Sudden wireless network problem

[Bobby]

My home wireless network has worked flawlessly for months but one of my PCs
suddenly refused to work last night.

I have a BT Broadband connection (1Mb). This connection works OK since the
other PCs in my home connect OK (I am typing this from my wireless laptop).

My hardware is: BT Voyager wireless router/modem. Belkin wireless network
adapter. All running at 801g (54Mbit). I let my Belkin software manage the
connection (not Windows). I'm running Windows XP SP2.

Last night my Internet connection suddently went down. The PC was previously
working fine (and connecting to the Internet without a problem). The icon in
the system tray was reporting "limited connectivity" but I had something
else to do and ignored the problem.

But this morning the same problem arose. This time I appeared to have full
(90%) connectivity according to the icon in the system tray. So I expected
to connect to the Net without problems - but I couldn't (it timed-out).
Worse, I can't connect to my router's home page. But my PC reports that my
wireless adaptor is working OK and that I have connectivity (ranging from
90-95%). But nothing works.

Sometimes the system tray reports "limited connectivity" but if I disable
and enable the connection it goes back to (almost) full connectivity. But I
still can't "see" my wireless router (i.e. it's admin web page).

I'm at a loss. Help!

Cheers.

Bobby

 

[Marcin Gaszewski]

My home wireless network has worked flawlessly for months but one of my PCs
suddenly refused to work last night.

I have a BT Broadband connection (1Mb). This connection works OK since the
other PCs in my home connect OK (I am typing this from my wireless laptop).

My hardware is: BT Voyager wireless router/modem. Belkin wireless network
adapter. All running at 801g (54Mbit). I let my Belkin software manage the
connection (not Windows). I'm running Windows XP SP2.

Last night my Internet connection suddently went down. The PC was previously
working fine (and connecting to the Internet without a problem). The icon in
the system tray was reporting "limited connectivity" but I had something
else to do and ignored the problem.

But this morning the same problem arose. This time I appeared to have full
(90%) connectivity according to the icon in the system tray. So I expected
to connect to the Net without problems - but I couldn't (it timed-out).
Worse, I can't connect to my router's home page. But my PC reports that my
wireless adaptor is working OK and that I have connectivity (ranging from
90-95%). But nothing works.

Sometimes the system tray reports "limited connectivity" but if I disable
and enable the connection it goes back to (almost) full connectivity. But I
still can't "see" my wireless router (i.e. it's admin web page).

I'm at a loss. Help!

Cheers.

Bobby

Firstly try to check your TCP/IP settings. Do you use DHCP ?
try:
start/run/cmd
ipconfig

If everything looking alright try to check your WEP and SNR.

If still isn't working I could propose you to check your firewalls,
antyvir softwere at your PC.


Best Regards
Marcin Gaszewski

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Bobby,

Reset the router first. Shut down the router and broadband modem. Then power
up the modem and wait until it makes its connection, then power up the
router. You may also find that you need to restart the systems connected to
it, but you may get around it by running ipconfig /release, then /renew from
a cmd prompt.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Phil Thompson]

Reset the router first. Shut down the router and broadband modem. Then power
up the modem and wait until it makes its connection, then power up the
router.

there is only one combined modem/router/wireless box.

Phil

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Noted. Still though, power cycling is the first thing that should be done.
As it is an all-in-one unit, I would disconnect the machines from it during
this operation.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Conor]

My home wireless network has worked flawlessly for months but one of my PCs
suddenly refused to work last night.

I have a BT Broadband connection (1Mb). This connection works OK since the
other PCs in my home connect OK (I am typing this from my wireless laptop).

My hardware is: BT Voyager wireless router/modem. Belkin wireless network
adapter. All running at 801g (54Mbit). I let my Belkin software manage the
connection (not Windows). I'm running Windows XP SP2.

Last night my Internet connection suddently went down. The PC was previously
working fine (and connecting to the Internet without a problem). The icon in
the system tray was reporting "limited connectivity" but I had something
else to do and ignored the problem.

