Wireless Network/ICS problem

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Lunaray - 28 Jul 2005 01:36 GMT

I've been trying to get a wireless network going for a week now and nothing
I've tried has solved my problem! I'm using a Linksys WRT54G router
hardwired to my main computer (WinXP) and a WPC54G notebook adapter in my
laptop (WinMe)! The adapter software in my laptop tells me that I'm
connected to the Access Point but the Internet can't be found. When I try
to ping the router from my laptop, it tells me that it's 'unreachable'! I
checked Control Panel/Windows Setup/Communications and found out that the
ICS box wasn't checked so I thought that must be my problem (strange though,
the file size next to it is 0.0 Meg), I checked the box anyway and clicked
on 'apply' and it seemed to install this component, then it told me that I
would have to restart for the changes to take effect. I restarted, but it
still wasn't working, so I went back and checked to see if the ICS component
was installed and it wasn't, I tried this 3 times, Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

Can someone help? This is so frustrating!!

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Ray
www.rayspace.com/gallery.html
-------------------------------------------
"I'd rather wake up in the middle of nowhere,
than in any city on earth" - Steve McQueen

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Mike M - 28 Jul 2005 01:54 GMT

You don't want to install ICS unless you have other machines connecting to
your Win Me box and wanting to access the net through the Win Me box.
Since you have a router I would not expect you to have ICS installed with
instead each PC, wired or wireless, accessing the net directly via the
router.

Incidentally the file size for installing ICS is correct at 0.0 as no
additional files involved but instead various registry settings.

Signature

Mike Maltby
mike.maltby@gmail.com

> I've been trying to get a wireless network going for a week now and
> nothing I've tried has solved my problem! I'm using a Linksys WRT54G
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!!
> Can someone help? This is so frustrating!!

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Lunaray - 28 Jul 2005 02:02 GMT

Thanks Mike, since it didn't get installed anyway, I guess I won't worry
about it then! Damn, I thought that might be my problem, back to the drawng
board!!

> You don't want to install ICS unless you have other machines connecting to
> your Win Me box and wanting to access the net through the Win Me box.
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Incidentally the file size for installing ICS is correct at 0.0 as no
> additional files involved but instead various registry settings.

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N. Miller - 28 Jul 2005 02:12 GMT

> I've been trying to get a wireless network going for a week now and nothing
> I've tried has solved my problem! I'm using a Linksys WRT54G router
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Can someone help? This is so frustrating!!

DO NOT INSTALL ICS!!! ICS is only used on a computer to share its Internet
connection with other computers. Your Linksys WRT54G has the Internet
connection, not the computer you are trying to install ICS on. ICS will not
work for you.

The first problem is that your laptop may not be pulling an IP address. You
have Windows ME on the laptop; okay, go to Start|Run and type in "winipcfg"
in the box. When you get the window, click on the "More Info >>" button.
Now, in the title bar, where it says, "IP Configuration", right click and
then click on "Copy", the last menu item. Now paste that into a post; it
should look something like this:

============================================================================
Windows IP Configuration

    Host Name . . . . . . . . . : MEGUMI.aosake.net
    DNS Servers . . . . . . . . : 206.13.31.12
    206.13.28.12
    Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
    NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :
    IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No
    WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No
    NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : No

Ethernet adapter :

    Description . . . . . . . . : HP EN1207D-TX 10/100 Family Adapter
    Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-10-B5-77-E6-46
    DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes
    IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 192.168.102.100
    Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
    Default Gateway . . . . . . : 192.168.102.1
    DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 192.168.102.1
    Primary WINS Server . . . . :
    Secondary WINS Server . . . :
    Lease Obtained. . . . . . . : 07 27 05 17:21:23
    Lease Expires . . . . . . . : 07 30 05 17:21:23
============================================================================

It is okay to have more than one Ethernet adapter; I actually have three,
but only the LAN adapter (NIC) is important for this problem. I know the
name of my LAN adapter, so I know that this one is the correct one. If your
IP address is in the range assigned by the Linksys WRT54G (192.168.0.xxx),
then your problem is something else. If your IP address is in the range
169.254.xxx.xxx then you are not getting an IP address from the router. You
will need to double check the setup parameters; SSID should be the same on
all devices (no point in disabling that at all; but at least get the WLAN
working, first).

