Tech Support Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Don't understand connections

1K views 32 replies 3 participants last post by  Fred Garvin 
#1 ·
I won't belabor you with a long story, but some Amazon tech support engineers visited my home on May 1. They replaced my D-Link DIR-601 router with a Netgear R6200. When I look at the connections on my desktop, it says that I'm connected to SSID XXXX 2 (the X's are placeholder for the real name of my network, which I don't want to reveal). The connection is via Ethernet cable. It also shows another wireless SSID, which is just XXXX and says "Connecting". . . which it can't do, because although this desktop has a wireless adapter, I have it disabled.

My laptop says I'm connected to XXXX 3 AND. . .AND XXXX 2. But if I disconnect from XXXX 2, I'm completely disconnected from the Internet.

The SSID's set up in the router are XXXX and XXXX-5GHz; there is no such thing as XXXX 2 or XXXX 3.

I am not "wireless savvy". Can someone explain to me why Windows says I have XXXX, XXXX 2, and XXXX 3, and why it tells me I'm connected to XXXX 3 AND XXXX 2, but if I disconnect XXXX 2, XXXX 3 also goes away/I'm totally disconnected?
 
#2 ·
you can post the SSID names - no security issue

If you are connected by Ethernet and have disabled the wireless adapter - i'm not sure what you are referring to now

can we see some screen shots perhaps

also download and run Xirrus - lets see what SSIDs are in range


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Run Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector
Download and install

If you cannot access the internet with this PC, then you will need to copy the program across to the faulty PC
Save the file to a USB flash drive or other removable media. Plug it into the working computer with internet access and copy the file to the faulty PC and install the program.
You will now need to take a screen shot and copy that back to the working PC and attach the screen shot in a reply on the forum here.

If you do not have another PC - do you have a phone connected to the internet - can you photograph the result and post the image in a reply

http://go.pardot.com/l/66982/2015-01-26/2361i
enter you details
Download this file "DOWNLOAD WI-FI INSPECTOR Vx.xx "
( the site now appears to allow webbased emails like gmail, hotmail, outlook and yahoo now )

There is also a xirrus gadget, But that does not have all the fuctionality "DOWNLOAD GADGET Vx.xx

Alternative links - Use the links below
Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector Download - Softpedia
Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector - Free download and software reviews - CNET Download.com


Then run and install the program - on a wireless enabled PC/Laptop
if you get an error - You will need to have NET Framework installed for the WiFi Inspector to function.
On windows 8 - (i do not have windows 8) but, it would appear that, When you first try to run, you may get a message that .net framework is needed, and included in that message is a link to download/install.

Run the program

A user guide is available here
http://www.xirrus.com/cdn/pdf/xirruswifiinspectorguide1-2-0

post a screen shot of the program running.
if there are a lot of networks showing can you click on "networks" top lefthand area - so we can see all the network information.

post which SSID name is yours, its located in the list, under network "Adapter Name" (1st column)


Note:
For a reliable (or robust as the Xirrus user guide says) wireless connection you need a signal of about -70 dBm or better. "A desirable signal level for a robust Wi-Fi connection will be green".
note: the signal level is a negative number, so for example -88 is worst and -40 is better

To post a screen shot of the active window.

Windows XP
Hold the Alt key and press the PrtScn key. Open the Windows PAINT application (Start> All Programs> Accessories> Paint) and Paste the screen shot. You can then use PAINT to trim to suit, and save it as a JPG format file.

