Lots of network problems since reformating NEED HELP FAST PLEASE

Trumandrummer

My house has no internet at all, im on my lap top connected to a neighbors wireless router right now.

i need help fast...........
i HAD to reformat my computer the other day, and everything was going good........ but as i was setting up the internet i ran into tons of problems.....

i put in my modems set up disc and set everything up, then i put in my linksys router disc and started the set up and it said it encountered and error like half way through the set up, so i tried it again like 5 times and got the same thing.....

so i got my comcast disc out to set that up first (thinking that was the problem) and the setup had to scan for a network adapter and it said it couldnt find one. but my modem was hooked up prefect and so was my router, so then i decided to ditch the router during the set up and i hooked the modem straight to the computer, and i encountered the same error........

its like no matter what i do i cant get anything connected and i really need some help....... i need my internet for numerous things, one being that my dad works for chrysler and he gets his checks online.......... and its gonna suck if he cant do this.

can someone please help me?

mtrox

Truman forget all the disks. At ever turn it sounds like you just don't have a network card yet....except that you can connect to the neighbor. Am I correct? Your wireless card is working because you can connect to your neighbor?

1. How did you connect to the neighbor? Did you just search for wireless networks in range? If so, if yours didn't show up, the problem is in your router, not your computer.
2. Can you just plug into your router? Do you get the Internet then?
3. Exactly what error did you get when you connected your modem to your laptop via cable? Do you just get that little red X that says a cable's unplugged?
4. On some cable modems (I think that's what this is) you have to unplug it for a while before you can connect to a device with a different MAC address. Then if you do that and connect to your laptop and it works, you might again have to power down for 10 minutes before you can just swap it over to your router again.

Trumandrummer

my lap top has wireless built in.......... we have 2 lap tops but i think my wireless card is stronger, i just searched and found a new wireless connection with no security and i used it....

if i search for available wireless networks (on my lap top) its comes up with 2........ mine and a neighbors. When i connect to mine it says its connected(with full strenght) but the internet does not work.......

the desktop computer (where everything is hooked up) is hooked to the router (wired though). so i got the modem powered up all hooked right, with the ethernet plugged from the modem to my routers internet spot........ then from the first plug #1 of the router to the desktop computer. which is how i had it for 2 years and it worked fine.

i never did connect my modem to my lap top, because then my lap top isnt so portable, and i take it all over the house...........

i ran the comcast set up disc and it said that it couldnt fine a network adapter on the desktop computer.......... but everything is hooked up right.

that computer doesnt show any sign of internet, theres no icon even showing that the connection is lost....... and when i go to network connections..... there is not broadband connection, lan connection, or dial up connection.....

i dont know, im really confused....... i hope this makes sense to you

EDIT: o yea and its a cable modem

mtrox

Trumandrummer wrote:

if i search for available wireless networks (on my lap top) its comes up with 2........ mine and a neighbors. When i connect to mine it says its connected(with full strenght) but the internet does not work.......

I'm getting a little lost between these two computers...are there actually three? Two lappys and one desktop? So lets just get your lappy going first. I have the feeling the problem is in the router/gateway so lets get that solved before we diagnose 5 things at once.

So if your lappy connects to the neighbor and gets your signal full strength, chances are its healthy and the problem is elsewhere. If you open up that wireless connection (assuming this is XP), click on the Status tab, then the Details button. What is the IP address for:

1. your wireless card?
2. Gateway?
3. DNS servers?

Also, what kind of router is this?

Trumandrummer

when i connect to the neighbors its has low signal strength,
when i connect to MY wireless netowrk i have full strength and it connects but nothing works so im thinking it could be the modem or the all the adresses

IP Address = 192.168.1.103
subnet mask = 255.255.255.0
default gateway= 192.168.1.1
DHCP server = 192.168.1.1

and these are all from MYwireless connection

mtrox

Hmmmmm....everthing but DNS servers. When you're connected to your router:

1. Are there DNS servers listed in Status and the Details button?
2. What if you just type 216.109.118.66 (no www. or http stuff) into the address bar of a browser? Do you get to Yahoo?
3. What if you go to Run.... type cmd then hit enter. In the command prompt type "ping 216.109.118.66" without the quoatations. Do you get 4 replies?
4. Now type "ping yahoo.com" without the quotations. Do you get four replies?

