Netgear ME102 connection problem

An easy one 4 you network experts, but it has left me totally
confused. so here we go - I have:

1: A desktop (Windows XP) / Asound 10/100M based ethernet card /
crossover Cat 5E cable, and a USB cable connected to Netgear ME102
Access Point. The USB cable is not the original, but a printer cable I
had available, though it seems to work.

2: A 'wandering' laptop (Windows XP) Netgear /MA521 PC Adapter.

History:
I had originally set up an ad hoc wireless network with the laptop (+
its MA521) and the desktop supporting a PCI MA311 card. This did work
but due to the building materials and the layout of the house the
connection was unstable. I therefore opted to sell my PCI card and use
my old ethernet card attached to the ME102 by a cross-over ethernet
cable.

Situation:
I can't get any of them to them to talk to each other.

The laptop is aware of the Access Point's signal and claims it is
'excellent', but I am unable to get it to 'ping' the Access Point from
the laptop. By the way the Laptop describes the connection as 'Dora'.
I did not choose the name. My previous setup was 'Any'.

The desktop is unable to communicate with the Access point, but the
green neons on both the Ethernet card and the Access Point light up.

There is a USB utility that looks at the configuration of the Access
Point. When I try to use it to alter the configuration it appears to
do so (and the green lights flashes), but when I close the USB utility
and then re-open it, the configuration showing remains unchanged.

I cannot ping the Access Point from the desktop.

So there you are. I have no reason to believe there is a problem with
the Access Point, even though It was purchased 2nd hand.

Any ideas?

Geoff

Ethernet cards and wireless cards are two different cards. With this I mean
they both have a different MAC-address and can both be separately configured
(DHCP or Static IP? etc.)

Dora can be your neighbours SSID instead of yours, however if the connection
is "Excellent", I doubt about that.

Did you change the setting from ad hoc to infrastructure?

What IP address do you try to ping from the desktop? Make sure what
IP-address the AP has and if your desktop is on DHCP and receives an IP from
the AP. If so, you should be able to ping.

Reset your AP, put everything on DHCP, reconfigure, beginning without any
security restriction.

Connect the desktop and laptop directly with the cross-cable. Are they
getting an IP addresss?



The reason will probably be something stupid, a simple setting here or
there. I'm sure you'll find it.



"Geoff W" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) m...
> An easy one 4 you network experts, but it has left me totally
> confused. so here we go - I have:
>
> 1: A desktop (Windows XP) / Asound 10/100M based ethernet card /
> crossover Cat 5E cable, and a USB cable connected to Netgear ME102
> Access Point. The USB cable is not the original, but a printer cable I
> had available, though it seems to work.
>
> 2: A 'wandering' laptop (Windows XP) Netgear /MA521 PC Adapter.
>
> History:
> I had originally set up an ad hoc wireless network with the laptop (+
> its MA521) and the desktop supporting a PCI MA311 card. This did work
> but due to the building materials and the layout of the house the
> connection was unstable. I therefore opted to sell my PCI card and use
> my old ethernet card attached to the ME102 by a cross-over ethernet
> cable.
>
> Situation:
> I can't get any of them to them to talk to each other.
>
> The laptop is aware of the Access Point's signal and claims it is
> 'excellent', but I am unable to get it to 'ping' the Access Point from
> the laptop. By the way the Laptop describes the connection as 'Dora'.
> I did not choose the name. My previous setup was 'Any'.
>
> The desktop is unable to communicate with the Access point, but the
> green neons on both the Ethernet card and the Access Point light up.
>
> There is a USB utility that looks at the configuration of the Access
> Point. When I try to use it to alter the configuration it appears to
> do so (and the green lights flashes), but when I close the USB utility
> and then re-open it, the configuration showing remains unchanged.
>
> I cannot ping the Access Point from the desktop.
>
> So there you are. I have no reason to believe there is a problem with
> the Access Point, even though It was purchased 2nd hand.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Geoff

"Geoff W" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) m...
> An easy one 4 you network experts, but it has left me totally
> confused. so here we go - I have:
>
> 1: A desktop (Windows XP) / Asound 10/100M based ethernet card /
> crossover Cat 5E cable, and a USB cable connected to Netgear ME102
> Access Point. The USB cable is not the original, but a printer cable I
> had available, though it seems to work.
>
> 2: A 'wandering' laptop (Windows XP) Netgear /MA521 PC Adapter.
>
> History:
> I had originally set up an ad hoc wireless network with the laptop (+
> its MA521) and the desktop supporting a PCI MA311 card. This did work
> but due to the building materials and the layout of the house the
> connection was unstable. I therefore opted to sell my PCI card and use
> my old ethernet card attached to the ME102 by a cross-over ethernet
> cable.
>
> Situation:
> I can't get any of them to them to talk to each other.
>
> The laptop is aware of the Access Point's signal and claims it is
> 'excellent', but I am unable to get it to 'ping' the Access Point from
> the laptop. By the way the Laptop describes the connection as 'Dora'.
> I did not choose the name. My previous setup was 'Any'.
>
> The desktop is unable to communicate with the Access point, but the
> green neons on both the Ethernet card and the Access Point light up.
>
> There is a USB utility that looks at the configuration of the Access
> Point. When I try to use it to alter the configuration it appears to
> do so (and the green lights flashes), but when I close the USB utility
> and then re-open it, the configuration showing remains unchanged.
>
> I cannot ping the Access Point from the desktop.
>
> So there you are. I have no reason to believe there is a problem with
> the Access Point, even though It was purchased 2nd hand.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Geoff

