My mum needs help

NeedleGunner · 27 Oct 2007 at 22:09

My mum has been having trouble with her network. To cut a long story short her network was working fine (wireless connected to a really old pc, she just wanted to use her laptop downstairs) until my brother borrowed it. When he gave it her back she couldn't connect to the network.

My 2 brothers have tried to fix it and couldn't, so I decided to start from scratch and formatted her laptop. It still doesn't work

It's cracking my mum up, as my step dad is giving her loads of grief.

Can someone please tell me how to set up a new network for her.

She's on Virgin,router is a dlink DI 604 and her wireless access point is a dlink dwl-2000 ap.

The thing that bugs the most is I've set my own network up a few times and I can't seem to get it going. ******* me off now.

Simple as possible please so I can point my mum to this thread

Duke · 27 Oct 2007 at 22:15

Is the wireless card built into the laptop or is it a USB or PCMCIA card? Can it 'see' the wireless network at all? Need bit more info

tolien · 27 Oct 2007 at 22:17

Laptop sees wireless router, laptop connects to wireless router, laptop gets IP address et al from router, job done. Even if someone wanted to write a step-by-step guide (and you'd have a better chance if you said what the problem was), you haven't given enough information to do it.

What part doesn't work? If she's not trying to share files, there's nothing that desperately complicated to go wrong...

Fr0dders · 27 Oct 2007 at 22:17

ok to summarise

you've got a wirless laptop that you want to connect to a wireless ap that is in turn attached to a wired router. Ill assume the old PC you mention isnt used in some horrible kind of internet connection sharing fiasco.

I would do the following first.

1) attempt to get the network working via a wired connection. Get a patch lead and take the laptop to the router. Does this connect properly ?

if not why. you should set the laptop to obtain IP address automatically, if thats checked, the router may not be giving out IPs, may have to factory reset the router.

2) assuming the above works, you should then be able to progress onto the next wirless stage. When you scan for networks, does it find it at all ? you should find your network listed and then select it from the list, where it will prompt you for any encryption you have.

if it doesnt find it, what happens if you put the SSID and wep key in manually ? maybe the SSID isnt being braodcasted over the wireless. again, may be an idea to perform factory reset of the AP so you know what its broadcasting as.

NeedleGunner · 27 Oct 2007 at 22:25

Duke said:
Is the wireless card built into the laptop or is it a USB or PCMCIA card? Can it 'see' the wireless network at all? Need bit more info

Yes

tolien said:
Laptop sees wireless router, laptop connects to wireless router, laptop gets IP address et al from router, job done. Even if someone wanted to write a step-by-step guide (and you'd have a better chance if you said what the problem was), you haven't given enough information to do it.

What part doesn't work? If she's not trying to share files, there's nothing that desperately complicated to go wrong...

Shes got a router and an wireless access point and can't connect to her network. Can't see it either.

Cheers MrLoL. Will try that tomorrow