ntl BB and wireless router

lostandconfused · 13-10-2006, 05:48

hi, i hope someone can help as im completely lost now : s
to give a bit of background, i just bought a new laptop and it is meant to be wireless so i thought i would get a wireless router so i can use it and my desktop in another room. the BB is working fine on both pc's connected via cable but i have to unplug one to use the other and it is a bit annoying sometimes

i bought a Belkin Wireless Cable/DSL Gateway Router 802.11b 54g, i followed the instructions that came with it and couldnt get it to connect at all, the lights were on apart from the WAN light, i called belkin tech support and they said it was faulty and i should return it.

i then bought a linksys wireless B broadband router and im getting the same sort of problem, the power and wireless b lights are on and the internet light but my laptop wont seem to pick up the signal at all.

its a new laptop so i assume the wireless bit works as its always saying wireless connection not connected when i log on, i was just wondering does it have to be activated or something?

i hope someone can help beacuse its really starting to get the better of me and i can see myself with an expensive frisbeen soon

many thanks

fireman328 · 13-10-2006, 07:35

I am not a teccy but have u switched the wireless on, on the laptop ? I have an ADVENT lap top and on the keyboard F1 is a picture in blue of a stylised aerial, it could need you to find that picture and ush the button to switch wireless on.

Graham M · 13-10-2006, 07:39

Err have you plugged your Modem into the WAN port?

Make sure it isn't plugged into 1,2,3 or 4 which it sounds like you have done

popper · 13-10-2006, 09:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by lostandconfused

hi, i hope someone can help as im completely lost now : s
to give a bit of background, i just bought a new laptop and it is meant to be wireless so i thought i would get a wireless router so i can use it and my desktop in another room. the BB is working fine on both pc's connected via cable but i have to unplug one to use the other and it is a bit annoying sometimes

i bought a Belkin Wireless Cable/DSL Gateway Router 802.11b 54g, i followed the instructions that came with it and couldnt get it to connect at all, the lights were on apart from the WAN light, i called belkin tech support and they said it was faulty and i should return it.

i then bought a linksys wireless B broadband router and im getting the same sort of problem, the power and wireless b lights are on and the internet light but my laptop wont seem to pick up the signal at all.

its a new laptop so i assume the wireless bit works as its always saying wireless connection not connected when i log on, i was just wondering does it have to be activated or something?

i hope someone can help beacuse its really starting to get the better of me and i can see myself with an expensive frisbeen soon

many thanks

its easy to get lost, tag your it

.

right , get back to basics, whats the exact model you have now, url to the pdf incase its needed later, assuming your main machine is a wired connection to the router ?,the wired bit works fine and you can browse the net with that?.

because you have now tryed two makes/routers with the same problem,'wireless connection not connected' it seems the laptop setting are wrong as out-the-box w-routers should just be plug-in and go, or at least get to the point were you can connect 2 or more machines together on the lan and ping each other.

did the lappy come with its own wireless settings app (most 3rd party ones do along with the driver), assuming your on xp and are currently useing the xp auto wireless config bits, does the above app make a difference to searching and finding/connecting to the router?.

assuming your main machine is wired and working, find the w-routers built-in mini webserver (just like the ntl modem has) and see if its wireless radio options are turned on, they should be as i said, but confirm it anyway, then we can look at the lappys wireless card , what is it exactly?, cmd: ipconfig /all to get an idea of make, ip etc.

you say the WAN light is off, did you use the right straight through rj45 cable to connect it to the NTL250? but lets get the basic machine to machine lan part working for now.

ping each others ip's once we get past that 'wireless connection not connected' problem and if needs be use fixed ip setting for the NC cards (192.168.0.2 and .3) to simplyfy etc.

lostandconfused · 13-10-2006, 14:59

hello, thank you all for your replies its much appreciated.
the latop is an advent 7107, ive just noticed what appears to be a wireless connection button in one of the "Fn" buttons, ive tried pressing it and nothing seems to happen.

i cant even get it to connect to the router via a cable, i get the message, limited or no connectivity.

i am currently on xp, and the settings seem to be on auto, but if i click on the icon so i can choose a wireless network there are none found in range.

im not sure how to do the mini webserver thing, im not very technical when it comes to routers!

at the moment im using the linksys as it does look easier to use, the power, wireless B and internet lights are all on, when trying to get it to work the sacm is plugged into the internet port at the back not the numbered ones.

again many thanks for your replies

Cobbydaler · 13-10-2006, 15:01

Do you have to use another key in conjunction with the function key? Is the icon on it in a different colour?

lostandconfused · 13-10-2006, 15:11

it is blue so it is part of the Fn key, i have pressed them both and nothing seems to happen,
there is a light at the front where the power is etc and there is a wireless network light there and it flashes once when i press it but then nothing.

im pretty sure its the settings on my laptop as i would have to be really unlucky for 2 routers not to work

update.

ive got it to connect the a wireless network thank you cobby i think it was that.

it now says all connected fine but when i click on internet explorer it comes up page cannot be displayed.

at least im getting somewhere now : D

Cobbydaler · 13-10-2006, 16:07

Switch everything off & turn back on in the order Modem, Router, Laptop.

