Tom Spencer
Thread Starter
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2008
- Messages
- 4
I set up my TP-Link TL-WR541G wireless router about 9 months ago (which took an age because I bought it in China and all the menus are in Chinese). The router is connected to the internet through a Motorola cable modem, and has been since I set it up. There have been no problems at all until yesterday. My wife and I both use our laptops to connect to the web through the router while we're at home. I set up the router so that it would accept only our MAC addresses.
The problem started yesterday afternoon when we both came home, switched on the modem, switched on the router, and switced on our laptops (as is our normal procedure (we switch everything off at the wall when not in use)). The lights on the modem and router came on as normal, and our laptops both registered a connection to the router, but neither of us could open any web pages.
I tried unplugging the modem and router, waiting a couple of minutes, plugging the modem back in, waiting until all the lights were on, and then plugging the router in. That didn't work. I tried pressing the reset button on the router (held it for 30+ seconds), followed by a complete power-down, waiting period, and power-up again. Nothing.
Plugging either of our laptops directly into the modem works fine - we can both access the web that way.
This morning I tried again. The router and modem had both been unplugged all night. Tried resetting the router and going through full power cycles on both the modem and the router many times but to no avail. Then we noticed something strange: Google Earth was able to access the internet. So, too, was 'QQ' (the Chinese equivilant of M$N). Still no web pages would open, though.
A couple of attempts later and not even those programmes were able to get a connexion.
Running the Connection TroubleShooter on M$N tells me that there is a DNS problem and a problem with the Key Ports. Clicking on 'repair' sometimes results in the DNS problem seemingly being resolved, but not the Key Ports problem. I said the DNS problem is 'seemingly' fixed, because if I then run another connexion test, it turns up a problem with the DNS again.
Ok, so my home isn't particularly hot or humid, my wife and I have AVG running all the time (including full scans on a daily basis) and we never download dodgy stuff - just basic web browsing and e-mail. We haven't changed any settings on the router. None of the cables is loose, frayed or knawed by rats. Just a sudden, inexplicable loss of function.
Is my router dead? What else can I try?
The problem started yesterday afternoon when we both came home, switched on the modem, switched on the router, and switced on our laptops (as is our normal procedure (we switch everything off at the wall when not in use)). The lights on the modem and router came on as normal, and our laptops both registered a connection to the router, but neither of us could open any web pages.
I tried unplugging the modem and router, waiting a couple of minutes, plugging the modem back in, waiting until all the lights were on, and then plugging the router in. That didn't work. I tried pressing the reset button on the router (held it for 30+ seconds), followed by a complete power-down, waiting period, and power-up again. Nothing.
Plugging either of our laptops directly into the modem works fine - we can both access the web that way.
This morning I tried again. The router and modem had both been unplugged all night. Tried resetting the router and going through full power cycles on both the modem and the router many times but to no avail. Then we noticed something strange: Google Earth was able to access the internet. So, too, was 'QQ' (the Chinese equivilant of M$N). Still no web pages would open, though.
A couple of attempts later and not even those programmes were able to get a connexion.
Running the Connection TroubleShooter on M$N tells me that there is a DNS problem and a problem with the Key Ports. Clicking on 'repair' sometimes results in the DNS problem seemingly being resolved, but not the Key Ports problem. I said the DNS problem is 'seemingly' fixed, because if I then run another connexion test, it turns up a problem with the DNS again.
Ok, so my home isn't particularly hot or humid, my wife and I have AVG running all the time (including full scans on a daily basis) and we never download dodgy stuff - just basic web browsing and e-mail. We haven't changed any settings on the router. None of the cables is loose, frayed or knawed by rats. Just a sudden, inexplicable loss of function.
Is my router dead? What else can I try?