Geoff,

The main problem is that the Access Point will not act as a DHCP server. So
if your computers are set to "Obtain an IP Address Automatically," they
won't. Since you had an ad-hoc network running before, you may have set the
computers's IP addresses statically. That should work for communicating
between the computers, since you must have given them both addresses in the
same subnet to have ever gotten them working. You can't ping the Access
Point because the computers's IP addresses are probably in a different
subnet than the AP's IP address. Give all three devices static addresses in
the same subnet.

While you're using the USB configuration utility on the AP, see what SSID is
configured. Is it Dora? If not, your laptop is associating with a
neighbor's AP. Add the SSID of your own AP to XP's list of Preferred
Networks.

As for the configuration utility not saving your changes, is there a Save or
Apply button somewhere in the utility that you haven't been using?

Ron Bandes, CCNP, CTT+, etc.

Hooray! We have partial success. The laptop on the wireless end of
the network can ping the Access Point and get a reply. We have
lift-off!

Now how do I get the desktop, connected via the Ethernet card to talk
to the Access Point ? and even better the laptop?

I have upgraded the USB Manager and now seem able to amend the setting
on the AP. The current setting are:

Desktop
Physical address: 00-02-44-18-DF-73
IP Address 192.168.0.1
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.000

Access Point
MAC Address: 00-00-BB-CC-0D
IP Address 192.168.0.2
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
DHCP Enables ? primary port Ethernet
WEP Key disabled
No passwords set

Laptop:
IP Address: 192.168.0.3
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0

come folks, ease me home <grin> and thanks for the advice so far.

Geoff

Try to eliminate the USB part. Connect directly to the AP with an athernet
cable (no cross-cable!)

If the IP addresses are given by the AP and you can ping, you should be able
to connect wireless via "My network places' properties, wireless network
connection"


"Geoff W" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> Hooray! We have partial success. The laptop on the wireless end of
> the network can ping the Access Point and get a reply. We have
> lift-off!
>
> Now how do I get the desktop, connected via the Ethernet card to talk
> to the Access Point ? and even better the laptop?
>
> I have upgraded the USB Manager and now seem able to amend the setting
> on the AP. The current setting are:
>
> Desktop
> Physical address: 00-02-44-18-DF-73
> IP Address 192.168.0.1
> Subnet Mask 255.255.255.000
>
> Access Point
> MAC Address: 00-00-BB-CC-0D
> IP Address 192.168.0.2
> Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
> DHCP Enables ? primary port Ethernet
> WEP Key disabled
> No passwords set
>
> Laptop:
> IP Address: 192.168.0.3
> Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
>
> come folks, ease me home <grin> and thanks for the advice so far.
>
> Geoff

I've had one more possiblity pointed out to me, and that is the
Netgear Support Link below:
http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/N100591-96.asp
That suggests the ethernet connection to the AP will only work at
10mbps. though I have a 10/100m lan card, the Network Connection
property box tells me it is running at 100mbps.

Now how does wone control the speed of a network card?

Geoff
> Geoff,
>
> The main problem is that the Access Point will not act as a DHCP server. So
> if your computers are set to "Obtain an IP Address Automatically," they
> won't. Since you had an ad-hoc network running before, you may have set the
> computers's IP addresses statically. That should work for communicating
> between the computers, since you must have given them both addresses in the
> same subnet to have ever gotten them working. You can't ping the Access
> Point because the computers's IP addresses are probably in a different
> subnet than the AP's IP address. Give all three devices static addresses in
> the same subnet.
>
> While you're using the USB configuration utility on the AP, see what SSID is
> configured. Is it Dora? If not, your laptop is associating with a
> neighbor's AP. Add the SSID of your own AP to XP's list of Preferred
> Networks.
>
> As for the configuration utility not saving your changes, is there a Save or
> Apply button somewhere in the utility that you haven't been using?
>
> Ron Bandes, CCNP, CTT+, etc.

"Willhe" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<40d59680$0$8395$(E-Mail Removed)>...
> Try to eliminate the USB part. Connect directly to the AP with an athernet
> cable (no cross-cable!)
>
> If the IP addresses are given by the AP and you can ping, you should be able
> to connect wireless via "My network places' properties, wireless network
> connection"

Unfortunately a 'Straight' connection will not work with the ME102.

Geoff