Laptop can't connect to Linksys WRT54GS

Hey, guys. Back again.

For the last month, I've had nothing but problems with my Internet connection. It started with some trouble with the connection itself. I would be downstairs with my laptop, and the connection would just cut in and out randomly. It became incredibly frustrating. I tried connecting upstairs, in my parents' room, about fifteen feet away from the router and that worked pretty well for a while. Within about a week, it started to cut out even at that distance.

I went to my local Best Buy and asked the Geek Squad for some help. We'd done practically everything there was to do. Unplugged the router and plugged it back in, hardwired it, changed the channels, pretty much all we could think of and everything we were told to try.

The Geek Squad basically told us that we would have to get a new router. So, we went out and got a brand-spankin'-new Linksys WRT54GS. Not from Best Buy, but from Wal-Mart (though from what I've been told by friends who once worked there, they don't handle things too well, and the antennae may be damaged, so that's a possible reason for my problem). We hooked it up about two weeks ago and tried making it work. It picks up the internet fine, and the desktop, which is always hardwired, works perfectly. It was only when we tried making the laptop wireless that it became evident that this would be the bane of our existence for some time to come (until now, hopefully).

We've done a lot of the things everyone has said to do with this router, as well. We've tried resetting it, different passwords, various modifications to both network settings to make them compatible involving security and whatnot, and none of that has worked.

As you can imagine, hardwiring the machine to the router works well, but it's not what we want in our network. Now, down to the specifics since I know you guys who want to help are absolutely pulling your hair out by this point with miscellaneous facts.

The machine we are trying to make wireless is a Toshiba Satellite just purchased last year, it has Windows Vista, with an Atheros AR5006EG Wireless Network Adapter and Realtek RTL8101E Family PCI-E Fast Ethernet NIC (NDIS 6.0). Neither of them are deemed 'suitable' by Network Stumbler. We tried installing a Linksys Wireless Adapter, but it doesn't seem to have done much of anything, either.

The desktop is a Windows XP machine, about four or five years old, and is hardwired. I don't think that there's much other vital information needed there, but if you want, I could provide more specifics.

This issue has been plaguing my family and I for a month now, and being in a long-distance relationship, the internet is pretty much a must to keep in contact with my girlfriend (since she can't always access the phone). Thanks in advance!

 

the simple thing to check first is tyo make sure the laptop is communicating with the router. click start >run>typr cmd> type ip config/release> then ipconfig/renew.
the next this you wan to try is to log into the router go to wireless settings and enable wireless connections this should begin to broadcast the signal.

 

Noob question here, when I type in 'ipconfig/release', it says 'The requested operation requires elevation.' Does this mean I have to do anything else, or do I have to run out and buy a U2 CD or...?

 

No don't get the U2 cd yet. lets go through this a little slower, cause it sounds like you were not able to get your ip renewed.
lets try it again this time start>run>cmd>ipconfig/all. If you are connected to the router in any way, the message it gives you will (should ) display your laptop name, your router name, and the ip address should be something like 192.168..... if you get a 169.... or any other 3 digit number not 192, you are probably not communicating with the router at all.
then you would need to plug directly into your router and look for the settings tab under wireless connections or wireless settings. you will then have to enable ssid broadcast. this will send out your wireless signal which your laptop should pick up.

 

http://www.computerperformance.co.u...em_The_requested_operation_requires_elevation

 

Hey, guys. Sorry it's taken a bit to respond. I have an IPv4 and IPv6 address, the former has a 192.... address. I also tried the SSID thing, it was already enabled, and so far, nothing doing. Also, the laptop does pick up signal from the router, but I cannot connect because of not having the right 'network requirements', or not being hardwired in general.

 

So now even hardwiring it doesn't work. We have disconnected the router entirely, and we are going to call the cable company about it tomorrow, maybe the Geek Squad if they can't do anything. If anyone has any ideas, again, help would be appreciated.

 

New router (Netgear), same problem (won't connect on laptop).

So, the problem from my last post is still persisting. It was never resolved, and I cannot connect to the internet without hardwiring the machine to the router.

Our new router is a Netgear RangeMax Wireless Router, or WPN824. It gave us a pretty nifty light show on boot-up, but we cannot connect to the internet, and I doubt we could even if the guys from the old Pink Floyd shows were in charge of building the thing.

Anyway, we try connecting, and it gives us these warnings. I have an inkling that it may not be the router, it may be the modem, or the laptop itself. I have a Toshiba Satellite laptop, and the rest... well, it's pretty well covered in the link above. Any help is appreciated.

-Ron

 

Merged threads for you GuitarRon. You don't have to start a new thread for the same ongoing issue

 

Alright, thanks!