That is what I thought you referred to - has nothing anywhere on the router that is like the number you referred to

Has a MAC address - Starts with 000625 etc as does the RCA cable modem

Heeelp. Have a good lunch? :-)

This number should be the default I.P. of the Linksys device: 192.168.1.245. Follow the steps regarding adding a static I.P. to your laptop I gave, and see if you can then ping the above number.

You might have to reset the AP again.

Dave

I think they like this crap. I really do. It's like dungeons and dragons for grownups. "I killed the gnome with a hexadecimal bitmap!" :rolleyes:

SloDave - Entered the above, with the exception of .100 instead of .245.
Correct?

Pinged it and it responded.
-----
So how do my PC IP address and my laptop addy correspond?

So? Did you solve the problem? I've been following this all day (it's like a good detective case).

Laptop repaired the connection and renewed the IP address
Accesed my IP address on the PC

BUT.........still can't get a connection from the wireless to the laptop - ie no internet access on the laptop>

?

Hey Craig, I would recommend reconfiguring your WEP from scratch. I think there may be an issue with the key.

Did you use a passphrase in the router or did you enter a key into one of the supplied fileds for the key? Did you use the passphrase in the laptop or ?

Can't help you but I feel your pain.

I am reasonably PC-savvy. Used to build my own PCs, tinker w/ Windows, installed my first WiFi network in 2002. But for me WEP/WPA has always been a screaming PITA. It never seems to work smoothly, I finally quit bothering and simply went around my house, collected the MACs for everything that used the 802.11 network, and used MAC filtering in lieu of spending more unproductive hours screwing w/ hexadecawhatever keys.

Goto start -> run, type in cmd again, then type in "ipconfig /all" (without quotes) Post the results. Run this on the laptop.
Dave

Just check to see how many networks you can see - then if you see a lot - switch off the router when you dont use it.
If you see no other networks at any time of day - chances are they cant see yours either - so no problem!
After 30 years in computers I still cant understand why the manufacturers make this so difficult for the average user.

Slo & all - here are the results:

Mode Type: Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled: Yes
WINSProxy Enabled: No

Connection
Physical address 00-12-F0-81-FC-XX (not sure if this is secure stuff - there is a two digit number at the end where the XX is)
Dhcp Enabled: No
IP address: 192.168.1.100
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Media State: Media disconnected
Description: Marvell Yukon *8E8036 PCI-E Fast Ethernet

Ethernet Controller:
Physical address: 00-0F-B0-85-FD-)F

I know that compared to most of you guys I am but a rank amateur but I have been able to set up my wireless network twice in the past without any problems. The first time was an open configuration. The next time I reconfigured it for WPA-PSK encryption.

That being said, it seems as if you need to simply start from square one on your laptop.

Go to Start, Control Panel, Network and Internet Connections, Wireless Network Setup Wizard, and go from there.

If you've done this already, I apologize for suggesting something that may already be obvious. If not, try the setup wizard. At this point you've got nothing to lose but a few more minutes.

Good point. Isn't a true 'wireless network' one where data is duplicated on all machines in that network?

IDEA: Doesn't XP have a feature where I can go back a day and start from the point BEFORE I messed up?

Have you reset your AP/router (Linsys device) by pushing the little button on the back with a pencil or other small object? Is your desktop plugged into the Linsus device as well? Your laptop, from the info given shows the static I.P. I gave you, but I never gave you a gateway address and it shows. If the Linsys device does have an I.P. address of 192.168.0.245, then you need to go back to the network connections and navigate to the tcp/ip connections like befor, and add the above gateway below the netmask (255.255.255.0). Try this and see what happens. Also, did you give the model number of the Linksys device? If not, please post it.

Thanks!

Dave

BEFW11S4 Ver. 2

OK, So it is a router by default and can be set to be an access point. Earlier you said (I think) that you could ping your desktop from your laptop and vice versa? Try adding the gateway address as I suggested to your laptop. Also run the same ipconfig command on your desktop and please post the results. We'll go from there.

Dave

Here's the installation guide for your router. If I were you, I'd pretend you just pulled it out of the box and start from the beginning. I'd press the little button in the back, disconnect the unit from the computer and start from the very beginning of the instructions.

I did this when I did the second setup of my router. I pretended I never had the unit installed and disconnected all of the cables and started all over again.

Please, try this:
http://www.familiesonlinemagazine.com/BEFW11S4.pdf#search=%22BEFW11S4%20Ver.%202%20insta ll%20instructions%22

I agree with 450KnotOffice. I think you need to start from the beginning. You shouldn't have to try to force it to work. Either WEP is setup correctly or it's not. The router is issuing IP addresses because your desktop computer, which is hard-wired to the router and obviously not using WEP, is getting one from the router. If WEP was setup correctly your wireless laptop should also receive its DHCP info. If you want to just make it work for now disable WEP on the router and create a new wireless connection on the laptop using the wizard. Read the manual which is available on the linksys site and experiment.