But this morning the same problem arose. This time I appeared to have full
(90%) connectivity according to the icon in the system tray. So I expected
to connect to the Net without problems - but I couldn't (it timed-out).
Worse, I can't connect to my router's home page. But my PC reports that my
wireless adaptor is working OK and that I have connectivity (ranging from
90-95%). But nothing works.

Sometimes the system tray reports "limited connectivity" but if I disable
and enable the connection it goes back to (almost) full connectivity. But I
still can't "see" my wireless router (i.e. it's admin web page).

If you're using MAC address filtering, check that.


--
Conor

If Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened
rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetitive electronic
music.

 

[Phil Thompson]

As it is an all-in-one unit, I would disconnect the machines from it during
this operation.

sure. For info, in the UK separate ethernet ADSL modems are not very
common, and are usually a nuisance as the default DSL service is PPPoA
and not PPPoE.

Cheers,

Phil

 

[Brian]

Did you reboot the router?

 

[Kerry Brown]

My home wireless network has worked flawlessly for months but one of my
PCs suddenly refused to work last night.

I have a BT Broadband connection (1Mb). This connection works OK since the
other PCs in my home connect OK (I am typing this from my wireless
laptop).

My hardware is: BT Voyager wireless router/modem. Belkin wireless network
adapter. All running at 801g (54Mbit). I let my Belkin software manage the
connection (not Windows). I'm running Windows XP SP2.

Last night my Internet connection suddently went down. The PC was
previously working fine (and connecting to the Internet without a
problem). The icon in the system tray was reporting "limited connectivity"
but I had something else to do and ignored the problem.

But this morning the same problem arose. This time I appeared to have full
(90%) connectivity according to the icon in the system tray. So I expected
to connect to the Net without problems - but I couldn't (it timed-out).
Worse, I can't connect to my router's home page. But my PC reports that my
wireless adaptor is working OK and that I have connectivity (ranging from
90-95%). But nothing works.

Sometimes the system tray reports "limited connectivity" but if I disable
and enable the connection it goes back to (almost) full connectivity. But
I still can't "see" my wireless router (i.e. it's admin web page).

I'm at a loss. Help!

Cheers.

Bobby

It may be something simple. Have any neighbours recently added a wireless
network? Have you installed anything that may be interfering? i.e. cordless
phone, cheap fan that generates a lot of r/f noise, fluorescent desk lamp.
etc.

Kerry

 

[Joan Archer]

I agree that power cycling clears a lot of problems and also shut down the
machines until the router is back up and steady then boot up the
computers.
With my setup it's a Wireless 4 port router with my machine connected by
ethernet to the router, XPHomeSP2. The other XPHomeSP2 is connected
through wireless and I have a WinME machine connecting through wireless.
I find if I power cycle the router without switching off the machines
first and get everything working again with regards connecting to the
internet it plays havoc with shutting the XP's down at the end of the day.
Joan

 

[Bobby]

Thanks for the suggestions.

The problem PC is a desktop system (not a laptop).

The network also includes two laptops (including the one I'm typing this on)
and another desktop PC. All connect wirelessly. All work perfectly.

My problem PC was working perfectly. I did not make any network changes. I
am reluctant to stop messing about with TCP/IP settings.

My modem and router is a combined unit. I switched it off last night but the
problem persisted this morning when I tried again. I presume switching it
off is the same as a reboot. The lights on the modem/router report no
problems whatsoever and every other PC/laptop works OK.

I can't connect to my modem/router web management page so something
fundamental must be going wrong between my PC and the router.

I am going to try to re-install my wireless network adaptor software. Then I
will replace my wireless adaptor to see if that helps.

Bobby

 

[Tiscali Tim]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

Thanks for the suggestions.

The problem PC is a desktop system (not a laptop).

The network also includes two laptops (including the one I'm typing
this on) and another desktop PC. All connect wirelessly. All work
perfectly.

