2 laptops not getting wireless connections Direct cable into router works. Need help!

btech · 01-13-2007, 08:54 PM

Hello. We have two laptops and one desktop pc, a cable modem and a Linksys WRT54G wireless router. This morning and into the early afternoon we had both laptops on line, both at the same time and at different times during the day. As of tonight both laptops can not access the internet by wireless- for several hours now. I have the one I'm on now connected directly into the router with a cable. The desktop pc gets online fine too. The wireless icons both show there are no wireless networks available. Even though after a re-start I get the little pop up to see available networks. Nothing is in there. If I go into the Broadcome wireless utility there are no available networks to choose from even after choosing refresh. In the wireless connection area it says windows cannot configure this wireless connection. If I refresh network list I get the same thing. I have restarted both computers, as well and recycled power on both the router and modem, reset the modem. Powered everything down for a couple of hours with no luck.

Oh, when I do ipconfig on wireless I get ethernet adapter media state disconnected. After I connected this laptop directly to the router and did ipconfig, I obtained an ip, subnet and gateway addresses and the rest looks like this:

Ethernet adapter <2FC0CFAA-D2DC-4345-B896-839EFB621948
Media State.......Media Disconnected

Ethernet adapter wireless network connection:
Media State......Media disconnected

At first I figured it was just my laptop because it very frequently looses internet connected, even though my wireless connection utilities shows a strong signal and connected, it just drops all the time and I have to recycle power on the router, but when I tried the other laptop for troubleshooting, it has the exact same problem.

Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

btech · 01-14-2007, 10:02 AM

No luck with re-setting everything and having all machines, router and modem powered down all night. I thought that might help.

Could the weather possibly have anything to do with the wireless issues? We are in the middle of very unusual winter weather with lots of sleet and ice. Just a thought since all this started after a hard sleet yesterday afternoon? Wishful thinking I guess. :)

Thanks!

**johnwill** · 01-14-2007, 06:07 PM

Sounds like the router is failing. Since you have two wireless clients doing the same thing, you need to look at common points of failure, that would be the router, specifically the wireless section.

Is it possible you have some other source of interference with the wireless signal? Neighbors wireless networks, wireless phones, etc.?

btech · 01-14-2007, 08:42 PM

I can't think of anything out of the ordinary that would cause interference, that's why I thought the weird weather might have something to do with it. My parents have the exact same router at their house that they never use, I think I will run and get it in a bit and see if it works. That is if I can get out of my driveway. I will post back when I find out. Thanks alot for your help!!

btech · 01-14-2007, 10:33 PM

Ok, here's the verdict. I hooked up the other router from my parents house and it found the router, but still no connection. Same error as on my router, network not connected. So I went ahead and hooked my router back up and of course got the same thing. I then asked my husband -again- if anything around the house has changed wireless wise and he said well, I changed the security camera channel yesterday afternoon. Anyway, just for grins he went out and changed the channel back to what is was, and before he could even get back in the house I was online and running. So, that's what it was!!! Very frustrating, but glad it's working. Thanks for your help johnwill. I appreciate it!

**johnwill** · 01-15-2007, 02:09 PM

It sure sounded like interference, glad it was an easy fix.

01-13-2007, 08:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
btech Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 77 OS: XP	2 laptops not getting wireless connections Direct cable into router works. Need help! Hello. We have two laptops and one desktop pc, a cable modem and a Linksys WRT54G wireless router. This morning and into the early afternoon we had both laptops on line, both at the same time and at different times during the day. As of tonight both laptops can not access the internet by wireless- for several hours now. I have the one I'm on now connected directly into the router with a cable. The desktop pc gets online fine too. The wireless icons both show there are no wireless networks available. Even though after a re-start I get the little pop up to see available networks. Nothing is in there. If I go into the Broadcome wireless utility there are no available networks to choose from even after choosing refresh. In the wireless connection area it says windows cannot configure this wireless connection. If I refresh network list I get the same thing. I have restarted both computers, as well and recycled power on both the router and modem, reset the modem. Powered everything down for a couple of hours with no luck. Oh, when I do ipconfig on wireless I get ethernet adapter media state disconnected. After I connected this laptop directly to the router and did ipconfig, I obtained an ip, subnet and gateway addresses and the rest looks like this: Ethernet adapter <2FC0CFAA-D2DC-4345-B896-839EFB621948 Media State.......Media Disconnected Ethernet adapter wireless network connection: Media State......Media disconnected At first I figured it was just my laptop because it very frequently looses internet connected, even though my wireless connection utilities shows a strong signal and connected, it just drops all the time and I have to recycle power on the router, but when I tried the other laptop for troubleshooting, it has the exact same problem. Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

01-14-2007, 06:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,679 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Sounds like the router is failing. Since you have two wireless clients doing the same thing, you need to look at common points of failure, that would be the router, specifically the wireless section. Is it possible you have some other source of interference with the wireless signal? Neighbors wireless networks, wireless phones, etc.? __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

01-15-2007, 02:09 PM	#6 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,679 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	It sure sounded like interference, glad it was an easy fix. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

01-14-2007, 10:02 AM	#2 (permalink)
btech Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 77 OS: XP	No luck with re-setting everything and having all machines, router and modem powered down all night. I thought that might help. Could the weather possibly have anything to do with the wireless issues? We are in the middle of very unusual winter weather with lots of sleet and ice. Just a thought since all this started after a hard sleet yesterday afternoon? Wishful thinking I guess. :) Thanks!

01-14-2007, 08:42 PM	#4 (permalink)
btech Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 77 OS: XP	I can't think of anything out of the ordinary that would cause interference, that's why I thought the weird weather might have something to do with it. My parents have the exact same router at their house that they never use, I think I will run and get it in a bit and see if it works. That is if I can get out of my driveway. I will post back when I find out. Thanks alot for your help!!

01-14-2007, 10:33 PM	#5 (permalink)
btech Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 77 OS: XP	Ok, here's the verdict. I hooked up the other router from my parents house and it found the router, but still no connection. Same error as on my router, network not connected. So I went ahead and hooked my router back up and of course got the same thing. I then asked my husband -again- if anything around the house has changed wireless wise and he said well, I changed the security camera channel yesterday afternoon. Anyway, just for grins he went out and changed the channel back to what is was, and before he could even get back in the house I was online and running. So, that's what it was!!! Very frustrating, but glad it's working. Thanks for your help johnwill. I appreciate it!