Wireless router - help please!!

choccyface2006

Please please help! I'm a damsel in distress here! I'm not good with technology so I'll try to explain the problem as best I can and I would be greatful for some simple to understand help!

I have been trying to install my new Netgear DG834G router/modem that I got free with AOL. All was going well, installation went fine, I can connect to the internet with the new router, but WITH the ethernet cable in. Now I want to go wireless, and thats where the problem is.

I have a green icon which tells me that I am connected to my new network and there is excellent signal, packets are being sent but none are being recieved. I have another icon, a monitor with a exclamation sign, it says that I have excellent connection to my network but that I have limited or no connectivity.

If I open it and go to support, then details it say..

You might not be able to connect to the internet or some network resources. This problem occurred because the network did not assign a network address to the computer.

I click repair and it says..

Windows could not repair because the following action could not be performed. Disabling the wireless adaptor. Make sure the adaptor is correctly installed.

Surly if I disable the adaptor, that stops it working, when I go to it it says it will stop it functioning. I have only just installed the adaptor.

I have checked for driver updates as its ages since I used it, when I look at the propeties for the adaptor it says its working properly and I have tried the troubleshooter with no luck.


I have a phsical address, ip address and subnet mask but no default gateway, DNS server or WINS server.

Please, anyone????

Sarah

espresso

OK try doing this:

1. Click on Local Area Connections (two computer icons in the system tray)
2. Highlight Wireless Network Connection icon.
3. Under Network Tasks, select Change settings of this connection.
4. Highlight Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.

Select Obtain an IP address automatically and click OK.

albertross_2

Have you setup encryption, if it says you are connected, then it may be a mismatched encryption key, or possibly you are connected to someone elses router? Is Windows managing your wireless, or software that came with a wireless adapter?

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2471408&postcount=37

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2471410&postcount=38

choccyface2006

Espresso - just checked and thats been done already

Albertross - I am definatly connected to my network, not someone elses although there are several showing here. Can't remember if I set up encryption, how do I find out?

AOL software set up the router but it didn't go as far as explaining about becoming wireless, it just helped me get online with my new router. I am relying on windows to help set up the network.

Sarah

Chippy_Minton

choccyface2006 wrote:

Can't remember if I set up encryption, how do I find out?

Click http://192.168.0.1 and log in to router config (username is admin, password is password) and click Wireless Settings. If Security option Disable is selected the wireless isn't encrypted.

Also make sure Enable Wireless Access Point is ticked.

HappyIdiotTalk

Chippy_Minton wrote:

Click http://192.168.0.1 and log in to router config (username is admin, password is password) and click Wireless Settings. If Security option Disable is selected the wireless isn't encrypted.

Also make sure Enable Wireless Access Point is ticked.

This assumes that 192.168.0.1 is the IP for the router, which is not always the case. To check:

Click START > RUN then type CMD into the box that pops up and click OK.

A black command window will then appear, type in 'ipconfig' and hit RETURN.

This will give you your IP settings, heres mine (the top one is my wireless connection, and the bottom one is my wired connection which I dont often use):

Windows 2000 IP Configuration

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 3:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : halesowen.net
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.100
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

Ethernet adapter {F5C156FB-A32B-4593-9F37-5481BF235973}:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Cable Disconnected

The IP address next to 'Default Gateway' is what you should be typing into your Internet browser (IE, Firefox... ect) as per Chippys suggestion, as you can see mine is 192.168.1.1. so I would type http://192.168.1.1 to logon to my router.

If you cant do this, let us know, if you can then...

From here its a bit of a minefield as all routers use different configuration pages. Look for a setting for SSID or 'Service Set ID' when you scan for networks to attach too this is the one to choose. The default SSID for most routers is either 'default' or the name of the router, so its an idea to change this to something of your own choice.

Then look for the security section. Security is normally either WEP or WPA-PSK. The latter being the strongest and therefore more secure. If either of these are turned on, then you need to know what the key is to connect. If you dont know the key, put a new one in and save it. Then try connecting to the wireless network again.

If the router isn't using security it might say OPEN, but I doubt this as you'd have been able to connect already.

Chippy_Minton

HappyIdiotTalk wrote:

This assumes that 192.168.0.1 is the IP for the router, which is not always the case.

Agree. I just gave the default LAN IP address for the DG834G, which the OP is unlikely to have changed. Your method removes that assumption

bluep

I had a similar problem with my modem (which is the same model). I solved it by a) assigning fixed IP addresses to each of my machines 192.168.0.2 and 192.168.0.3 etc.. and entering the MAC addresses of both machines in the netgear settings. I can't specifically remember how to do this now (will try and think and post again later) but I did follow instructions so I either searched for it on netgears online support database or on the internet itself.

WIndows networking is really unreliable, it can sometimes work fine and other times not set up properly - I found it very frustrating. The other thing that I found unpredicatbly affected it was norton internet security - turn off the firewall on the machines for the time being as the router has its own firewall - I found norton firewall just made the whole thing very fiddly.

As a last resort, do what I did, and call netgears helpline! I don't think they publicise that they provide support by phone, and indeed they might only be supposed to provide it for businesses, but if you say that you think the wireless router might be faulty (!) then their customer service is good, they will run through settings and try and get it working...

choccyface2006

Thanks for all the tips, going to have another look at it now.

Sarah

albertross_2

The first link I posted tells you how to secure it properly.

scheming_gypsy

Chippy_Minton wrote:

Agree. I just gave the default LAN IP address for the DG834G, which the OP is unlikely to have changed. Your method removes that assumption

although the OP isn't getting a default gateway so probably getting the default IP rather than one from the router.