Wireless network - help!

[whitehill]

Last week we installed the Thomson speedtouch wireless modem router, supplied by AOL and set it up with the supplied disk on our desktop pc. As soon as I turned on the wireless enabled laptop downstairs, it picked up our network and for the next few hours we were both able to use the internet, no problem. Next day, the laptop could not find our network (several belonging to neighbours are still showing) and I have not been able to connect since. I have tried everything I can think of, have system restored both computers (several times) to the day they worked, took the pc back to the day before that and re-installed the disk - nothing. The desktop pc is connected to the router via the ethernet cable and the broadband is still working fine, it just doesn't seem to be throwing our wireless signals that my laptop can read. Any ideas please?

[Ethel]

Have you tried turning everything off at the mains - the router, desktop pc and the laptop and switch everything back on in this EXACT order.


1. Broadband modem (if seperate) Wait a few minutes

2 Router ...wait

3. Pcs and laptops.

Has that corrected it?

[whitehill]

Thanks Ethel, I'll give it a try and let you know

[whitehill]

Sadly, no, it didn't work tho' I did exactly as you suggested. I have read a number of posts on here which mention the loss of the IP address as causing problems when the laptop shuts down but I don't know how to find this for the router or laptop, I assume the AOL installation disk took care of that sort of thing. Incidentally, I phoned AOL help line the other day, long wait, we didn't understand each other and nothing was solved. The trouble is, there are so many possibilities, aren't there.

[Ethel]

Yes, and I firmly believe in doing the simple things first.

Have you tried connecting the laptop to the router by ethernet, getting online and then disconnecting?

If you can get online whilst connected by ethernet but not after disconnecting, you need to configure your modem settings again.

[whitehill]

Thanks, I'm off to play badminton now (I need a break from the frustration of the wifi!) but I will certainly try that tomorrow

[whitehill]

Hi Ethel, yes we connected this laptop physically to the router yesterday, everything worked fine, no problems connecting to the internet. But once we disconnected, nothing again. We then returned the router to its factory settings, and reinstalled the AOL disk - the only improvement after that was that our network came up briefly twice on the laptop, just long enough for us to read the error messages "the capability of your network adaptor does not match the requirements of this network" and the second time "The settings saved on this computer for the network do not meet the requirements of the network"
The device manager on the laptop (which is a new one) says that the network adaptors are functionning OK. The problem for us is not knowing whether the laptop is at fault, the router or the installation disk so who should we turn to? Anyway, I'm giving up now for a few days, I'm trying not to get obsessed about this! But if I'd read all the problems with wireless networks a fortnight ago instead of a few days ago, I would never have bought a laptop. Anyway, moan over. thanks for your responses. :)

[Ethel]

My first thought with the new information is that the laptop is running vista and your router does not have the compatible drivers.

Open the router admin pages and see if you can see 'firmware upgrage' or similar.

If no joy there, contact AOL and ask if this is compatible with Vista.

[whitehill]

Hi Ethel
After brooding over the weekend and trying a couple more things this morning, I rang the Speedtouch technical help line - they were great. With their website up on screen, showing our setup, he talked me through a few minor changes but when he asked our password, or encryption key, he said immediately "that's a major part of the problem" and dictated a new one to me. Apparently with our WPA security system, you can only use certain letters of the alphabet and certain digits in the password so the one we had set up did not match what the router would allow. Anyway, we are now up and running; I was even brave enough to turn the laptop right off and wait for half an hour before trying again and it still worked! Thank you so much for your help over the past week, and for giving me your time. I thought you would be interested to hear about the encryption key, we were certainly not told about these limitations when running the set-up disk nor in the booklet provided with it, in fact the example AOL gives there would not pass the test either! Thanks again.

[Ethel]

Thanks so much for the update - and I am pleased you are now up and running.

That information is useful to know, and I have made a note. You would think that the maker would put such an important piece of information in big letters somewhere.

Anyway, a big Hurrah!