I've heard of instances where when the keys are mismatched the same symptoms as you are seing here (i.e. shows connected to wireless network but not able to find an IP address) manifest themselves.

Just my .02 coming from someone with lots of experience with this stuff.

I would suggest the same, but he mentioned a desktop that was plugged into the router and working. Would hate to see him loose that too right now.

Dave

I don't see how that would happen. What would Craig do if he decided to buy the latest 802.G wirelss router? He'd have to start over again from square one and follow the installation instructions given.

Instead of making it difficult, why not make it simple and take the online installation instructions and start over again from square one?

JMO, but it's what I'd do in a nanosecond.

I totally agree Scott, but since I also do this for a living, I don't mind thowing out these suggestions :) And it is fun to fix the problem. If he has a cable modem, it should be a snap. If he has DSL, I'd really make sure it is a dhcp account and not static one. If static, it'll require a few more steps and he needs to have some info in font of him. I'm up for A while longer and will follow. Good luck Craig! Time for some laundry.... WEEEEeeeeeee....

Dave

Pretty amazing to listen to you pros, that's for sure. My head is spinning trying to keep up with you guys.

It also seems like Craig is a glutton for punishment ;) I would have given up hours ago and reset the dang thing!

Dave

Hide the SSID and use MAC address filtering.

Uh oh, what happened to Craig? He has been silent for awhile?!? I hope he hasn't thrown his laptop against a wall :eek:

Dave

Make sure your firewall (software or hardware) is allowing the subnet of local IP addresses to talk to each other. Also, if you want to share printer and resources, make sure sharing is enabled in Windows XP.

Yes WPA would be the best alternative as I stated on the first page. Also I think I was mistaken about WPA not being supported on your router. I just reread the firmware note:

And realized that I misread line 7. Your router does support WPA. i would definately configure using WPA-PSK instead of WEP.

This is so much easier on a MAC.
:p ...JK

Yup, I run WPA-PSK with TKIP too.

you could dump it in the trash (or put it on ebay) and go buy and Airport. It works fine with PCs, and is dead simple to configure.

http://www.apple.com/airportextreme/

Nooooooo! Not the red button!!!!!!

RTFM!

Manual Location

Click on User Guide.

Page 63

11. To start over/reset the Router to factory default.

Hold the Reset button for up to 30 seconds and then release it. This will return the password, forwarding, and other settings on the Router to the factory default settings. In other words, the Router will revert to its original factory configuration.

RTFM, and specifically appendix C, Configuring Wireless security.

......gues what I did?

SYSTEM RESTORE! Win XP feature ;-)
Went back to Sunday afternoon, and POOF she is all back to where I started.

So......how do I do this WEP the correct way - start with the PC *then* do the laptop?

Read section C, it is very straight forward and covers both the Router and how to do the setting in XP on the Laptop.

Click on this link (the full install manual for your router) and print it out first.
http://www.familiesonlinemagazine.com/BEFW11S4.pdf#search=%22BEFW11S4%20Ver.%202%20insta ll%20instructions%22

Then Press the little botton in the back of your router until it resets to the factory default settings, shut down the computer and lap top. Unplug all of the cables that connect your router to your PC and modem (all of them), restart the computers and start over.

That's what I'd do.

windows problems are funny...

That certainly doesn't show him how to configure the WEP or WPA functions.

Use the Linksys manual above, direct from the Linksys website.

I hope you get things worked out Craig! I am outta here to remove my engine and tranny once again....

Dave

Funny, I just spent 2 hours in the empty 930 engine compartment wiring up an Intercooler & a turbo cooling stuff. Time to go cleanup......

Thanks for all the help!
The saga is not over yet...

After all this discussion I bit the bullet and reconfigured my Belkin Wireless G router!

As mentioned above...
The easiest to setup is WPA-PSK which uses and 8 - 11 character pass phrase to encrypt the traffic and maintain the association (using TKIP).

Steps were -
Disconnect wireless router
Hold in the reset button in the little hole in the back until it reset (flashing lights)
Load the software/config disk
Follow the wizard for setup to reconnect the router and access the internet.
Use the web based configuration screens by using the address of the router provided in the manual.
Set the name of the router to something meaningfull to me.
Change the security to WPA-PSK and set a password.
Set router to block pinging.
leave broadcast SSID on so I can find the router network on the other devices.

Set the same access rules on the laptop to WPA-PSK and TKIP use the password to log it on to the router.

Go to do the Squeezebox music device next !

Go to do the Squeezebox music device next !

- which took me an hour and a half to get nowhere - it didnt give me a WPA option....

So I'm back to open networking with no security - this industry sucks!