PC w/ wireless USB adapter can't connect to network?

[kiteless]

Right.

I'd say I'm quite familiar with networking but this problem has me stumped.

I'm trying to get a desktop PC to connect to my wireless network (which presently has only one desktop PC on it). The router came free with the service from Orange (it's called a 'Livebox', manufactured possibly by some company called Inventel?). I'm using a wireless USB adapter, a Netgear one, I think it's the WG111. I bought it while I was living in America (I'm in the UK now). Basically, the USB adapter can see my network but cannot connect. I've turned the firewall off and the WEP off for the sake of troubleshooting. Using either the XP application or the Netgear application, I ask it to connect to my network, and then it either does nothing or pauses for a second and says just above the taskbar "wireless connection unavailable". In the command prompt, ipconfig reveals that the media state is disconnected. The adapter has a small blue LED that just flashes, which according to Netgear's manual, means its searching for a network. I thought it could be some kind of issue involving a clash between the XP and Netgear applications, but I've tried them both alone and nothing changes.

I assumed there must be an issue with the USB adapter so I went out and bought a Belkin USB adapter. Exact same issue - "wireless connection unavailable". So I'm sure there's nothing wrong with my adapter, which brings me to the PC I'm trying to connect - I can't imagine there is anything wrong with that as I literally reinstalled XP last night because the hard drive failed recently. I've checked the settings on the router firmware and everything looks fine.

Obviously this has something to do with the fact that my computer doesn't really see my USB adapter since it comes up in ipconfig as "media disconnected", but I'm stuck. Any ideas are highly appreciated.

Thanks

[kiteless]

Okay, a little update, no resolution though. I found this fix on another forum while looking around for answers:

1.Start Registry Editor.

2.Locate the following registry subkey:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Tcpip\Parameters

3.Add the following registry entry to the Parameters subkey:

Name: DisableDHCPMediaSense
Data type: REG_DWORD (Boolean)
Value: 1

Note This entry controls the behavior of Media Sensing. By default, Media Sensing events trigger a DHCP client to take an action. For example, when a connect event occurs, the client tries to obtain a lease. When a disconnect event occurs, the client may invalidate the interface and routes. If you set this value data to 1, DHCP clients and non-DHCP clients ignore Media Sensing events.

4.Restart the computer.

I ran ipconfig again and got this:

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\edward>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : ed
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 5:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NETGEAR WG111 802.11g Wireless USB2.
0 Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-B5-90-A6-91
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255

..which looked really promising until...

C:\Documents and Settings\edward>ipconfig /renew

Windows IP Configuration

An error occurred while renewing interface Wireless Network Connection 5 : unabl
e to contact your DHCP server. Request has timed out.

Then for some reason while I was fiddling around it returned this:

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\edward>ipconfig /all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : ed
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 5:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NETGEAR WG111 802.11g Wireless USB2.
0 Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-B5-90-A6-91
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.193.58
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

None of this made much difference though, and after optimistically plugging and unplugging USB devices like this guy suggested, I still cannot connect. Any advice is appreciated!

[johnwill]

TCP/IP stack repair options for use with Windows XP with SP2.

For these commands, Start, Run, CMD to open a command prompt.

Reset WINSOCK entries to installation defaults: netsh winsock reset catalog

Reset TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. netsh int ip reset reset.log

[kiteless]

Installed SP2 and tried these commands. All they did was send my media state back to being disconnected.

Moved my unconnected PC into same room as connected PC in case it was a weak signal issue, which it is not, I still can't pick up the network. Also, I've no idea why the first DHCP server I posted about above is 255.255.255.255 - absolutely ridiculous. Router IP is 192.168.1.1. To clarify, obtain IP and DNS automatically IS turned on in TCP/IP properties on the PC.

This is driving me crazy, been searching high and low. I can't seem to find this problem anywhere. If anyone has any idea, please help, I'm leaving on Thursday morning and would like this to be resolved before then. Thanks.

EDIT: Trying to give as much info as possible. The router is an Inventel DV4210-WU provided by Orange. I can hardly find anything useful on Google about this product.

[johnwill]

The 0.0.0.0 IP address is normally either a driver corruption issue, or defective hardware. The only other reason is usually a duplicate IP address on the network.

[kentlaptops]

Originally Posted by kiteless

Right.

I'd say I'm quite familiar with networking but this problem has me stumped.

I'm trying to get a desktop PC to connect to my wireless network (which presently has only one desktop PC on it). The router came free with the service from Orange (it's called a 'Livebox', manufactured possibly by some company called Inventel?). I'm using a wireless USB adapter, a Netgear one, I think it's the WG111. I bought it while I was living in America (I'm in the UK now). Basically, the USB adapter can see my network but cannot connect. I've turned the firewall off and the WEP off for the sake of troubleshooting. Using either the XP application or the Netgear application, I ask it to connect to my network, and then it either does nothing or pauses for a second and says just above the taskbar "wireless connection unavailable". In the command prompt, ipconfig reveals that the media state is disconnected. The adapter has a small blue LED that just flashes, which according to Netgear's manual, means its searching for a network. I thought it could be some kind of issue involving a clash between the XP and Netgear applications, but I've tried them both alone and nothing changes.

I assumed there must be an issue with the USB adapter so I went out and bought a Belkin USB adapter. Exact same issue - "wireless connection unavailable". So I'm sure there's nothing wrong with my adapter, which brings me to the PC I'm trying to connect - I can't imagine there is anything wrong with that as I literally reinstalled XP last night because the hard drive failed recently. I've checked the settings on the router firmware and everything looks fine.

Obviously this has something to do with the fact that my computer doesn't really see my USB adapter since it comes up in ipconfig as "media disconnected", but I'm stuck. Any ideas are highly appreciated.

Thanks

Try resetting your router to channel 11

[L1Technician]

Try re-installing the driver of the adapter and use the latest version. If you're not connected to the network basically your IP address will be 169.254.193.58. Try connecting to your network and if that is connected check the IP address. It should be other than 169.xxx. If your connected to the network and still the IP address is 169.xxx try assisgning static IP address on your computer.

[johnwill]

Why are you two posting to a year old thread? Surely, this problem has been resolved by now, or don't you think he would have posted again?

[L1Technician]

Originally Posted by johnwill

The 0.0.0.0 IP address is normally either a driver corruption issue, or defective hardware. The only other reason is usually a duplicate IP address on the network.

He will notice that anyway a pop-up message will show IP address conflict.

[Cellus]

As the OP has not posted in a little over a year, for all intended purposes this particular issue and this thread has concluded. If the OP still has this issue, or another issue, they may start a new thread.

There is no point continuing with this necropost, so I'm closing this thread.