Wireless Hell

[Melvil]

...no, not an awful radio station but the whole nightmare that is setting up wireless broadband at home. I've tried reasoning with the router. I've tried set-up. I've tried our mac's airport. Nothing. I'm going to throw either the computer or the router out of the window any minute now!

 

[Dayvo]

Use the neighbours' connection!
That's what I'm doing at present (I'll be 'legal' in a few hours, though! ).

 

[Melvil]

Use the neighbours' connection!
That's what I'm doing at present (I'll be 'legal' in a few hours, though! ).

Nobody around so couldn't even it I wanted to (bah humbug!)

 

[asterix]

I've given up on wireless. The etendeur packed up and so I plugged the cable back in.

 

[TVC]

I can't get on with wireless networks either, I set one up for the in-laws but they kept turning the power off at night so the router forgot what it was. Now they have a thick yellow wire anchoring down their laptop, at least I don't have to keep driving to Loughborough to fix it.

My sympathy Melvil

 

[Fiona N]

What are you trying to get on the wireless?
I found that setting up the router using the LAN PC before switching on Airport on the Mac laptop worked well.
The only gremlin was that the Airport wouldn't accept the type of security I'd been using on the Windows laptop (WEP) so that required a change (to WKA) but I now have a Mac desktop on LAN with the printer and a Windows PC and 2 laptops - one of each flavour - on wireless. I never thought I'd be able to reconcile so many different machines onto one network.

 

[Melvil]

What are you trying to get on the wireless?
I found that setting up the router using the LAN PC before switching on Airport on the Mac laptop worked well.
The only gremlin was that the Airport wouldn't accept the type of security I'd been using on the Windows laptop (WEP) so that required a change (to WKA) but I now have a Mac desktop on LAN with the printer and a Windows PC and 2 laptops - one of each flavour - on wireless. I never thought I'd be able to reconcile so many different machines onto one network.

Cheers Fiona, I've done this with a LAN pc but it still doesn't work - the airport recognises the wireless name I've given it but still can't load anything from it. Grrrrr(!).

 

[Carwash]

Don't forget that some home wireless routers need to be in a special mode to accept connections from a new computer. On my Orange one you have to press the "1" key for 10-minute window.

 

[Mortiroloboy]

I gave up too and got the BIL to hard wire the second machine. It didn't matter what I did the wireless adapter just wouldn't hold the signal from the router to the second machine. Personally I don't think wifi is all it's cracked up to be, it certainly didn't work in this rather sturdy 1950's ex local authority house, might be OK in a Wimpy cardboard box house I s'pose, but the solid brick and plaster walls defeated it.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

try a netgear router. i've had no router related problems, other than its incompatibility with a nintendo ds.

it works perfectly with the macbook, and there is an emac connected via ethernet to it. the router settings are managed via web browser.

edit: the router is situated up two flights of stairs from the living room, and the laptop still gets wireless internet in the cellar.

 

[col]

I had problems with my new Belkin router,but after going back to the shop and getting another one,the first was faulty,iv had no problems since,in an old house too,the first wouldnt connect to broadband after a few days,this ones great,we switch off everynight too.It might be just a faulty one?But the advantage i have with Belkin,is that it has a life time guarantee.We got it so my sone could play xbox live in his room,and it connects to my ds too.

 

[barq]

What type of router is it? Someone might have prior experience.

I work in stages if things seem problematic. First connect with a cable and get that working. Next try wireless with no security. Then set up security (preferably WPA rather than WEP which is crackable in about ten minutes if you have a super geek for a neighbour).

 

[Melvil]

What type of router is it? Someone might have prior experience.

I work in stages if things seem problematic. First connect with a cable and get that working. Next try wireless with no security. Then set up security (preferably WPA rather than WEP which is crackable in about ten minutes if you have a super geek for a neighbour).

Hi, have a linksys router and I've followed all the instructions but it still doesn't work. I think it might have a different IP address - is that possible? I'm not really au fait with network/internet connections!

 

[bonj2]

I've always been suspicious of wireless. I'd always assume that there was something beyond my control which was affecting its ability to work, such as bacon fat in the air might interfere with the signal or something. That said, my mum's wireless seems to work flawlessly (i'm on it now) and she's pretty much the least computer savvy person there is.
My previous company however had constant woes with it, and they constantly had directors complaining at us programmers that they couldn't connect to the network in the conference room 5 minutes before a presentation. Or that "my outlook isn't working". And it's our problem because?

 

[fossyant]

Can you log into the routers settings page using IE or Firefox from a wired PC ?

You do this by typing in the default IP address - something like 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 - see the instruction book