WRT54G - Cannot Automatically Connect to Internet

[June]

Sorry, I originally posted this under XP. Posting again with more detail.

Had a thunderstorm a couple of days ago and since then I cannot automatically connect to the internet. I must connect manually by doing the following:

Run/services.msn/Wireless Zero Configuration/Start.
Right click computer icon/View Available Wireless Networks/Change the order of preferred networks/check:Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings.

Then I am connected to the internet. This is a real pain. Before this I was automatically connected. I cannot seem to keep that check mark (Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings)in the WirelessiNetwork Connectin 2 Properties.

I use Comcast cable. I have upgraded my firmware. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[jflan]

A few ideas...
Had a thunderstorm a couple of days ago and since then I cannot automatically connect to the internet.
Try power-cycling the router. Unplug all the lines to the Linksys for about 3 min, then re-plug. Your gateway is working so this may not help...won't hurt, though.

Run/services.msn/Wireless Zero Configuration/Start.
I'm wireless at the moment and my setting here is *automatic* and not running.
Right click computer icon/View Available Wireless Networks/Change the order of preferred networks/check:Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings.
I have my best results keeping Windows out of the set-up as much as possible. What is your on-board wireless hardware? Do you have a utility with this that you can launch, and conduct a set-up from that envirnment?
I have upgraded my firmware.
Was this the Linksys firmware?

JF

[PeteF]

A few thoughts...

Since it was a lightning storm and/or power power condition that started
this problem I suspect two things. Either a configuration file got corrupted
or the Wireless adapter saw a spike and it's in some kind of weird mode,
or worse case, physically damaged.

Going on that, I'd physically remove the wireless adapter, restart the
computer and uninstall all associated software for the adapter.

Leave the wireless adapter removed for a few hours or over night
to allow it to "reset".

As an extra measure, I'd use an ethernet cable connected directly
to the router to see if all works normally. This is just to verify the
router is working properly.

Then I'd try reinstalling the wireless adapter from scratch.
If the problem still exists I suspect the adapter has physical
damage and I'd contact their tech support via Email and tell
them all the details.

---pete---

[dbarrow]

I would put my money on the router. It may have taken a sizzle.
As suggested, try a reset on the router first.
If the computer was not connected by any physical cables at the time, I would doubt that it was effected.

[June]

Thanks everyone. I have had wireless for awhile but have never had a problem. Working with this is new to me and I don't understand some of the lingo. Please bear with me while I try to clear up a few things.

Jflan: I think I did the power-cycle thing with Linksys on the phone. What we did was disconnect everything, reset the router and then hook everything back up. That's how I got back on line but didn't realize when I restarted I would have to get back on line manually each time.

I'm wireless at the moment and my setting here is *automatic* and not running.

I don't understand what you are saying here.

What is your on-board wireless hardware? Do you have a utility with this that you can launch, and conduct a set-up from that envirnment?

Again, this sounds Greek to me. What is on-board wireless hardware? I went to Control Panel and searched hardware. I saw three things that could be what you are asking: Realteck Ethernet NIC, Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN snf 1394 Net Adapter. Utility?????? What is that?

I have upgraded my firmware.
Was this the Linksys firmware?

Yes.


Pete:
Going on that, I'd physically remove the wireless adapter, restart the computer and uninstall all associated software for the adapter.

What is the wireless adapter? I'm not connected to anything. In Add/Remove I see Broadcom 802.11 Wireless LAN Adaptor and Broadcom Wireless Utility.

As an extra measure, I'd use an ethernet cable connected directly to the router to see if all works normally. This is just to verify the
router is working properly.

I assumed the router was working because I can get on line wirelessly. Are you saying to hook up the laptop and the router with the ethernet and then restart to see if I get on line automatically?

Believe me guys, it's not as bad as it sounds. You can ask Rich. With his help, I did a clean install and added RAM to my desktop. Once you help me work out the language so I can understand, I can follow your instructions. :boink:

Thanks in advance for your patience.

[PeteF]

What is the wireless adapter? I'm not connected to anything. In Add/Remove I see Broadcom 802.11 Wireless LAN Adaptor and Broadcom Wireless Utility.

I assumed the router was working because I can get on line wirelessly. Are you saying to hook up the laptop and the router with the ethernet and then restart to see if I get on line automatically?


I was previously following your original post where you told about
Linksys tech support helping you and diagnosing the problem as
being with your wireless adapter and NOT the router.
Where is that post now???? I can't seem to find it.

Anyway, going on that, I assumed you had a wireless card that
you could unplug. I'm still not sure what you have there for the
wireless connection. Is it onboard (built into the motherboard)
or is it a plug-in card that you can remove?

