My Dad wants to go wireless but he has a WEP key. Seems to work best without the darn WEP but I can't get into his linksys router setup. I try to get into the router setup by typing 192.168.1.1 but it won't bring it up when offline(linksys told me to do it offline since another site uses the same IP). If I do it while he's online it brings up Westel.com as they have the same IP. I assume I have to disable the WEP key within the router if I don't want to use the WEP, correct? Any ideas how to access the router (WRT54GC, linksys) He's on WinXPsp2.

If worse comes to worse, I'll call linksys tomorrow, just rather not be on the phone before work for 1-2 hours

TIA as always

EDIT: while he can get online with the WEP enabled the connection is random and very slow. Sometimes can't connect. I just want to get rid of the WEP cuz when I'm not around to help him, I don't want this problem to occur for him. Getting online wirelessly needs to be easy as he travels.

Adirondack Girl

You can reset the router to its factory defaults by holding down the reset button on the back of it for 10-20 seconds. While holding down the reset button, the lights should go off and then come back on. The default password is "admin". I advise you make configuration changes while connected with a wired connection. To be secure, don't forget to change the password from its default. For wireless security, you should use WPA or WPA2 instead of WEP. Once everything is configured, you can connect wirelessly.

edit: You can also change your router's IP address to 192.168.2.1 (or whatever, based on your network setup) to avoid confusion.

Are you trying with the computer hard wired to the router?You need to do it this way.WEP shouldn't have anything to do with the connection speed and in any case WEP will only apply to his home connection.It is only a password to allow him to connect through His router and won't apply when he's travelling.192.168.1.1 shouldn't bring up any "site" as it belongs to a private address range that is only used for private networks not the web. you might be logging into someone elses router.

When he's wired the connection is great, when wireless, not great and very slow, maybe coincidental with WEP.

I rather not go to the default settings, as had to go thru 2 hrs just to get the wired connnected and don't want the other PC having problems.

192.168.1.1 also belongs to westel.com, believe me because that's what comes up when I type the IP in thru my wired connection and linksys verified. I was rather shocked, but I guess it's not so surprising to linksys.

I'll revisit both your posts more thoroughly and get back here. Thanks

Adirondack Girl

192.168.1.1 should not be going to westel.com
It is a private IP. This is a configuration problem on your end somewhere. Wire to the router and type in the address to see if you get to the router configuration page.

I believe she's saying that that IP logs her into the Westell modem (not the website).

What you have going on is your DSL Westell modem has the same IP address as your router and yes, it is confusing. When you enter in 192.168.1.1 you're getting your DSL configuration page, instead of your Linksys.


Do as CompPete says and after resetting your router to the factory default, download the latest firmware for your router version here:

Linksys Downloads

Instead of changing it to 192.168.2.1, I change it to 10.10.10.1 to totally eliminate confusion from the 192.xxx.x.x. From now on to access your DSL configuration you will enter 192.168.1.1 and to access your router you will enter 10.10.10.1.

After that change your WEP to WPA.


Check out my screenshot. What I have circled is where you change the routers IP address:

Visit the Basement

I don't know how many calls I get for this!

Visit the Basement

Adirondack Girl

Unless you live in the middle of nowhere in those Adirondack mountains, don't disable security. I don't think security is causing your speed problems.


Let's see how things are running after the suggestions here so far.


Edit:

I've just re-read everything and all we have fixed so far is the confusion between your router and modem, but not the speed problem. I hoped that updating your firmware would solve any speed problems, but as you say you have the latest version.

You say your dad travels with his laptop, no doubt he has quite a few wireless connections saved to his PC. Let's try this to clear everything to see if it helps anything.


Click Start > Run

Type "ncpa.cpl" in the run box, without the quotes and hit enter.

Right-click your wireless adapter > Click properties > Click the Wireless Networks tab at the top

In the preferred networks box, remove all the networks showing in there. Then click OK.

Refresh your wireless networks, and connect to your dads newly configured WPA protected network and enter the network key you assigned.


Also, as it has already been mentioned, when you mess with your routers configuration ALWAYS do it when you are hard wired to the router. And to avoid any confusion with your DSL modem while you are re-configuring your router disconnect the modem from the router while you are messing with the router, so you don't accidentally go into the modem configuration page again.

Visit the Basement

Adirondack Girl

Well for some odd reason, when I'm wired to the router but not the modem I still can not access the router setup after typing in 192.168.1.1. I can't even do it via my computer either. I've never run across this before. I triple checked to make sure that all the wires were proper so I'm rather stumped

Adirondack Girl

You reset the modem by holding the button down in the back?


You have an ethernet wire connected directly from a 1-5 port on the router to your PC? Your WAN port that your DSL modem connects to isn't connected?


you type 192.168.1.1 in the address bar of your browser and what happens?

Visit the Basement

Well, I did not 'reset' the router by holding the switch down, was hoping to get in there and view all the settings before I reset it cuz I had to change a few things in there just to get connected before and this process took 2 hrs with linksys support.

Adirondack Girl

what did you change?

Visit the Basement

Can't remember off the top of my head as it was several months ago. Think we cloned the MAC ID for one.

Adirondack Girl

Anyone suggest that the router maybe going south???

Dave101

"The only goddamn thing you know about the law is how to break it." Chief Lafleche

Why south? Can't it go North?

Visit the Basement

No they always go bad to the south!!! Check this out.

http://www.dslreports.com/faq/6323

Dave101

"The only goddamn thing you know about the law is how to break it." Chief Lafleche

Well, we've got two computers that work fine connected to the router via wired, or doesn't that count?