Post back with your Windows ME "winipcfg" results and we can take it from
there.

Signature

Norman
~Win dain a lotica, En vai tu ri, Si lo ta
~Fin dein a loluca, En dragu a sei lain
~Vi fa-ru les shutai am, En riga-lint

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Lunaray - 29 Jul 2005 00:15 GMT

Thanks for your help Norman, I did what you suggested and pasted the info
below! As you can see, my configuration seems to be all messed up and
doesn't look anything like yours.

First of all, shouldn't my adapter show up in the drop-down list? It
doesn't, all that is there is a "TNET1130" and two "PPP"! I know my Linksys
adapter (WPC54G) is installed 'cause it shows up in Device Manager and it
says that it's working properly with no conflicts. I currently have DNS
disabled, do I need to enable it and enter all the DNS information from my
ISP? I didn't have to do this for the router, plus I was told by my ISP
that they use DHCP. I guess I'm awfully confused aren't I? :-)

Windows IP Configuration:

Ethernet adapter :

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . :

Ethernet adapter :

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . :

Ethernet adapter :

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . :

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . : SKYLAB

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast

NetBIOS Scope ID. . . . . . :

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . : No

NetBIOS Resolution Uses DNS : No

Ethernet adapter :

Description . . . . . . . . : TNET1130

Physical Address. . . . . . : 00-13-10-FB-9C-C1

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . :

Primary WINS Server . . . . :

Secondary WINS Server . . . :

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :

Lease Expires . . . . . . . :

Ethernet adapter :

Description . . . . . . . . : PPP Adapter.

Physical Address. . . . . . : 44-45-53-54-00-01

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . :

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255

Primary WINS Server . . . . :

Secondary WINS Server . . . :

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :

Lease Expires . . . . . . . :

Ethernet adapter :

Description . . . . . . . . : PPP Adapter.

Physical Address. . . . . . : 44-45-53-54-00-00

DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . :

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255

Primary WINS Server . . . . :

Secondary WINS Server . . . :

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . :

Lease Expires . . . . . . . :

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The first problem is that your laptop may not be pulling an IP address.
> You
[quoted text clipped - 46 lines]
> Post back with your Windows ME "winipcfg" results and we can take it from
> there.

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N. Miller - 29 Jul 2005 18:15 GMT

>> The first problem is that your laptop may not be pulling an IP address.
>> You have Windows ME on the laptop; okay, go to Start|Run and type in
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>>
>> Host Name . . . . . . . . . : MEGUMI.aosake.net

...
...

> Thanks for your help Norman, I did what you suggested and pasted the info
> below! As you can see, my configuration seems to be all messed up and
> doesn't look anything like yours.

I wouldn't expect it to look like mine. Remember, I told you that I had
removed information on two adapters which aren't part of my primary LAN.
The full report shows my dial-up modem and LapLink USB bridge, as well as
the Ethernet LAN adapter.

> First of all, shouldn't my adapter show up in the drop-down list? It
> doesn't, all that is there is a "TNET1130" and two "PPP"!

Yes, it should. Based on what I see, there are two modems? A Google search
on "TNET1130" seems to indicate that it is a Texas International chip;
possibly you have a generic "TNET1130" driver for a wired LAN adapter. Does
that correspond to a wired NIC on that computer? Does your Device Manager
show another adapter with that name?

> I know my Linksys adapter (WPC54G) is installed 'cause it shows up in
> Device Manager and it says that it's working properly with no conflicts.

How many "Network Adapters" actually show up in the tree in the Device
Manager? I have three; one for the modem, labeled "Dial-Up Adapter", one
for a bridged network labeled, "LapLink USB Network Cable", and the one
from my 'winipcfg' report. Also, how many physical adapters are there? You
added the Linksys? I should expect a total of three adapters, then;
internal modem, internal (generic; the "TNET1130"?)LAN adpater, and the
Linksys WPC54G. Which version of the Linksys is it? For the WPC54G I see
four versions listed on the site.

> I currently have DNS disabled, do I need to enable it and enter all
> the DNS information from my ISP? I didn't have to do this for the router,
> plus I was told by my ISP that they use DHCP.

No. You should not have to enable the DNS setting on the wireless adapter.

> I guess I'm awfully confused aren't I? :-)

Well, there is a lot of stuff going on with TCP/IP in the computer. Until
you learn what parts absolutely need setting, and what parts to ignore, it
can be pretty hairy.

