Strange: Works, doesn't works, then works

Hello All

This is so odd that I'm hoping the problem has to be obvious.

I have a friend with a new Gateway laptop with "g" wireless and NIC cards.

She just got a Linksys WRT54G. The NIC works fine, but we could NOT set up
the wireless using either the Linksys CD wizard or the Windows wireless
setup. We WERE able to get the wireless going by switching over to the NIC
card, visiting the Linksys web site and running that Easy Connect program.
Then the wireless works great ... UNTIL we shut down the computer. Then, the
only way to get it going again is to go back to the web site and run Easy
Connect again (actually, I think it shows an "excellent" connection between
the laptop and router but no Internet connection until we run Easy Connect.)
We've done this several times. Obviously, it's a real pain having to run
Easy Connect every time we want to go wireless.

This is very strange .. that it keeps becoming non-functional when we
restart that the Linksys CD can't get it going while the Easy Connect
program can.. Anyone have an idea what gets lost or messed up when we
restart the machine. (Yes, we are starting the wireless card. The laptop
wireless light is lit).

Thanks for any thoughts.


--
Regards,
Anthony Giorgianni

LinkSys has an online automated site that will set up and configure your
Wireless router.
I had to use it with my new WRT54GTX and then it worked just fine.

www.linksys.com/connect
click on net set assistant

Hope this helps you with getting it set up and working.

William Lee


"Anthony Giorgianni" <(E-Mail Removed) >
wrote in message
news:emUie.227830$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello All
>
> This is so odd that I'm hoping the problem has to be obvious.
>
> I have a friend with a new Gateway laptop with "g" wireless and NIC cards.
>
> She just got a Linksys WRT54G. The NIC works fine, but we could NOT set up
> the wireless using either the Linksys CD wizard or the Windows wireless
> setup. We WERE able to get the wireless going by switching over to the NIC
> card, visiting the Linksys web site and running that Easy Connect program.
> Then the wireless works great ... UNTIL we shut down the computer. Then,
> the
> only way to get it going again is to go back to the web site and run Easy
> Connect again (actually, I think it shows an "excellent" connection
> between
> the laptop and router but no Internet connection until we run Easy
> Connect.)
> We've done this several times. Obviously, it's a real pain having to run
> Easy Connect every time we want to go wireless.
>
> This is very strange .. that it keeps becoming non-functional when we
> restart that the Linksys CD can't get it going while the Easy Connect
> program can.. Anyone have an idea what gets lost or messed up when we
> restart the machine. (Yes, we are starting the wireless card. The laptop
> wireless light is lit).
>
> Thanks for any thoughts.
>
>
> --
> Regards,
> Anthony Giorgianni
>
>
>

Thanks for the reply.

That's the problem. We go to the site. IT configures the machine, and
everything works until we reboot. Unless we can fix this, my friend's only
option is to plug in the NIC card and go back to that site and reconfigure
the machine every day. That seems a bit extreme.


--
Regards,
Anthony Giorgianni

The return address for this post is fictitious. Please reply by posting back
to the newsgroup.
"Will-Lee-Cue" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:fy0je.105692$(E-Mail Removed)...
> LinkSys has an online automated site that will set up and configure your
> Wireless router.
> I had to use it with my new WRT54GTX and then it worked just fine.
>
> www.linksys.com/connect
> click on net set assistant
>
> Hope this helps you with getting it set up and working.
>
> William Lee
>
>
> "Anthony Giorgianni" <(E-Mail Removed) >
> wrote in message
> news:emUie.227830$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Hello All
> >
> > This is so odd that I'm hoping the problem has to be obvious.
> >
> > I have a friend with a new Gateway laptop with "g" wireless and NIC
cards.
> >
> > She just got a Linksys WRT54G. The NIC works fine, but we could NOT set
up
> > the wireless using either the Linksys CD wizard or the Windows wireless
> > setup. We WERE able to get the wireless going by switching over to the
NIC
> > card, visiting the Linksys web site and running that Easy Connect
program.
> > Then the wireless works great ... UNTIL we shut down the computer. Then,
> > the
> > only way to get it going again is to go back to the web site and run
Easy
> > Connect again (actually, I think it shows an "excellent" connection
> > between
> > the laptop and router but no Internet connection until we run Easy
> > Connect.)
> > We've done this several times. Obviously, it's a real pain having to run
> > Easy Connect every time we want to go wireless.
> >
> > This is very strange .. that it keeps becoming non-functional when we
> > restart that the Linksys CD can't get it going while the Easy Connect
> > program can.. Anyone have an idea what gets lost or messed up when we
> > restart the machine. (Yes, we are starting the wireless card. The laptop
> > wireless light is lit).
> >
> > Thanks for any thoughts.
> >
> >
> > --
> > Regards,
> > Anthony Giorgianni
> >
> >
> >
>
>

