"Limited or no connectivity" - wireless

[kilkerr1]

Hi all. This is driving me to drink. I have had a wireless home network for about a year now, with no problem, am using a Belkin modem/router plugged into desktop PC (Win XP SP2) and one laptop. My laptop could always connect perfectly, but died 2 weeks ago. So I bought a new one, all set up for wireless. On setting the laptop up for my old wireless network, it 'finds' about 5 unsecured wireless networks - neighbours, etc. - and mine, which is secured (WEP). Fine. So I get it to connect to mine, which is does, but says "Limited or no connectivity" and I can't get on the Web. I have tried using the 'repair' feature, but it says it can't complete it because it is unable to assign an IP. I have tried connecting to various of the neighbours' unsecure networks (just to test, see if network card etc. functioning OK), and this works fine, I can get on the web with these other networks. It's only my network which doesn't work. Nothing has changed with my router for the past 2 weeks since my old laptop bit the dust. I have tried the XP bug fix, the registry fix, etc. as posted in the sticky FAQ on this forum, but this doesn't work. I have turned off power to everything - laptop, PC, router, kitchen sink - and rebooted many times, no luck. I also had a go setting a static IP address on the laptop, but this didn't work either (not actually positive I did it right anyway..! But something changed, as in a little balloon appeared in my icon tray saying I was now connected to the network...but still no Web access). Oh, and I also tried using ipconfig refresh/renew, which also didn't work (tho' it also told me I hadn't typed it right, so I'm not sure what I did there). If anyone can help me I'd be most grateful, I'm really beginning to lose it now. Many thanks, K

 

[tazuk]

Did you setup MAC authentication on your router?
If so you will need to replace the MAC of your old laptop with that of your new one.

HTH



TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[kilkerr1]

Thanks for your reply tazuk. Um, no, I didn't set up MAC authentication. And I've no idea how I would go about doing it..! Can you tell me how to go about it, please?

 

[tazuk]

I wouldn't worry about MAC authentication until you've been able to connect your new laptop successfully - it's one of the security features that I always setup last. Just mentioned it now as it's one of my d'oh catches.

Can you provide model information for your router and laptop please so we can look to resolve your connection problem.

TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[kilkerr1]

Hi tazuk. The laptop is a Toshiba Satellite M40-313, and the router is a Belkin ADSL modem with high-speed wireless G router, model number F5D7633-4. It worked perfectly well with my previous laptop.

The laptop has connected to various other unsecured wireless networks around the place (neighbours). I tried earlier using a wireless network configuration programme bundled in with my new laptop called Atheron client utility and turned off the Windows wireless network configuration utility, and it connected automatically to a ‘default’ network…which is not mine as I've turned the router off..!

Thanks for any help you can give.

 

[tazuk]

Thanks for the info kilkerr1.

Under the gun a bit at work today but I'll start digging around in 4 hours or so when I get back home. Will post back later.

TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[kilkerr1]

You're a star, thanks.

 

[tazuk]

Ok..kilkerr1

<disclaimer>
I make no claims to be an expert on wireless networking. These are merely the tests I would try if I was having this problem.
</disclaimer>

I've found info on your router but am struggling to find manuals etc for your laptop model - I'm assuming it runs a standard Intel 2200BG chip for the moment.

Can you please try the following (apologies if you already have):
1. Open a command window (Start-Run-cmd-Enter)

2. enter the following command: ipconfig /all
and check the IP address reported by your wireless connection - I would expect something like 169.xxx.xxx.xxx if the router is not assigning an IP address correctly, 192.xxx.xxx.xxx if assigning correctly.

3. If not correctly assigned, then try entering the following command: ipconfig /renew.
Check the IP address again using the ipconfig /all command.

Assuming that the IP address is not assigning correctly, the next step I would take is connecting the laptop to the router using a CAT5 cable (assuming you have one to hand) and then doing the following:

NB: If an IP address is not correctly assigned to the latop when hard-wired to the router, then you may have an issue with your DHCP server on the router.

4. Login to the router using the web interface, I believe that \\192.168.2.1 is the default location for the interface.

5. Check that MAC Authentication is not enabled - I think your router refers to it as MAC Address Filtering in the menu. If it is enabled, you should be able to enter the MAC address of your laptop wireless as reported by the ipconfig /all command - this should resolve the issue.

