this something that Dell knows about but is unwilling to address on grounds of cost?)

At no time have I had problems with other older laptops in my possession equipped with bog standard G spec pc wlan cards

My solution? Out of desperation and shear frustration I have now bought a USB wireless stick (Azurewave 802 11b/g) and permanently disabled the internal card. Not an ideal solution but at least it has solved the problem.