On Thu, 19 May 2005 14:14:24 GMT, in alt.internet.wireless , "Anthony
Giorgianni" <(E-Mail Removed) > wrote:

>Thanks for the reply.
>
>That's the problem. We go to the site. IT configures the machine, and
>everything works until we reboot. Unless we can fix this, my friend's only
>option is to plug in the NIC card and go back to that site and reconfigure
>the machine every day. That seems a bit extreme.

you /are/ doing obvious things, like logging off the website, saving
your config, logging off the Pc rather than powering down etc ? You
/do/ have local admin rights on the PC? It sounds like for some
reason the config isn't being saved.

--
Mark McIntyre
CLC FAQ <http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/C-faq/top.html>
CLC readme: <http://www.ungerhu.com/jxh/clc.welcome.txt>

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On Thu, 19 May 2005 04:11:54 GMT, "Anthony Giorgianni"
<(E-Mail Removed) > wrote:

>This is so odd that I'm hoping the problem has to be obvious.

Assumption, the mother of all screwups. See below:

>I have a friend with a new Gateway laptop with "g" wireless and NIC cards.

Which model Gateway, which operating system, what model Linksys NIC
card? Be sure to include the hardware version number on the NIC card.
I'll assume it's one of the Linksys PCMCIA cards, but from your
description, the wireless could be a MiniPCI card inside the Gateway.
The Linksys config programs won't work with a non-Linksys client card.

>She just got a Linksys WRT54G. The NIC works fine, but we could NOT set up
>the wireless using either the Linksys CD wizard or the Windows wireless
>setup.

Are you setting up the WRT54G (version what?) router or are you
setting up the client in the laptop? I'll assume v3.0 as it's the
latest hardware mutation of the WRT54G.

>We WERE able to get the wireless going by switching over to the NIC
>card, visiting the Linksys web site and running that Easy Connect program.

Ok. Easy Connect will work with the WRT54G but will do nothing for
the client adapter.

>Then the wireless works great ... UNTIL we shut down the computer.

Are you by chance also shutting down the router?

>Then, the
>only way to get it going again is to go back to the web site and run Easy
>Connect again (actually, I think it shows an "excellent" connection between
>the laptop and router but no Internet connection until we run Easy Connect.)
>We've done this several times. Obviously, it's a real pain having to run
>Easy Connect every time we want to go wireless.

Divide and conquer. Connect a wired CAT5 LAN cable between the laptop
and the WRT54G. Never mind wireless for now. Go to:
http://192.168.1.1/
Setup the router the way you want. Save your settings on each page.
Power cycle the router, reconnect, and make sure your settings are
saved. Go no further until you're sure that you have saved your
settings. (There are some issues with flushing the browser cache that
may create problems. Please advise if you apparently cannot save your
settings).

Next, pull the plug on the ethernet cable and try the wireless. I
have no clue what wireless client your unspecified Gateway model is
using. If it's Linksys, they provide a suitable setup utility. If
it's built into the Gateway, there should be instructions and software
for that. If the laptop is running XP SP2, then you can also use
"Wireless Zero Config" to setup the wireless client. Any or all will
work.

>This is very strange .. that it keeps becoming non-functional when we
>restart that the Linksys CD can't get it going while the Easy Connect
>program can.. Anyone have an idea what gets lost or messed up when we
>restart the machine. (Yes, we are starting the wireless card. The laptop
>wireless light is lit).
>
>Thanks for any thoughts.