Wait for each to stabilise before turning the next one on...

popper · 13-10-2006, 16:14

if you give the 'whats the exact model you have now, url to the pdf incase its needed later' and a link to the PDF manual then we can tell you the url to use http://192.168.0.1 or http://10.0.0.1 for instance,it will be written in the manual somewere.

the Fn key will be assigned to an app somewere on your drive, there will also be that 3rd party wireless app as well probably, it seems your using the xp stuff right now, but seeing as yousaid its now connecting then when you find the right url, you will find that the laptop mac etc is in the web entrys somewere, iv just skimed your posts as im busy right now but ir seems your problem is now in the router settings, go find that url and post all the info (for other to learn later) and we can type you through it if needs be.

lostandconfused · 13-10-2006, 16:32

do you mean the model of the router?
its a BEFW11S4 ver.4
and the laptop is advent 7107 EEA-89

im sorry im not sure what you mean the url to pdf.

sorry if im not helping much

have done the reboot, same effect, it's got the wireless bit going just wont connect to internet, ive switched off both netguard and winows firewall just incase it was that but no change

popper · 13-10-2006, 19:05

right now we can progress, i see the router is 11b, and thats fine for upto 4mbit, it will probably be ok for the 10mbit as well as the units 11b is speced to 11 mbit.

i get the impression you still have the belkin 11g that runs at the salesmans rate of 54mbit but infact 11g is 22mbit real rate so that would be best for your 20mbit trial speed, 11g+ or better the new 11n kit is mid term future proof, but lets move on.

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satel...=1115416826220

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satel...&ssbinary=true
this quick install seems to think the default url for the mini-webserver is http://192.168.1.1 (the ntl250 being http://192.168.100.1 ) so go there and take a look at the options and see if the lappy is listed as connected, do that ipconfig /all and past it here as asked btw.

"B

A password request screen will appear. Leave the User Name field empty, and enter the default password, admin, in lowercase letters in the Password field. (For added security, you should later set a new password, using the Administration tab’s Management screen of the Web-based Utility). Then click the OK button. "

the pdf full user manual here:
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satel...&ssbinary=true

---------- Post added at 19:05 ---------- Previous post was at 17:50 ----------

The Wireless Tab - Wireless Network Access
is the part that will show the lappy connected or not to the router (as in it should match the ipconfig info for the lappy.

The Setup Tab - Basic Setup

Choose the type of Internet connection your ISP provides from the drop down menuDHCP. By default, the Router’s Internet Connection Type is set
to Obtain an IP automatically
be kept only if your ISP supports DHCP or you are connecting through a dynamic IP address."

is how it should be set by default and the only bit you need worry about as in affect the router is now the first computer, the ntl250 gives the router its ntl ip address through the DHCP.

then the router uses its own DHCP to give you your computers lan ip's as 192.168.1.* by default so if that bits working your ipconfig /all should say something like 192.168.1.101 for the lappy, get it?.

lostandconfused · 13-10-2006, 19:29

hi, im sorry to be such a pain,
ive gone through the settings, host and domain name ntl.com as per tsb
is on obtain ip adrees auto
local ip adress 192.168.1.1
subnet mask 255.255.255.0

go to save and it saus settings are successfull, then goes to page cannot be displayed

have tried rebooting to no avail,
is it possible to take my laptop and router to a pc shop and they can get it all up and running so i can just bring it home and plug in?

Graham M · 13-10-2006, 19:31

I dont think you answered my original question, have you plugged the CM into the WAN Port or just into a port on the switch?

popper · 13-10-2006, 19:36

i imagine leave them blank or defaults apart form 'host name' just pick a name just as you would for the xp machine.

i cant find an add or the website that states the wireless card used by deafault all it asays is
"Indicates that the laptop supports WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network). All products supporting WLAN can communicate with each other. The Wi-Fi standards are: IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g." so it should have worked with the 11g belkin (but i hate belkin wireless as its not easy to get non windows drivers lol)

Marge · 13-10-2006, 19:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeph

I dont think you answered my original question, have you plugged the CM into the WAN Port or just into a port on the switch?

Think was answered in Post 5

Quote:

when trying to get it to work the sacm is plugged into the internet port at the back not the numbered ones.