Wireless router problem

[gazgt]

I really hope that someone out there can help with this one, because I'm completely stumped.

In my house there are 2 PC's. The first one connects to the internet via a BT Voyager 2100 wireless router. The connection is fine and I have had no problems whatsoever with it. The second PC also connects wirelessly to the router (via a BT 1040 PCI adapter, for those of you taking notes), except I cannot view any websites on it, and I cannot for the life of me work out why.

It is NOT a problem with the router itself, as the first PC can view the internet with no hassle.

It is NOT a problem with the PCI adapter, as I have managed to set up a wireless connection between the two computers (for transferring files etc), and I can actually connect to the router fine. I just can't get online.

I have spoken to BT tech support and they have gone through various checks with me and confirmed that none of the equipment is faulty, and that the fault must be something locally to my PC. But I don't know what, and evidently, neither do they. Their first idea was that it might be a DNS issue and that it might be worthwhile getting the DNS addresses from my ISP and entering them manually, which I did, but it didn't solve anything.

So, does anyone have any ideas? Any thoughts at all on the matter would be appreciated because I just cannot see where I'm going wrong.

Thanks.

[johnwill]

Since you connect between computers, you can stop bothering the folks at BT Tech Support, since the adapter obviously works.

On the failing computer, as well as the good one, please do this, and label the outputs as to which is which.

Open a DOS window and type:

IPCONFIG /ALL >C:\RESULT.TXT

Open C:\RESULT.TXT with Notepad and copy/paste the entire results here.

[gazgt]

OK, I think I can now see where the problem is now, but I don't know how I'd go about solving it, so here you go...

First, here's the result from the PC which can connect to the net:

Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : FAMILY

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : home



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 2:



Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : VIA Rhine III Fast Ethernet Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-09-BB-13-35



Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Bluetooth PAN Network Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-09-57-8F-C5

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.50.1

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.50.10

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 15 August 2005 18:20:57

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 19 January 2038 04:14:07



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : home

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : RT2500 USB Wireless LAN Card

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-09-51-71-FA

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.2

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 15 August 2005 17:11:42

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 16 August 2005 17:11:42


And here's the result from my own PC, which still cannot get online:

Windows IP Configuration



Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Gary

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : Yes

DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : home



Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:



Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : home

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : BT Voyager 1040 PCI Adapter

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-11-F5-0B-A7-A8

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.3

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 15 August 2005 18:00:39

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 16 August 2005 18:00:39


I'm assuming (with my not-actually-that-PC-literate brain) that the problem lies in the 'IP routing Enabled' bit - am I right?

Anyway, thanks for your help so far.

[johnwill]

Nope, the routering bit has nothing to do with it:

From my system, which works fine:

Windows IP Configuration

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

I think I'd try a couple of repair scripts, I'm assuming this is XP-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 [log_file_name]

Note: the log_file_name needs to be specified, e.g. netsh int ip reset reset.log

[gazgt]

No, no luck with those commands - my situation is still the same.

The reason I asked about the IP thing is that I ran a Network diagnostic test earlier today and the only part that failed on my adapter was the IP address (screenshot should be attached). I don't know if that's particularly relevant (and I apologise again if that makes me sound a bit stupid), and if it is, do you know how I'd get around that?

Again, thanks for your help - hope we'll get there in the end!

[johnwill]

Very strange, especially the part about not being able to ping your own address. That normally indicates a driver or hardware problem. Have you tried downloading updated drivers?

[gazgt]

I downloaded and installed the latest drivers today, but it's made no difference. I even tried (out of sheer desperation) plugging the adapter into a different PCI slot and re-installing it. No joy.

Any other thoughts? Or do you think it's now reached the 'beyond help' stage?

[johnwill]

Do you have the XP install CD?

[gazgt]

(Much rummaging later)

Yes, I've still got it.

[johnwill]

That could be the next step!

[gazgt]

OK, do you mean to re-install Windows XP completely? Won't that remove any documents and programs I've got saved on the computer?

[johnwill]

Well, it was kind of a Tongue in Cheek suggestion.

This is one that defies an ASCII solution, I think I'd have to be up close and personal with the machine to determine what's going on.