Trumandrummer

ok my DNS servers are 68.87.77.130 and 68.87.72.130

also when i typed that in a browser it wouldnt load.......

when i typed ping 216.109.118.66 in it did 4 request timed outs.... it says "packets sent = 4, retreived = 0 , lost=100%

when i typed in ping yahoo.com it said "ping request could not find host yahoo.com"

mtrox

Truman,

So you're getting good IP info from the DHCP server in the router. The router is 192.168.1.1, and those are Comcast DNS servers it's giving you. And since we are on the laptop that works just fine on your neighbor's connection, chances are very slim that there is some firewall thing blocking Internet activity.

What kind of router is it? If you just type 192.168.1.1 in a browser you should get into it. If it's a Linksys, the default user is blank (meaning no user, not the word "blank") and the default password is "admin". If you go to the Status link you should see IP info for the Internet connection. What are the IP's?

Have you power cycled the cable modem? By that I mean unplug it for about 10 minutes, then plug it back in. In my part of the world, Comcast's cable modems remember the MAC address they are connected to and have to be deep power cylced to bleed the memory out.

Trumandrummer

umm its a linksys WRT54G version 5

i cant go to that linksys config thing because if i do it while im connected to my neightbors router its gonna show his stats (wont it?) and if i do it while im connected to my router its not gonna load

Trumandrummer

ok nevermind it worked ummm here are the IPs

Login Type: Automatic Configuration - DHCP
IP Address: 68.40.32.132
Subnet Mask: 255.255.252.0
Default Gateway: 68.40.32.1
DNS 1: 68.87.77.130
DNS 2: 68.87.72.130


i have never powercycled the modem.......... i have done that to the router and i have pressed reset on the modem

mtrox

Trumandrummer wrote:

umm its a linksys WRT54G version 5

i cant go to that linksys config thing because if i do it while im connected to my neightbors router its gonna show his stats (wont it?) and if i do it while im connected to my router its not gonna load

Yea I don't wanna see your neighbors, I wanna see yours. So if you plug that in there while you're connected to yours it isn't going to load? What if, while connected to yours, you ping 192.168.1.1? Surely you get replies don't you?

Trumandrummer

yea nevermind that, i was connected to mine and it worked i posted back

mtrox

Damn Truman, this is a good one. Everything looks perfect....except that you don't have the net. On that same status page, there is a release button, and a renew button. If things are healthy you should be able to release and the IP's will all turn into zeros. Then count to ten and hit "renew". After a few seconds you should get new IP address info....probably the exact same numbers you just showed.

Just saw your new post. You mean the internet is working or just that it worked to get into the Linksys?

Trumandrummer

it just worked to get into linksys

mtrox

So, if you can get into the Linksys, on that Staus page relase the IP, then renew it. If it renews fine, I'm getting thin on ideas. Next we have to connect your lappy directly to the Linksys as it sure looks like you have an Internet signal in that Linksys.

Trumandrummer

I did that and i pressed renew and it stayed at 0s. So i connected back to my neighbors to post back. And that connection wont work now. I had to post this on my phone

mtrox

Two things come to mind:

1. Any change you and your neighbor both have Comcast and there's a Comcast problem in your neighborhood?
2. More likely, there was just a problem with the wireless all the way to your neighbors.

Truman you have to reboot it all. Let the cable modem bleed out for about 10 minutes, then plug it back in. A minute later plug in your router.

