Wireless networking

Am trying to set up a friend's older laptop with wireless networking. It
came with 2000 installed but someone at Circuit City talked her into buying
XP upgrade and also a Netgear kit with router and adapter card. The upgrade
did not work properly because of older hardware; she did not need the kit
because her ISP DSL already provided a Westell 327W router which does the
wireless routing. I formatted the drive and installed W98SE (not having
anything else to offer). Also installed Linksys sw to try to use a WirelessG
adapter just to see if can get it all working.

I'm getting a 'connected to access point' but 'not finding internet'. Will
this solution work? Are there W98SE specific settings I need to tweak in the
Networking function, Control Panel?

Advice??

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 07:42:02 -0700, Wendy
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I'm getting a 'connected to access point' but 'not finding internet'. Will
>this solution work? Are there W98SE specific settings I need to tweak in the
>Networking function, Control Panel?

Win98 doesn't have the built in wireless support that xp has. You must
install third party software from the manufacturer of whichever
network card you are using.

Start off by disabling encryption and mac filtering on the router
until your connection is working properly and then encrypt the
connection using the strongest available to the win98. Sadly, that is
likely to be wep only but will depend on your card manufacturer.

After the wireless is working, the network settings you make on the
computer will be the same as if it is wired.


Jim.

I'm using the sw which came with Linksys G adapter... not anything which is
part of W98SE. And I set it for WEP. Never was asked about encryption nor
MAC filters, so I don't think those are in place. I have gone back through
the profile for wireless on that laptop via the Linksys sw and can't see
anything "odd", but I'm not a network guru, either. Anything else I can
look at? I use this same adapter with my own laptop, but it runs XP
Home........... so that's different.

Thanks for your help

"James Egan" wrote:

>
> On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 07:42:02 -0700, Wendy
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> >I'm getting a 'connected to access point' but 'not finding internet'. Will
> >this solution work? Are there W98SE specific settings I need to tweak in the
> >Networking function, Control Panel?
>
> Win98 doesn't have the built in wireless support that xp has. You must
> install third party software from the manufacturer of whichever
> network card you are using.
>
> Start off by disabling encryption and mac filtering on the router
> until your connection is working properly and then encrypt the
> connection using the strongest available to the win98. Sadly, that is
> likely to be wep only but will depend on your card manufacturer.
>
> After the wireless is working, the network settings you make on the
> computer will be the same as if it is wired.
>
>
> Jim.
>
>

If the laptop has a ethernet network card check the properties to make sure
there isn't any IP information in there. I struggled with my sons win98
desktop getting it to connect to the internet ( also connecting via wireless
and the adapter found the Access Point with no problem) anyway in
frustration I checked the ethernet and found it had some IP info. and
clicked on obtain IP automatically to clear the IP settings and voila I had
internet. For some reason IE was trying to use the Ethernet card to connect.
I don't know why anything was in the Network cards configuration but there
was and that was my problem. Just a thought.
"Wendy" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:00A75D0D-1035-4B6A-862A-(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm using the sw which came with Linksys G adapter... not anything which
> is
> part of W98SE. And I set it for WEP. Never was asked about encryption
> nor
> MAC filters, so I don't think those are in place. I have gone back
> through
> the profile for wireless on that laptop via the Linksys sw and can't see
> anything "odd", but I'm not a network guru, either. Anything else I can
> look at? I use this same adapter with my own laptop, but it runs XP
> Home........... so that's different.
>
> Thanks for your help
>
> "James Egan" wrote:
>
>>
>> On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 07:42:02 -0700, Wendy
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>> >I'm getting a 'connected to access point' but 'not finding internet'.
>> >Will
>> >this solution work? Are there W98SE specific settings I need to tweak
>> >in the
>> >Networking function, Control Panel?
>>
>> Win98 doesn't have the built in wireless support that xp has. You must
>> install third party software from the manufacturer of whichever
>> network card you are using.
>>
>> Start off by disabling encryption and mac filtering on the router
>> until your connection is working properly and then encrypt the
>> connection using the strongest available to the win98. Sadly, that is
>> likely to be wep only but will depend on your card manufacturer.
>>
>> After the wireless is working, the network settings you make on the
>> computer will be the same as if it is wired.
>>
>>
>> Jim.
>>
>>