6. If MAC Authentication is not enabled, then try switching the WEP encryption off (only temporarily mind!) and then try setting the laptop wireless connection up again. If this resolves the problem then it will most probably be related to the encryption key. (I would recommend NOT leaving encryption switched off obviously)

Hopefully this all makes some kind of sense - let me know if it doesn't. Please post back with how you got on with all this. Hopefully we'll be able to get you up and running, then we'll look at fully securing your connection.

HTH

TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[kilkerr1]

tazuk this is superb, many thanks. Right, the IP address returned did indeed start with 169, so I tried the renew and an error message appeared: "An error occurred while renewing interface Wireless Network Connection : unable to contact your DHCP server. Request has timed out."

I've now connected the laptop directly to the router to see what I can see. Which isn't much: IP is still 169...I've tried logging into the router via web interface, but it can't seem to find it: "Windows cannot find '\\192.168.2.1'."

Um...er...

 

[tazuk]

OK thanks for posting back.

So the router isn't assigning a proper IP address (in the range 192.xxx.xxx.xxx) to the laptop when connected by CAT5 cable? Ouch..

At this point I'd suggest printing a copy of the quick setup / installation manual for your router, the necessary settings for your ADSL connection from your ISP (I'm on cable so I don't have much experience with ADSL) and hard-resetting the router. IMHO it's often easier to setup from scratch in situations like this.

Unless any other Tek-Tippers would like to jump in at this point?

HTH

TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[kilkerr1]

Ouch indeed. I can't actually log into the router via the usual web interface either - would that indicate summat wrong with the router..? It's all plugged into the power socket (!) and its little lights are all on where they're meant to be. By the way, I set a static IP address on my laprop again, and the thing now says that I am connected with an 'excellent' signal strength, but when I open the web browser it can't connect.

Anyway, I shall try resetting the router - is this best done by unplugging it and leaving it off for a while..? Sorry, to sound like such a div...

 

[tazuk]

No problem.

There should be a reset procedure detailed in the manual - usually involving a recessed button somewhere on the router itself. Simply powering it off will not reset it to the factory defaults.

TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[kilkerr1]

Yup, have reset button will travel. Will do that and report back...

 

[kilkerr1]

Riiight. I reset the router fine and was then able to log in to the router web interface thing - the router is plugged into my desktop PC, by the way, that's the way my network is set up, and I was always able to access the Web on my desktop. Anyway, did reset of router - obviously after the reset no web access. Fine. I put in all my ISP details, and the router rebooted, everything OK, web access back on. But I can't get back into the router web interface now that web access is up and running again. I don't know whether that tells you anything..? Seems a bizarre thing to me.

 

[kilkerr1]

Gordon Bennett. For some reason my browser was set up to use proxy. I've disabled proxies and can now connect to the router setup thing via web interface on my desktop PC. So that's made me happy, though I don't know what different it'll make to anything else...will update soon, thanks for all your patient help.

 

[kilkerr1]

Flaming Nora - my laptop has now connected perfectly! What happened??!! My network is now unsecured (briefly), so I wonder if this has anything to do with it..?

Anyway, I've totally forgotten how to secure the thing now so any pointers for that would be superb. Thanks!

 

[kilkerr1]

Hi tazuk. I seem to have sorted it all out. I reset the router, but it seems to be something to do with the proxy being set up, dunno how that happened, or really what it had to do with anything, but I'm (obviously) not a networking expert). I've added 128-bit WEP security on the router and bish bash bosh all seems to be well. Again, thanks for your support and advice. 'Ave a good day!

 

[dput]

Proxy is usually a device in a network that web traffic flows through. Many times it includes caching of the more often used websites to reduce the traffic to the Internet. Your home network would not include a proxy. By having that set, IE was looking for the proxy server, could not find it, and did not know how to direct your web traffic. I see this problem with laptop computers that connect up to corporate networks and home networks.

Dan

 

[tazuk]

Great to hear you've got it sorted - was out at lunch so didn't post earlier lol.
Happy surfing

TazUk

Blue-screening PCs since 1998

 

[wayne2056]

I was also experiencing this same problem with our wireless laptop. I was getting the limited access message suddenly after a year of working fine. Well, to make this long story short, Avast had removed lspsc.dll which is part of Cybersitter which we used. When this happened I could no longer get an IP from the router. Not knowing Avast did this I tried the reg fixes and other TCP/IP renew and it would work partially. I could access my network but not the internet. The I discovered in another forum here thread608-439731 a reference to Cybersitter. I deleted Cybersitter and all is well again. I worked on this for two days and was about to wipe the hard drive and start over. Thanks Tek-Tips!