It seems to me you have no trouble connecting to your wireless. But then you, and your other computers, don't get the Interent from the router. So if you reboot it all and still can't get IP addresses in that Linksys, I think you have a Comcast problem. The first thing they'll want you to do before they come out is connect something straight into the modem. And that's still a good test.

Trumandrummer

i dont think its comcast, it was acting up for like a month before i reformated it would go on and off and on and off........ then i reformated and it was off for like a week........ and my neighbors was fine...........

i got my neigbors to work again but mine wont....

im gonna go play around with it for a while

EDIT: i noticed that there is only 2 available connections mine and my neighbors, but when i connect to mine 1 sometimes 2 more new ones appear........ but only when im connected to my network

Trumandrummer

ok well i did the renew thing again to my network and i redid the modem and my lap top is now connected to my network and the internet is working great........


so i went back to set up my comcast thing on my desktop and it still says that it cant find a network adapter still........... so the desktop aint working still

mtrox

OK, so at least we know the router has the Internet. Lets see what's going on with the network adapter.

Right click on My Computer, then left click Properties. Then hit the Hardware tab, then Device Manager.

1. Do you see Network adapters?
2. If you click on the plus sign do you see yours?
3. If not, do you see any yellow question marks anywhere?
4. If you do see yours, right click on it. If the second item is "disable" that means it's enabled. If not, click "enable" to enable it.
5. Go to Control Panel, Network Connections. Is there a Local Area Connection showing?

Trumandrummer

it does show a network adapter and it is enabled...... and the isnt a yellow question mark next to it..... theres some underneath it though.....


also i do not have a local area connection the only thing here is "1394 connection (1394 net adapter)" and thats it

mtrox

I've never been sure, is this computer the one you just rebuilt? Often you get those yellow question marks in Device Manager after a rebuild. It means there are some drivers you haven't installed yet.

You say there's a network adapter but is it the one you're connected to? If it's in Device Manager it should also show in Network Connections. I have the feeling this all has something to do with the other yellow Q marks in device manager. You've got some drivers to figure out and download.

Trumandrummer

well yes its the one i just reformated and there is a drivers disc that came with the computer, but when i tried to run it it had an error and wouldnt do it

mtrox

If it's a Dell or one of the other major brands, you can at least go to the web site and get the drivers. Gotta get that squared away so you've got something in Network Connections to connect to.

Trumandrummer

oook i got it.......... finally

i right clicked the yellow question mark devices and then clicked update, when it asked to sacn for the drivers i put the driver disc that hadnt worked in...... and i directed it to the disc........ it installed the driver and gave me another network adapter...... i then tried the internet and it works so far

mtrox

Trumandrummer wrote:

it works so far

I'm more confident than you. When we go from no network adapter to a working network adapter, I'm really confident.

I think you had that problem in device manager after the rebuild, then started with the disks, your neighbor, and a lot of stuff happened when from there. The bottom line was you just didn't have all the rebuild stuff done.

Trumandrummer

yep everything is working good so far.....

i set up a network between the computers, and i put some security on the network

only problem ive encountered so far is my lap top....... it connected a couple times but now it wont get past 'aquiring network address" yet my dads lap top is doing it perfectly and so is the desktop computer.

ill work with it, it has to be my lap top........ dont you think?

anyways thanks for all your help mtrox...... I definently wouldnt have figured it out by myself:D

Leonardo

Have you tried moving your laptop? Maybe it's just an obstructed signal. You wrote, "it connected a couple times but now it wont get past 'aquiring network address.'" Did it start the acquiring problem after you re-established the network?

Trumandrummer

well i was connected to it a couple times...... then i restarted my computer and tried to connect to it and it said aquiring network address for like ever.....

but it works now, i went to bed and woke up and it was fine:D

Leonardo

Go to the device properties for your wireless adaptor/card (in the subject computer) and experiment with the settings. You may have some of the power/power saving settings on less than optimal selections. Ensure your write down the current settings before you make changes. Quite often very simple device settings changes can make a huge difference.