Networking help...

[Jessie]

Help!

My stepmom has just installed DSL and a wireless router in their house.  Her computer is connected and running fine, and my dad's computer sees the wireless connection, but can't seem to get online.

They're using Bellsouth DSL and still have AOL for broadband (my stepmom loves AOL).  Dad's computer connected before but keeps disconnecting from AOL.  I tried going straight through IE, which didn't work til I ran the network setup wizard (or something to that effect.  I don't know what I was doing really, just trying to get things working).  That worked fine til she tried to look at a video through AOL again and it stopped working again.  Now I can't get it to connect at all.

Ideas?  I know jack about networks.

If it matters, they're using a Westell wireless router (327w).

Do I need to configure those settings maybe?

[Jessie]

Josh-wa, I see you there.  Why are you forsaking me?

[Bennyhana]

if it was working until AOL was used, I'd say you've localized the problem.

Next step is washing it off.

[meredith]

well, let's try to find out if the problem is in IE or in the networking.  hit the windows key and R, then type "ping hattmoward.org"

a good result will look like this:

Code Select Expand

Pinging hattmoward.org [69.55.234.84] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 69.55.234.84: bytes=32 time=84ms TTL=44
Reply from 69.55.234.84: bytes=32 time=83ms TTL=44
Reply from 69.55.234.84: bytes=32 time=84ms TTL=44
Reply from 69.55.234.84: bytes=32 time=85ms TTL=44

Ping statistics for 69.55.234.84:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 83ms, Maximum = 85ms, Average = 84ms

Bad stuff will look like:

Code Select Expand

Ping request could not find host hattmoward.org. Please check the name and try again.
or

Code Select Expand

Pinging hattmoward.org [69.55.234.84] with 32 bytes of data:

Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 69.55.234.84:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),


[Jessie]

I didn't know you were over here talking to me.  I've been on TF for forever and I'm about to shoot myself in the face.

http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=2028066&ok=true

[Jessie]

I can't ping anything from that computer.

[BigDun]

Get to a DOS window and type:

IPCONFIG /RENEW

And see what it says.

[Jessie]

Get to a DOS window and type:

IPCONFIG /RENEW

And see what it says.

It doesn't work, but I can't recall for the life of me what the error message is.

I gave up a while ago and now I'm going home.

[ReBurn]

It may be possible that your dad's laptop isn't compatible with that router.  Does he have the latest drivers for his network card installed?

Isn't that Westell model the one where the modem and the router are a single unit?  I haven't had much experience with those.

[Beefy]

Throw a quarter at it.

[WileE]

BellSouth DSL is notoriously unfriendly with some routers.  My sister has a problem with hers.  I was over there for about 4 hours trying to get the thing working.  The simple solution, in all honesty, is cable, but that may not be an option.  The problem usually occurs in that the router is the device that actually connects to the DSL account, not the computer.  If the computer tries to connect to the DSL, it will cause errors.  Couple things to look at:  Make sure the router has the correct login information in the correct format for bellsouth.  I believe it will be user account name@bellsouth.net.  Make sure the router is using PPPOE to connect to the network.

The likelyhood is very, very high the only solution will be to get on the phone with BellSouth and work through the problem.

I hope this helps.

[swolt]

Josh-wa, I see you there.  Why are you forsaking me?

oh sorry! I just got your PM and saw this thread.

[Listener]

BellSouth DSL is notoriously unfriendly with some routers.  My sister has a problem with hers.  I was over there for about 4 hours trying to get the thing working.  The simple solution, in all honesty, is cable, but that may not be an option.  The problem usually occurs in that the router is the device that actually connects to the DSL account, not the computer.  If the computer tries to connect to the DSL, it will cause errors.  Couple things to look at:  Make sure the router has the correct login information in the correct format for bellsouth.  I believe it will be user account name@bellsouth.net.  Make sure the router is using PPPOE to connect to the network.

The likelyhood is very, very high the only solution will be to get on the phone with BellSouth and work through the problem.

I hope this helps.

My mother has Bellsouth DSL and had a problem with her system as well.  She has a 2WIRE-brand DSL modem and a Netgear-brand router.  After almost an hour on the phone with the Netgear outsourced service person, we discovered that the problem was in the router's firmware, and a firmware upgrade made it work fine with every computer except my laptop.  (I haven't figured out why yet, but it doesn't matter, because she's 700 miles away now.)

Try contacting the router company (their number may be on gethuman.com) and ask them to help you through getting a firmware upgrade.  It's pretty easy to do, and it (probably) can't damage anything any further.  Your mom may have just gotten a router off the back of the shelf that had been sitting there a while or something.  (That's what happened to my mom's router... it was fabricated three firmware versions behind the most current.)