Strange Wireless problem

bigbadish

bigbadish

bigbadish

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Joined
2 Mar 2004
Posts
706
Location
Shropshire
Hi guys,

I've just bought a new wireless router for the house (A Phillips SNB5600) and hooked it up. Let me give you the useful info first.

  • The Cable modem is downstairs in the lounge.
  • The 2 PCs I was using with the old wireless router and want to now use with the Phillips router are upstairs.
  • I have plumbed one PC into the router and configured it, so I've got WPA security with a password, put MAC filtering on and put the two PCs Physical Addresses in, enabled the router firewall and a few other things I can't remember.
  • I'm using my old Wireless PCI card software to connect to the router.

OK, so the second PC (not the one plumbed in to the router) can find the router and, with the correct WPA passphrase connect and everyone's happy. My problem is with the PC that is currently working, but has to be directly plmbed into the router with a rather long cable.... I have the same PCI card and software that I used for the old router and I can find the new router when I scan for it using the PCI cards software, but it just will not connect wirelessly...

I have re-typed the passphrase several times so that can't be the problem, and I've also check the MAC address is correct. I'm a little stumped now as I'm no expert.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
In addition DHCP was enabled as default. The other PC can connect to the wireless router fine, but for some reason this machine cannot, without being plumbed in (But it can find the router with the tool).
 
Make sure there is nothing interfering with the wireless signal - wireless phone basestations etc.

Try switching off wireless encryption and see if it works then. I doubt it will but worth checking.

This is likely to be a wireless protocol issue and hence rather difficult to fix. What OS is the 2nd PC?
 
radderfire said:
Make sure there is nothing interfering with the wireless signal - wireless phone basestations etc.

Try switching off wireless encryption and see if it works then. I doubt it will but worth checking.

This is likely to be a wireless protocol issue and hence rather difficult to fix. What OS is the 2nd PC?
Click to expand...

Thery're both running XP. It's really strage because the old router worked fine, well until it broke :(

I've now put an order in for a Linksys router from OCuK so I will set that up and report back if I find the same problems :).
 
OK then, I've taken receipt of my Linksys and was after some confirmation if I may.

My plan was too:

  1. Throw in and run through the installation CD.
  2. Connect the Modem to the Router and the Router to the PC.
  3. Attempt to correctly configure the Router, starting with basic SSID name and get the two PCs to find the Router without security.
  4. If both PCs find and successfully connect then I will go back into the Router and set up WPA with a nice long alphanumeric Passphrase
  5. I have not decided yet, but if I can set it up successfully and the connection strength is <60% then I may install Tomato as I believe it has a signal boost option.

If anyone has a better, fool proof way to set it up that would be appreciated as I did have problems with the last Phillips Router.

Cheers.
 
Bear in mind that the signal boost only works one way, it'll transmit from the router at a higher level, but it can't change the level at which the router recieves.
Another way to improve the signal to noise ratio is to upgrade the antennas using the "Linksys HGA7T High Gain Antenna" kit.
And yes, install tomato, a million miles better than the default Linksys firmware, both in terms of stability and features.
 
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