Vista or Windows 7
you can use the "snipping tool" which is found in Start> All programs> Accessories> Snipping Tool
How to use the Windows Snipping Tool

Windows 8
you can use the snipping tool > Open Snipping Tool (From the Windows 8 Start Screen, type "snip" and press enter.
>Press the Esc. key.
>go back to your Windows 8 start screen - Swipe from left or press Window Button
>Press Ctrl+PrntScr button to use Snipping Tool
see here
How to take a screenshot in Windows 8 - Opinion - PC Advisor
How to take a screenshot in Windows 8 - How-To - PC Advisor


To upload the screen shot to the forum, open the full reply window ("Go Advanced" button) and use the Manage Attachments button to upload it here.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Wayne: I'm not having any problem connecting to the Internet with either my desktop (hardwired to router) or my Toshiba laptop (wireless connection). It's just that before the installation of the Netgear router, I had ONE SSID: WC1A. I now have WC1A, WC1A 2 and WC1A 3 showing on the computers. On the desktop, clicking the network icon in the systray says "Currently connected to: WCIA 2", and below that, it shows "WC1A" and periodically "Connecting", which it can't do because I have no enabled wireless for the desktop. On the Toshiba, it says at the top "Currently connected to: WC1A3", and below that "WC1A 2. . . Connected". Where are all these SSIDs coming from? The router (192.168.1.1) shows only 2 SSIDs: WC1A and WC1A-5GHz.

BTW, I tried to download WI-FI INSPECTOR and it would not allow me to do it because I don't have a "legitimate" business email address (domain is comcast.net). So I can't download it. Didn't try Xirrus yet because all of the wi-fi analyzers I've tried can only be understood by someone who already knows wireless connections. I've never been able to understand what it was telling me or how I could change my channels to the ones with the least traffic.

I should have added to my original post that part of the reason for asking these questions is that despite getting ~95Mbps at the modem and in the desktop because it's connected via Ethernet cable, I used to get 70-80Mbps on my laptop when it was close to the router. I'm not getting only 23Mbps. Doesn't seem right that there would be that much downfall in speed (measured at a Comcast server that is only 15 miles from my house). My old D-Link DIR-601 would give me ~38Mbps. The Netgear is an 802.11ac router, capable of up to 867Mbps, so why is the wireless speed from it much less that from the old, cheap N router?
 
#4 ·
I tried to download WI-FI INSPECTOR and it would not allow me to do it because I don't have a "legitimate" business email address
I also posted alternative links for download

run ncpa.cpl it should show all the connections made - maybe the issue is you have a few different connections setup
perhaps post a screen shot

re speed - not sure - it maybe a router issue
or signal strength - xirrus may help
 
#6 ·
its saying you are on channel 10 - xirrus does not suggest anything
Dont see the 5Ghz signal - but that maybe simple the adapter does not support 5Ghz

so its your connections on the PC that you are seeing

post the ncpa.cpl
and an ipconfig /all
 
#11 ·
So what you're saying is that the numbers following your SSID indicate (in my case) that 3 devices are using WC1A: My PC, my laptop, and my wife's [very old] Compaq Presario XP laptop? Yes? Incidentally, her computer is listed as connected to WC1A; no number after it.

The event that got me interested if finding out what the -2 and -3 meant was that yesterday, I turned on my laptop and it said it was "Currently connected to: WC1A 3". Two things about that: (1) I had never seen the laptop connect to a "-3" and (2) I was NOT connected. And when I looked at local network settings, WC1A 3 was designated a "Public" network. Turns out a power surge or something else screwed up the modem. After rebooting it, I was connected to the Internet via WC1A 2; not -3. . . -2 and everything worked fine, except the normal speed I had previously enjoyed on the laptop was much less.
 
#12 ·
So what you're saying is that the numbers following your SSID indicate (in my case) that 3 devices are using WC1A: My PC, my laptop, and my wife's [very old] Compaq Presario XP laptop? Yes? Incidentally, her computer is listed as connected to WC1A; no number after it.
No
I'm saying on your PC you have three connections setup as shown in the last screen shot
Nothing to do with other PCs or SSIDs
its just the name of the connection
Also you may have profiles saved on the PC with different names for the wireless

have a look at your saved profiles - see below
 
#14 ·
oppps

DONT delete any profiles - just have a look at them - these instructions explain how to delete
we do NOT want to do that - just look at the profiles names

How to remove Wireless Profiles - for Windows 8

taken from here How to Manage Wireless Network Connections & Profiles in Windows 8
How to Manage Wireless Network Connections & Profiles in Windows 8

You no longer have to navigate to the Network and Sharing Center, you just have to get to the network list.
To access the list you can click or tap the Wireless Networking icon in the system tray of your Desktop.
You can also move your cursor to the bottom right corner of the screen to activate the Charms. Click or tap “Settings" and then the Network icon.
Locate the network’s name (Security Set Identifier - SSID) from the list of available networks and right-click or press and hold on it.
Click or tap “View Connection Properties."

