[Atomic Robot]

I recently installed a wireless setup (Belkin Wireless G Router / Belkin USB Wireless Network Adapter) and everything works fine when it is configured as an unsecured network. When I configure the router with password security on, the laptop connects without any problems, but the Media Center PC can't establish a decent connection.

Here's what I have:

SBC DSL Modem > Belkin Router > Win 98 SE PC (hard-wired)

Win XP Media Center PC > Belkin USB Wireless Network Adapter

Win XP Laptop w/Built-in Wireless Network Adapter

I tested the connection with the laptop sitting right next to the PC and the signal strength is good on both machines. Occasionally I can get a sketchy connection with the PC, but usually it won't lock in unless the router is unsecured.

Any ideas?

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Hi Atomic Robot,

When the router is secured, please do the following:

Ping your router - goto Start, Run, type CMD, press 'OK'; now type: ping Router's IP (ie: PING 192.168.1.1). Please post the results.

Also: Goto Start, Run, type CMD and press 'OK' - now type: PATHPING YAHOO.COM - please copy and paste the results by right-clicking on the Command Prompt window, selecting 'Select All', and then pressing Ctrl+C. Please post the results here.

Now, please disable the security, and perform the two above commands again (and post the results).

Thanks,
Dan.

[Dan]

Hi Atomic Robot,

When the router is secured, please do the following:

Ping your router - goto Start, Run, type CMD, press 'OK'; now type: ping Router's IP (ie: PING 192.168.1.1). Please post the results.

Also: Goto Start, Run, type CMD and press 'OK' - now type: PATHPING YAHOO.COM - please copy and paste the results by right-clicking on the Command Prompt window, selecting 'Select All', and then pressing Ctrl+C. Please post the results here.

Now, please disable the security, and perform the two above commands again (and post the results).

Thanks,
Dan.

[Atomic Robot]

Hi Dan-

Thanks for the reply. Here's the info from the DOS window...

SECURED SETTING:

Microsoft® Windows 98
©Copyright Microsoft Corp 1981-1999.

C:\WINDOWS>ping 192.168.2.1

Pinging 192.168.2.1 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.2.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.2.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.2.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.2.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=64

Ping statistics for 192.168.2.1:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

C:\WINDOWS>PATHPING YAHOO.COM
Bad command or file name

C:\WINDOWS>

UNSECURED SETTING:

Microsoft® Windows 98
©Copyright Microsoft Corp 1981-1999.

C:\WINDOWS>ping 192.168.2.1

Pinging 192.168.2.1 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.2.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.2.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.2.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.2.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=64

Ping statistics for 192.168.2.1:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 1ms, Average = 0ms

C:\WINDOWS>PATHPING YAHOO.COM
Bad command or file name

C:\WINDOWS>


Don't know if this tells you anything...

[Dan]

Hello Atomic,

Your results did show something... You're connecting to your Router fine. However, the Pathping failed because you're running Windows 98 (I apologise, I didn't read your post thoroughly enough).

However, the pathping was only relevant if the ping to your router failed.

When the router is secured, what happens when you goto Start, Run, type CMD, press 'OK', and then type:

• ipconfig /release - wait until connection is released;
• ipconfig /renew - please copy and paste the details that you recieve when you type this.

Could you please also goto Start, Run, type CMD, press 'OK' and then type: IPCONFIG /ALL - please post the results here by right-clicking on the Command Prompt window, selecting 'Select All', pressing Ctrl+C, and then posting on this forum.

For troubleshooting purposes, please ensure that you have all software firewalls disabled (temporarily).

When you have security enabled, try connecting to your Router's web console by typing 192.168.2.1 into your Internet Explorer's address bar.

What steps did you take to setup up your Router's password security? Please list all steps, including anything you did on any of the computers.

Thanks,
Dan.

Edited by Dan G, 10 January 2006 - 02:20 AM.

[Atomic Robot]

What steps did you take to setup up your Router's password security? Please list all steps, including anything you did on any of the computers.

Hi Dan-

I'm at work right now, so I can't try the ipconfig stuff right now. As far as configuring the router, Belkin uses an online tool which helps you set everything up- channel, password, security protocols, etc. It programs everything into the router then re-starts it.

In the mean time, I am having some better luck with a secure connection. I changed the channel that the router was using and am also manually re-connecting the Media Center PC network adapter software each time the machine is re-booted.

I think that this may have been my (wireless newbie) problem all along; the wireless network adapter software would pop up and show what I thought was a connection to the router. Actually this was just the broadcast signal that the router was there- sometimes it never actually made a connection. I realized this the other day when a second (neighborhood, I'm guessing) wireless link popped up along with mine. Maybe the network adapter was getting confused about what it should connect to- waiting for someone to tell it what to do.

All of this is probably pretty elementary for experienced networkers and although Belkin's setup utility is pretty easy to work through, their documentation is somewhat lacking. Anyway, I've got my fingers crossed that everything's squared away now.

Thanks again for your help with this!