Hint: Please avoid using the word "it" unless you are sure the reader
can deduce what "it" is.


--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 AE6KS 831-336-2558

Thanks Jeff and everyone.

Jeff, I'll try to answer your questions as best as possible. 1) I am not at
my friend's house right now and won't be again until Sunday. So I can't see
the computer. 2) Still being on dialup, I am not an expert on NIC or
wireless

First, we in fact MAY HAVE shut down the router. We were moving a lot of
cords around. Does that mess up stuff? Should she leave the router and cable
modem on even when the laptop is off? We were restarting the machine a lot.

It IS internal PCI NIC and wireless cards - not PCMCIA. I won't be able to
check the brands until I return to my friend's house Sunday.)

She has Win XP personal edition. I'm pretty sure it IS SP2, but I'm not 100
percent. The computer did ask us if we wanted Windows to set up the wireless
connection. IT tried, but then came back saying it could not successfully
set it up and advised us to use the CD that came with the router instead. We
just got the laptop new off the shelf. I forget the Gateway model number. I
think it was retail model - 7320GZ. It is identical to the 7326GZ except for
a slightly slower Pent IV.

How can I tell which version of the WRT54G she has? Again, I'll have to wait
until I go back to check.

I will have to try the procedure you recommended - going to 192.168.1.1. to
set up the router - on Sunday and will report back (unless I can have her
try doing it over the phone with me.) By CAT5 LAN cable, I assume to mean a
standard Ethernet cable?

By the way, she went to the Linksys Net Set assistant today, as William Lee
suggested. (It looks as if it is the same thing as Easy Connect.) As before,
it did reestablish the wireless connection, which is now working. We'll know
when she restarts the computer whether things have been corrected. We'll
make sure we don't shut off either the Router or the cable modem.. Another
friend, who has a computer networking business, thinks the computer is
somehow defaulting to the NIC card when it starts (even though the card is
not plugged into anything) and is not recognizing when the wireless card is
turned on (using FN-F2.) She find it interesting that the laptop shows the
connection from the wireless card to the router is "Excellent" but that it
shows there is no Internet connection. She's out of state, but also suggests
going to 192.168.1.1 to set up the modem. So we'll try it.

Thanks again Jeff and everyone. (Can't this stuff be simple?)


--
Regards,
Anthony Giorgianni

The return address for this post is fictitious. Please reply by posting back
to the newsgroup.
2558

Hello All

Well, we tried going to the router setup page through IE. We have no idea
what to write in any of those boxes. The Gateway laptop has a primer on
setting up a Links wireless router, but the info that it shows on the router
setup page in IE is different from what is actually there. And there is too
much on password names, user names, host names, IP addresses - just a lot of
junk that regular users should not have to deal with.

Given all this, my friend has decided to give up on this wireless stuff and
simply use the NIC card and cable until they get the technology worked out.
Everyone we talk to has had trouble setting up this wireless stuff -- and
they all have the Linksys brand. We've just concluded that the technology is
so in its infancy that it is way too problematic and requires too much user
involvement. The idea that the computer can work on wireless one day and not
the next makes no sense. We'll return the router and just stick with the NIC
and cable until wireless proves itself. My friend doesn't plan to move her
laptop around her apartment much anyway.

As for me, I'm just sticking with dialup!

Thank you all anyway!


--
Regards,
Anthony Giorgianni

The return address for this post is fictitious. Please reply by posting back
to the newsgroup.

I think you have WinXP Wireless Zero config taking over on startup from your
Linksys adapter software. You have to disable either Win Zero or Linksys
utility.
Regards,
Martin

On Thu, 19 May 2005 19:01:31 GMT, "Anthony Giorgianni"
<(E-Mail Removed) > wrote:

>First, we in fact MAY HAVE shut down the router. We were moving a lot of
>cords around. Does that mess up stuff?

Power cycling the router is not a problem if you've saved the
settings.

>Should she leave the router and cable
>modem on even when the laptop is off?

Leave everything on.