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:46:02 -0700, Wendy
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I'm using the sw which came with Linksys G adapter... not anything which is
>part of W98SE. And I set it for WEP. Never was asked about encryption nor
>MAC filters, so I don't think those are in place. I have gone back through
>the profile for wireless on that laptop via the Linksys sw and can't see
>anything "odd", but I'm not a network guru, either. Anything else I can
>look at? I use this same adapter with my own laptop, but it runs XP
>Home........... so that's different.
>

If you have connected the wireless bit okay (ie. same wep passphrase
on the router and laptop, and the router is configured to allow
connections from the mac address of the laptop) then you should be
able to ping the ip address of the router from the laptop. Does that
work? If so, the problem isn't with the wireless settings.

What does the routing table of the laptop say? That might shed some
light.
ie from a command prompt type "route print > c:\temp.txt" and post the
contents of temp.txt here.

Like the other poster said, if there is another network card on this
machine, that could cause problems and it needs to be disabled.


Jim.

Am away for the weekend and don't have this laptop with me. It's a newly
formatted, older Compaq, and does not have any PCMCIA cards in it. However,
I'll take a look at the table you suggested to see if there is something
there somehow. This hookup with my Linksys adapter is the first attempt to
get it onto wireless internet.

"James Egan" wrote:

>
> On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:46:02 -0700, Wendy
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> >I'm using the sw which came with Linksys G adapter... not anything which is
> >part of W98SE. And I set it for WEP. Never was asked about encryption nor
> >MAC filters, so I don't think those are in place. I have gone back through
> >the profile for wireless on that laptop via the Linksys sw and can't see
> >anything "odd", but I'm not a network guru, either. Anything else I can
> >look at? I use this same adapter with my own laptop, but it runs XP
> >Home........... so that's different.
> >
>
> If you have connected the wireless bit okay (ie. same wep passphrase
> on the router and laptop, and the router is configured to allow
> connections from the mac address of the laptop) then you should be
> able to ping the ip address of the router from the laptop. Does that
> work? If so, the problem isn't with the wireless settings.
>
> What does the routing table of the laptop say? That might shed some
> light.
> ie from a command prompt type "route print > c:\temp.txt" and post the
> contents of temp.txt here.
>
> Like the other poster said, if there is another network card on this
> machine, that could cause problems and it needs to be disabled.
>
>
> Jim.
>
>

Westell router is 192.168.1.1 ... or at least that's the IP I use to get to
the control functions of the router itself, e.g., the security configurators

route print to temp.txt yielded:

Active Routes:

Network Addr Netmask Gateway Addr
Interface Metric
127.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 127.0.0.1
127.0.0.1 1
169.254.0.0 255.255.0.0 169.254.62.193
same 1
169.254.62.193 255.255.255.255 127.0.0.1
same 1
169.254.254.255 255.255.255.255 169.254.62.193 same
1
244.0.0.0 244.0.0.0 169.254.62.193
same 1
255.022.255.255 255.255.255.255 169.254.62.193
0.0.0.0 1

So, what does this tell us??? there is no other network adapter.
Control Panel, Device mgr shows:

Dialup Adapter
Dialup Adapter #2 MPN Support
Linksys Wireless (that's what I'm trying to get to work.... or any wireless
adapter)
Microsoft VPN
SMC ICC (infrared controller)

If I look at the Linksys properties......shows all is working properly. I
know Windows is sometimes flaky.........


??


"James Egan" wrote:

>
> On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:46:02 -0700, Wendy
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> >I'm using the sw which came with Linksys G adapter... not anything which is
> >part of W98SE. And I set it for WEP. Never was asked about encryption nor
> >MAC filters, so I don't think those are in place. I have gone back through
> >the profile for wireless on that laptop via the Linksys sw and can't see
> >anything "odd", but I'm not a network guru, either. Anything else I can
> >look at? I use this same adapter with my own laptop, but it runs XP
> >Home........... so that's different.
> >
>
> If you have connected the wireless bit okay (ie. same wep passphrase
> on the router and laptop, and the router is configured to allow
> connections from the mac address of the laptop) then you should be
> able to ping the ip address of the router from the laptop. Does that
> work? If so, the problem isn't with the wireless settings.
>
> What does the routing table of the laptop say? That might shed some
> light.
> ie from a command prompt type "route print > c:\temp.txt" and post the
> contents of temp.txt here.
>
> Like the other poster said, if there is another network card on this
> machine, that could cause problems and it needs to be disabled.
>
>
> Jim.
>
>

On Sun, 1 Jul 2007 13:38:03 -0700, Wendy
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>So, what does this tell us???