Signature

Norman
~Win dain a lotica, En vai tu ri, Si lo ta
~Fin dein a loluca, En dragu a sei lain
~Vi fa-ru les shutai am, En riga-lint

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Lunaray - 29 Jul 2005 18:40 GMT

Thanks again Norm, my laptop has a history of old adapters, there was one
that I got when it was new, but I didn't like the way the RJ45 cable plugged
in so I replaced it, then I boght a docking station that had a built in
Ethernet port, so there's a bunch of stuff left over from previous days! I
will remove all this old stuff to try & simplify things, but I doubt if it's
going to help, my wireless adapter still doesn't show up in "winipcfg"!
Could it be that because all of this old stuff is there, "winipcfg" is
picking the wrong info.?

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N. Miller - 29 Jul 2005 21:57 GMT

> Thanks again Norm, my laptop has a history of old adapters, there was one
> that I got when it was new, but I didn't like the way the RJ45 cable plugged
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> Could it be that because all of this old stuff is there, "winipcfg" is
> picking the wrong info.?

I doubt it. The 'winipcfg' utility will only display what it finds. I
wonder if removing all traces of the WPC54G, drivers and hardware, then
reinstalling them would help? If you have already done that, then you can
disregard that bit of advice.

The issue is that you are not getting a LAN IP address on that adapter, and
'winipcfg' does not seem to think that the adapter exists. I see that you
have posted a new thread specifically addressing the issue; good. I think,
at this point, you should just let this thread die and see if anybody has
any ideas in the new thread; I am out of ideas, myself.

Signature

Norman
~Win dain a lotica, En vai tu ri, Si lo ta
~Fin dein a loluca, En dragu a sei lain
~Vi fa-ru les shutai am, En riga-lint

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Lunaray - 29 Jul 2005 22:26 GMT

Thanks again Norman, yes, I've unistalled/reinstalled the adapter several
times but nothing changes, same result each time! I've made a couple of
more posts to different Newsgroups, and to a Dell forum, so maybe someone
will come up with something, I'm sure that there's someone out there that
has had the same problem! Thanks again for your suggestions!

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Lunaray - 29 Jul 2005 00:23 GMT

"SKYLAB" is the name of my computer, I don't know why it shows up in the
'Host' field??

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suziQ - 29 Jul 2005 14:13 GMT

I had the exact same problem, and the Linksys support people walked me
through the entire process of making it work... actually they have an online
chat help line and they can help you out...

> "SKYLAB" is the name of my computer, I don't know why it shows up in the
> 'Host' field??

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Lunaray - 29 Jul 2005 18:45 GMT

Hi SuziQ,

You must've gotten really lucky! The techs that I talked to just had me
aimlessly going around in circles, trying things that I had already tried
and it seemed like if it wasn't on the paper in front of them, they didn't
have a clue as to what to do next. I'm glad you got yours working!

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N. Miller - 29 Jul 2005 21:53 GMT

>> "SKYLAB" is the name of my computer, I don't know why it shows up in the
>> 'Host' field??

> I had the exact same problem, and the Linksys support people walked me
> through the entire process of making it work... actually they have an online
> chat help line and they can help you out...

Just what role does the Linksys play in setting the 'host' name of the
computer? That is what the 'host' field in a 'winipcfg/ipconfig' report is
showing.

Signature

Norman
~Win dain a lotica, En vai tu ri, Si lo ta
~Fin dein a loluca, En dragu a sei lain
~Vi fa-ru les shutai am, En riga-lint

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N. Miller - 29 Jul 2005 17:36 GMT

> "SKYLAB" is the name of my computer, I don't know why it shows up in the
> 'Host' field??

Because it is the name of your computer. That is what the 'Host' field is
for. If you looked at my 'winipcfg' report, you would have seen
"MEGUMI.aosake.net" in the 'host' field. I am not sure where the global
setting is to create the domain name; but the capitalized third level name
in my 'host' field is the computer name, counterpart to your "Skylab". I
can change that on my computer at:

My Network Places|Propterties|Identification

Signature

Norman
~Win dain a lotica, En vai tu ri, Si lo ta
~Fin dein a loluca, En dragu a sei lain
~Vi fa-ru les shutai am, En riga-lint

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