About the ethernet connection, I'm just saying to hook that
up to the router and see if it connects automatically. It's not
necessary to do this, but it would just help to verify the router
is working properly.

One other question, was this Laptop plugged into the
wall outlet when the thuderstorm hit?

---pete---

[jflan]

June,

1. *automatic* thing
I was describing my existing settings for comparison.
Run Box > type services.msc > scroll to Windows Zero Configuration
This should be set to automatic. (manual and disabled are the other two choices)

2. On-board hardware and utility.
This, you answered in your last post.
You have a Broadcom Wireless Adapter and a Broadcom Wireless Utility.
That means that you have a Broadcom chipset that allows your notebook to connect to a wireless gateway (your Linksys router).
And you also have a small program (Broadcom Wireless Utility) that was written expressly to manage the Broadcom chipset.

I think that your answer could be with the Broadcom utility.
Launch the Broadcom utility and try to connect to your network.
You will want to have your ISP credentials handy (username, provider etc)
in case you are asked.
It would be helpful to have a tutorial or a start-up guide if you have never done this. Maybe the little utility has a help button.
There is an easy, kind of automatic method and a more invloved manual method to do this. Depends on the H/W and S/W and security settings.

It will either auto-connect to your Linksys router or you will have to help it by telling it what settings to use.

Let's hope for auto-majic and please post back if you hit a pothole.

Wireless can be so flakey, but it can also be so cool when it's working right.

JF

[June]

Okay, we got something going. I used the Wireless Utility. I clicked on my Network Name, then clicked Add. On the next page I clicked the "Join an existing network" choice and went from there. I can now connect to the internet automatically. I restarted several times and it worked. Now the only problem is when I right click on the wireless icon and try to view available networks, nothing comes up. It says "Windows cannot configure this wireless connection". I tried refresh and still nothing.

To answer some previous questions:
Pete: I think they deleted the first message since I reposted in the proper
forum. My wireless connection is on-board and yes, the laptop was
plugged in during the storm. Before the above fix, I connected the
router directly to the computer. It would not connect automatically.

Jflan: My WZC is (and was) set to Automatic.

[jflan]

Okay, we got something going. I used the Wireless Utility. I clicked on my Network Name, then clicked Add. On the next page I clicked the "Join an existing network" choice and went from there. I can now connect to the internet automatically. I restarted several times and it worked. Now the only problem is when I right click on the wireless icon and try to view available networks, nothing comes up. It says "Windows cannot configure this wireless connection". I tried refresh and still nothing.
This is good. Windows is just upset that you didn't use it for your wireless set-up :)
That chore went to your capable Broadcom software.
I have never used Broadcom, but you should be able to do a site survey with it to view available networks.
As a sidebar, my DLink manual instructs to not use Windows for the wireless configuration of their card. I obeyed and it works great.
I like that the DLink utility.

JF
Who thinks it's great when you don't have to kiss Bill's ring :)

[June]

You were right again Jflan. I went to the utility and found a site monitor and, sure enough, it showed all available networks. Thanks for your patience and your help. I learned quite a bit during this process.

[PeteF]

You were right again Jflan. I went to the utility and found a site monitor and, sure enough, it showed all available networks. Thanks for your patience and your help. I learned quite a bit during this process.

June & Jflan,
Now that it's fixed, what can we say or assume caused the problem?

If all is working now and all June did was reconfigure the software,
I guess it was a file that got corrupted as a result of a power
surge during the thunderstorm. Would you agree?

---pete---

[jflan]

Pleased to be of help!
You're geekier than you give yourself credit for ;)

JF

[jflan]

June & Jflan,
Now that it's fixed, what can we say or assume caused the problem?

If all is working now and all June did was reconfigure the software,
I guess it was a file that got corrupted as a result of a power
surge during the thunderstorm. Would you agree?

---pete---
I dunno.
My guess is that the router got whacked during the storm, not enough to kill it, but enough to require a power-cycle to reset it.
Then there was a firmware update. Not sure when in the sequence this happenned.
And then perhaps after this reset/update it would be conceivable that one would have to re-configure to the new settings.
It would be interesting to know if the router stayed on the same channel.

JF

[June]

Jflan, you posted wondering if the channel changed. I found the post by going to your name but it didn't show up as a post on this thread.

Anyway, I ran off my Network Settings before and after I made the change to Broadcam. The channel hasn't changed. The only changes I see are:

The first is before the change and the second is after. Couldn't get it constructed right on here.

Connection type: wireless wired
Driver version: 4.10.40.1 N/A
Signal strength: -40 N/A

[June]

Sorry Jflan, your post showed up after I posted.