It tells us that your ip address is 169.254.62.193

This is an automatic private ip address which your computer will give
itself when it fails to connect with the router to get an ip address
by dhcp.

It basically means your computer is not on the same network as your
router and it won't be until you get the wireless side of things
working.

You need to look at the router's wireless configuration and use the
same settings on the laptop. Ensure also that the router is not
configured to block connections based on MAC addresses.

Once you think you have this set correctly, reboot the laptop and see
if it is receiving an ip address from the router. you can do this by
typing winipcfg or ipconfig to see if your address is 192.168.1.x

If it's still 169.254.x.x then you have to go back a step and try
different settings and reboot (again).


Jim.

Frustrating. I know it's hard to help someone when you can't have actual
eyes and hands on the computer to see what's really going on.

I checked everything. The Westell router is in basement of our 2story
house. The computer I'm on right now connects through the same Linksys-G
wireless adapter which I have brought home from our office to try to get
wireless networking operational on my friend's older laptop. I have been
through all of the settings. MAC filtering was never turned on.

The laptop IS seeing our home network, I can select the network by name and
then get prompted to enter the pass key, but then it is still getting
"connected to Access point, but can't find the internet"...... yet I'm
sitting 5' away and connect just fine.

I have checked channels (6), WEP, enabled in the right places, disabled in
matching places.

any other ideas??

"James Egan" wrote:

>
> On Sun, 1 Jul 2007 13:38:03 -0700, Wendy
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> >So, what does this tell us???
>
> It tells us that your ip address is 169.254.62.193
>
> This is an automatic private ip address which your computer will give
> itself when it fails to connect with the router to get an ip address
> by dhcp.
>
> It basically means your computer is not on the same network as your
> router and it won't be until you get the wireless side of things
> working.
>
> You need to look at the router's wireless configuration and use the
> same settings on the laptop. Ensure also that the router is not
> configured to block connections based on MAC addresses.
>
> Once you think you have this set correctly, reboot the laptop and see
> if it is receiving an ip address from the router. you can do this by
> typing winipcfg or ipconfig to see if your address is 192.168.1.x
>
> If it's still 169.254.x.x then you have to go back a step and try
> different settings and reboot (again).
>
>
> Jim.
>
>

On Mon, 2 Jul 2007 12:10:05 -0700, Wendy
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Frustrating. I know it's hard to help someone when you can't have actual
>eyes and hands on the computer to see what's really going on.
>
>I checked everything. The Westell router is in basement of our 2story
>house. The computer I'm on right now connects through the same Linksys-G
>wireless adapter which I have brought home from our office to try to get
>wireless networking operational on my friend's older laptop. I have been
>through all of the settings. MAC filtering was never turned on.
>
>The laptop IS seeing our home network, I can select the network by name and
>then get prompted to enter the pass key, but then it is still getting
>"connected to Access point, but can't find the internet"...... yet I'm
>sitting 5' away and connect just fine.
>
>I have checked channels (6), WEP, enabled in the right places, disabled in
>matching places.
>
>any other ideas??

If you're sure the wireless is working correctly, the next stage is
the laptop getting an ip address from the router and it isn't.

Ensure that the router has dhcp enabled. If it has already and you
still get this 169.254.x.x address when you reboot, then you might try
the laptop with a static ip address.

That would entail going into the tcp/ip properties and making some
configuration changes.

IP Address: 192.168.1.50
Subnet mask 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1

DNS Configuration:
Enable DNS
Host = computer's name (eg LAPTOP)
DNS Server = ip address of your ISP's nameservers

Then as a first step, try and ping the router at 192.168.1.1 and see
if you get a response. Post back the result.


Jim.