--------------
How to remove Wireless Profiles - for Vista and Windows 7
How to remove the existing wireless network profile in Windows 7 - Welcome to TP-LINK
Easy Way to Delete Wireless Network Profile in Windows 7
- Vista/Windows7:

Start> control Panel> classic view> network and sharing center> manage wireless networks
 
#16 ·
the connections are here

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 3:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 74-E5-0B-D7-6E-3F
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 74-E5-0B-D7-6E-3F
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : DC-0E-A1-48-7F-7D
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) Centrino(R) Wireless-N 1000
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 74-E5-0B-D7-6E-3E
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.5(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Sunday, July 05, 2015 8:59:19 AM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Monday, July 06, 2015 1:42:01 PM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Tunnel adapter isatap.{528D25E6-D654-47D2-AF3E-7A3086E683B1}:

And you are connected and just using
Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) Centrino(R) Wireless-N 1000

So nothing to do with anyone else or the router
Simply your PC

should we move onto the speed issue ?
 
#22 · (Edited)
so thats why its called WC1A 2
because thats the name of the profile

you also have a WCIA in the list and so if you connect to that
It will not show the "2" - BUT.....it maybe the old security settings

BUT you connect in the order of the profiles
if you click on WCIA see you can move it up the lost

now the PC will try and connect to that if its at the top of the lost
ALthough - THAT does say unsecure and that may have the security settings for your old router ?
same for the dlink

they are all the profiles the wireless has connected to - i guess the "stanleys tavern" is a pub or guest house / hotel you used the wifi at

you could rename WC1A 2 - to anything say
KNRover
and then it will still connect to
WC1A
But will show
KNRover
 
#23 ·
so thats why its called WC1A 2
because thats the name of the profile

you also have a WCIA in the list and so if you connect to that
It will not show the "2" - BUT.....it maybe the old security settings

BUT you connect in the order of the profiles
if you click on WCIA see you can move it up the


  • now the PC will try and connect to that if its at the top of the

    • Although - THAT does say unsecure and that may have the security settings for your old router ?
      same for the dlink

      they are all the profiles the wireless has connected to - i guess the "stanleys tavern" is a pub or guest house / hotel you used the wifi at

      you could rename WC1A 2 - to anything say
      KNRover
      and then it will still connect to
      WC1A
      But will show
      KNRover

    • Stanley's is indeed a tavern which has public wi-fi. The security setting for my old and new routers are the same: WPA2.

      I'm giving up on this. I'm sorry, but I still cannot understand having one . . . ONE SSID, but seeing 3 SSIDs associated with my router, and the laptop saying it's connected to WC1A 3, but also connected to WC1A 2, but if you disconnect from WC1A2, you are NOT still connected on WC1A3. None of it makes any sense.

      Thanks for trying.
 
#24 ·
Sorry, I cant seem to explain it to you well enough

you DONT have three SSIDs - just one

the profile is the name you are seeing - NOT the SSID name
the connection you are using on the PC - is called 3 and nothing to do with the SSID
and its JUST your PC

change the name in the profile as suggested

right click on WC1A 2 and rename call it anything you like

Now you will see that in the connections list
as its the name of the profiles

the password is that the same for the old and new router
and the SSID also the same name ?
 
#26 ·
Ok - so in that case - if you goto view connections and connect to WC1A item
it should connect to the wireless
if every thing is still the same

OR you could remove the profiles WC1A and WC1A 2 and then reconnect to the wireless signal which will be called WC1A again
and enter the password to connect

did the guys that replaced the router also use the PC and test and setup the wifi
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top