Adirondack Girl

Sure it does but the wireless part might be misbehaving.You mentioned that Linksys walked you through configuration before and they were aware of the conflict between the default ips for the modem and the router.Did they perhaps get you to change the default ip for your router and that's why 192.168.1.1 doesn't bring up the configuration page for your router?Dsl around here reqires you to register your mac address to access the network that's perhaps why they had you clone the mac address of the computer that you originally had setup your connection with.If you can't remember if they had you change the default ip the only way out is to reset the router and disconnect the modem and then access the configuration page with the default ip and change it to something you can remember and reclone the mac address(it is simple)and then setup your wireless.You can change channels etc. to see if that helps the connection speed.The default is 6 I think.I had to change mine to 11 to get a reliable connection as their was something interfering on 6(maybe cordless phone.After doing all this and it still doesn't work then it is time to check by swapping out routers to see if it indeed is the problem.

Yeah, mine is on 11 also, that I have written down and if we changed the router IP it would be to 192.168.1.101 and I've tried that. I don't remember how to clone so not easy since I can't remember the steps

Yeah, perhaps wireless needs a spanking if it's misbehaving, lol. Cuz we can get online but it truly sucks, so slow and takes forever for pages to load etc, and he's wireless very close to the router so distance no the issue. The minute we go wired, it's perfect.

Adirondack Girl

I'll be going over to Dad's house this weekend to see if I can fix this problem and will post back then.

Adirondack Girl

Behind every good computer... is a jumble of wires 'n stuff.

Adirondack Girl

My Westell modem has a built in NAT firewall. It needs to be disabled if you have a NAT router. Double firewalling can cause slowness and other problems..

Interesting point Darren. Not sure that he has a NAT router, don't think he does, it's a Linksyt 2WRT54GC.

Adirondack Girl

All Linksys like nearly all routers on the market have NAT (Network Address Translation) and it should be left enabled. You should also always use a good software firewall in addition to NAT since Nat only stops incoming threats. I use Comodo along with NAT.

I have that same router and it works fine. You should be using WPA, not WEP. It is far more secure. WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) is an older and easier to defeat wireless security system. I sugest you invest a few minutes in reading the router manual.

Shelly

Adirondack Girl

User guide on this page.

Hmm, I have the WRT54G, not the Compact version WRT54GC.

Shelly

thanks!

Adirondack Girl

Adirondack Girl

I find that sometime the work group name has been changed. Don't know how it happens.

How would I determine that as I'm sure my Dad doesn't even remember?

Adirondack Girl

Press Windows key and Pause key. This opens System Properties and click Computer name tab. This shows name and your workgroup. Buttons there are pretty obvious what they do if you need to change.

The workgroup name has absolutely no effect on the PC establishing a wireless connection. Adirong's dad probably isn't even doing File and Printer Sharing because he probably only has one PC.

Behind every good computer... is a jumble of wires 'n stuff.

Adirondack Girl

Adirondack Girl

in your 1st post you wanted to disable wep but couldnt get in. You can now i presume so have you disabled it?

are all laptops slow or just his on wireless?

if the others are ok are they ok til his tries to get online?

I still will keep WEP enabled and perhaps even change to WPA or WPA2, not sure of the difference between the later 2, not important at this time.

The only problem connecting wirelessly is on his machine, the other laptop is wireless at the same time and is never slow and never looses connection regardless of when he tries to connect via his laptop wirelessly. He has no problem being wired, it's only the wireless he's having trouble with and his troubles don't affect any other machine.

Adirondack Girl

Have previously tried all but #2 and #6. For #6 where is that setting located typically in the router?

Adirondack Girl

usually within the wireless section

edit
wireless tab basic wireless settings
(setting router to default would set it to bg mode as well)
Ant

I think you need to check for firmware updates to the router. I fixed a similar problem a couple of weeks ago. The customer had a Zyxel wireless router, and a Dell laptop with XP could connect, one Toshiba laptop with Vista could connect, but another Toshiba laptop with Vista couldn't. The important difference between the Toshiba laptops was that one had a Realtek wireless chip that would connect, and the other one had an Atheros wireless chip that wouldn't connect. A firmware update for the Zyxel router fixed the problem.

Behind every good computer... is a jumble of wires 'n stuff.

Yes, I do have the latest firmware update. He went into town to the library yesterday and got online wirelessly ok and stayed on so problem lies here at the homefront somehow or other. Perhaps I will take off the WEP key and see it that clears things up. I just don't want to mess up his connection for the others PC's, like when I bring out my lappy etc. Thanks.

Adirondack Girl

If you want this problem solved you are going to have to make some changes otherwise its pointless trying to help as anyone reading these posts cant rule out possibilities as you try them.

So something in your house or at the house is not liked by the laptop or doesnt like the laptop(router).
Its possble something on the router is not liked by the laptop which is why it has to be defaulted to see what happens


if you are worried about messing the router up do a config backup to desktop. That way you can set it back to what you had it originally.

or go from page to page and do a screen print of each page that has relevant info so that you can manually correct later.

Have you tried b/g?
I had a similar problem where the laptops wireless card, was incompatible with the router.(built in) Documented by intel in this case. The fix was firmware for router. that didnt work. I just about pulled my hair out and started trying changes on everything within the router settings i could get my hands on. nothing worked til i did the b/g mode . Instant connection and stayed up. I still dont know why.

Changing to bg wont affect your other laptops unless they are on b only. all it does is allow laptops with either b or g cards to connect. however it may be that its b/g already. if it is change to g only.

b and g mode refer to the speed that the wireless card can go up to.
11 mbs and 54 for g

What does the connection tab say about connection quality. ie the connection between the laptop and the router? excellent good or weak?


Ant

Thanks for the suggestions, I will try them out next time I get over to Dad's house and I'll post back at that time

Adirondack Girl