My problem PC was working perfectly. I did not make any network
changes. I am reluctant to stop messing about with TCP/IP settings.

My modem and router is a combined unit. I switched it off last night
but the problem persisted this morning when I tried again. I presume
switching it off is the same as a reboot. The lights on the
modem/router report no problems whatsoever and every other PC/laptop
works OK.

I can't connect to my modem/router web management page so something
fundamental must be going wrong between my PC and the router.

I am going to try to re-install my wireless network adaptor software.
Then I will replace my wireless adaptor to see if that helps.

Bobby

Have you re-booted the problem PC? Does that help?

If the PC *appears* to be connected to the PC but can't talk to it, some of
the PCs wireless settings may have got corrupted somehow.

What level of wireless security are you using - encryption, MAC address
filtering, hiding SSID, etc.? If using encryption, make sure that the type
and parameters are set up on the PC exactly as on the router. If using MAC
address filtering, make sure that the PC's wireless card's MAC address is in
the router's Permitted table.

Can you ping the router from the PC?

You can *check* the PC's TCP/IP settings without having to mess with/change
them. When you type "ipconfig /all" at the Command prompt, does it display
an IP address in the same range as that of the router, and with the same
subnet mask?

[If you don't know how to interpret what it is telling you, copy the output
from ipconfig /all and paste it into this thread - preferably with the
equivalent output from a PC which *does* work].

 

[Tiscali Tim]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

timothy dear why do you call yourself tiscali timmy when you dont
even use piscalli

Perhaps for the same reason as you call yourself <@> ?

 

[Guest]

timothy dear why do you call yourself tiscali timmy when you dont even use
piscalli

 

[Ed.]

Try this:

http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html

 

[Sparda]

sure. For info, in the UK separate ethernet ADSL modems are
not very
common, and are usually a nuisance as the default DSL service
is PPPoA
and not PPPoE.

Cheers,

Phil

"ethernet ADSL modems"

You mean a router? Like the one I have? (I live in England)

"and are usually a nuisance as the default DSL service is PPPoA and
not PPPoE."

You sure about that? My BT connection work with both PPPoE and PPPoA.

 

[Phil Thompson]

"ethernet ADSL modems"
You mean a router? Like the one I have? (I live in England)

no, I mean an ADSL modem using ethernet to connect to a single device.

"and are usually a nuisance as the default DSL service is PPPoA and
not PPPoE."
You sure about that? My BT connection work with both PPPoE and PPPoA.

yes I am sure, the default is PPPoA, it is the one BT recommend, they
also added support for PPPoE which AOL use for one. I don't believe
all ISPs support PPPoE (it adds overhead and an extra client).

Phil

 

[poster]

(posting reformatted - there's little need to quote a whole post,
including signature, and then duplicate text, as you can insert
your own comments quite easily with most news services...)

You mean a router? Like the one I have? (I live in England)

No, I think Phil means what he said.... there are a few non-router
units with an ethernet interface, not USB. For example there's the
D-Link DSL-300T (from memory).

You sure about that? My BT connection work with both PPPoE and PPPoA.

I'm interested if that is even possible, given a problem a neighbour
(on AOL) has been having. It might be related, or coincidence, that
everything fell apart after a speed regrade... (and no, seems not a
speed/stability/attenuation/SNR problem after tests with my router).

 

[Geoffrey]

You sure about that? My BT connection work with both PPPoE and PPPoA.

You sure about that?

 

[Bobby]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

The prize goes to the people who suggested that my network settings had got
corrupted.

But no-one got the solution -- restoring the PC using system restore.
Although I guess the WinSock fix would probably have worked too.

I think that the problem was caused by a Windows update. I think that I
switched off my PC during an update - Windows reported this and said that I
could continue the shutdown but I think that my problems arose after this.

Anyway, system restore solved my problem. In fact, system restore solves
every (software) problem in my experience.

Thanks again to everyone who contributed to this thread.

Bobby