Thanks for disclosing that it's a cable modem. Now, All I have to do
is pry out of you the cable modem ISP so I can guess the
configuration. Most cable ISP's have a simple setup. Just set the
WAN (wide area network) settings to DHCP. If the "status" page shows
that you have real live genuine routeable IP addresses on the WAN
port, it's working.

>It IS internal PCI NIC and wireless cards - not PCMCIA. I won't be able to
>check the brands until I return to my friend's house Sunday.)

OK. That means you were using the Linksys setup thing to setup the
router, not the client. Don't bother. Just go to:
http://192.168.1.1
and do it manually. Literally EVERYTHING you need to do to get an
initial connection is on the first page. Again, do it with a LAN
cable, not via wireless.

>She has Win XP personal edition. I'm pretty sure it IS SP2, but I'm not 100
>percent.

If it's a fairly recent purchase laptop, it probably has SP2.

>The computer did ask us if we wanted Windows to set up the wireless
>connection. IT tried, but then came back saying it could not successfully
>set it up and advised us to use the CD that came with the router instead.

It's part of the standard starup ritual. It the laptop hears a
wireless device, it will try to setup the connection. If you just
reset the Linksys WRT54G to defaults, and setup the wireless to
connect to the WRT54G, it will probably connect. However, until you
do the WAN (cable modem) setup, you won't be on the internet.

>We
>just got the laptop new off the shelf. I forget the Gateway model number. I
>think it was retail model - 7320GZ. It is identical to the 7326GZ except for
>a slightly slower Pent IV.

Yawn. This one?
http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/...Z/4430nv.shtml

>How can I tell which version of the WRT54G she has?

Flip the router over and look at the serial number label. It will be
after the model number. It's either 1.0, 1.1, 2.2 or v3.0.

>By CAT5 LAN cable, I assume to mean a
>standard Ethernet cable?

Yep. CAT5 with RJ45 connectors also known as an ethernet cable.
Get the router connected to the internet first, then tinker with the
wireless.

>Another
>friend, who has a computer networking business, thinks the computer is
>somehow defaulting to the NIC card when it starts (even though the card is
>not plugged into anything) and is not recognizing when the wireless card is
>turned on (using FN-F2.)

Nope. XP SP2 will autoswitch between active connections. If you're
not connected via wireless, you'll be connected via ethernet. Run:
Start -> Run -> cmd
ipconfig
If your machine has an IP address of 192.168.1.100 (or something like
that), you have a connection (whether via wired or wireless). If it's
169.254.xxx.xxx, you don't.

>(Can't this stuff be simple?)

No. If it were easy, it would be no fun.


--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Thu, 19 May 2005 23:32:01 GMT, "Anthony Giorgianni"
<(E-Mail Removed) > wrote:

>Well, we tried going to the router setup page through IE. We have no idea
>what to write in any of those boxes.

Have you successfully connected to the internet via the cable modem?
If not, spend your time working on that problem.

As for not having a clue as to the buzzwords, see:
http://www.linksys.com/edu/
or use the help button on each page. You should only be concerned
with the first page at this time.

>The Gateway laptop has a primer on
>setting up a Links wireless router,

I'll try again. Stay away from the wireless until you have a wired
connection to the router and a functional connection to the internet
via the cable modem.

>Given all this, my friend has decided to give up on this wireless stuff and
>simply use the NIC card and cable until they get the technology worked out.

Good idea.

>Everyone we talk to has had trouble setting up this wireless stuff -- and
>they all have the Linksys brand. We've just concluded that the technology is
>so in its infancy that it is way too problematic and requires too much user
>involvement. The idea that the computer can work on wireless one day and not
>the next makes no sense. We'll return the router and just stick with the NIC
>and cable until wireless proves itself. My friend doesn't plan to move her
>laptop around her apartment much anyway.

Sigh. Linksys ships about 10,000 assorted wireless devices per month.
If wireless were so horrible, sales would be much lower. Just go to
the wireless page and disable the wireless. Now, you have an ordinary
ethernet router. I don't think you'll find any of the other routers,
with or without wireless, very much easier to setup.

>As for me, I'm just sticking with dialup!

Too complex. Perhaps carrier pigeon would be more conservative.

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 AE6KS 831-336-2558