Wireless internet HELP!!!!

I'm trying to set up a Linksys WRT54GS.

I used the CD of course, and have done every step it calls for three times now.

But apparently my Netopia DSL modem and the Linksys router don't like each other. The three lights on the modem, which blink and flicker during online activity just stay on when it trys to connect. The lights on the router are doing a dance.

What am I doing wrong? Or is it a compatibilty problem? Or am I just a doofus?

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Ya know...I tried using a Linksys wireless router once before and remember it being a PITA to 1 install it, and 2, keep it running.

I think those routers are just too finicky....I remember I tried the install process 3 or 4 times myself until I actually got it working...

A few things to try..make sure your firewall (and the firewall on the receiving system) is shut off completely. For some reason routers don't work well with firewalls...Another thing to try would be to change the channel, and also consider the network type (can't remember the two kinds) may be wrong. The key thing is to make sure the settings are EXACTLY the same on both the server system AND the receiving system.

Keep trying...it'll work eventually /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

The light just sticks on? did you try a different cable? Sounds like something is physically wrong. Though it could be just the two of them yelling at each other. But it sounds like it's not plugged into the "wan" outlet or something like that.

But I agree with LaserFreak, these are "finicky" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The modem might be trying to negotiate a 10/100 connection on it's LAN client port, while the Linksys WAN port is probably nailed up at 10mb. Can you turn off auto speed negotiation on the modem and set it for 10mb/half duplex?

It turns out it was IP and DNS conflicts. A real nice young girl in the Phillipines was on the phone with me for almost an hour getting it straight.

I've also got the second computer up and on the network.

We'll see about reliablity!

Glad to hear you got it resolved. Now that you'reup and running you should start locking down the security (turn on encryption, use MAC filtering).

hey how far can wireles go? i have a old 811 b rother and usb adpaters my sister got a new lap top and is giveing me her old one it dont have wireless but i can use the usb ones i have now the lake is like 1/4 mile or less from me where the picnic tables are is this posable?

Raggie:

If you stick the router on your roof and hook up a 'cantenna' to it and point that where you will be, it might work.

Personally, i find that 802.11b doesnt go as far as many people hope - get a Netgear RangeMax router and cards and it will probably work, but apart from that and the CanTenna idea, you're stuck.

neg

A university in the San Francisco area set up what is probably the longest-distance WiFi link thus far using highly directional antenas on towers. They spanned a distance of 72 miles and got a connection.

WiFi distance is affected by three things:

1) Transmit power (adjustable on some A/Ps)
2) Antenna gain and directionality
3) Propagation (Obstructions and multipath reflections)

The best way to increase your range is to concentrate the beamwidth in a single direction with a directional antenna. This consolidates both the transmit power as well as the receive sensitivity. Hawking makes a series of indoor and outdoor directional antennas.

You can make one out of a Pringles can but the specs have to be exact and it's still not as good as a professionally-made unit. There's a lot of mystique and undeserved hype about the Pringles "cantenna."

`my router is poor quialty lol it is like 10 feet from pc and signal strgh is low rofl.was only like 20 bucks a year or so ago

Do the little whip antenas (one one rec. two on router) like to be I or - (upright or pointed at each other).

I see only two bars of strength.

Up, but slanted out just a little bit from the centre of the router, say 20 degrees.

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neg

I just recently bought a laptop from Grnamin and it came with a linksys Wireless-G adapter. For it, I bought the exact same router you are talking about, the Linksys WRT54GS, and it works just fine. I have DSL service in every room of our house. The DSL modem, router, and desktop pc are all in the garage. The house is 2300 square feet. So, I don't think the problem is that the router "sucks" or anything.

Here's the funny thing.... Maybe I just don't know how to follow directions, but I'd swear that the installation CD gave me incorrect instructions! I hooked it up in the manner that I was instructed (or so I thought), but eventually switched the wiring to the way that made sense to me. I thought the instructions said to hook up the DSL cable (coming from the phone line) to the router. Anyway, that didn't make sense to me, so I hooked it up like this: The cable from the phone line -->to the DSL modem, the Ethernet cable from the DSL modem -->to the router, the Ethernet cable from the router -->to the computer.

Seems so logical that I think it's a little strange that I understood the CD's instructions to be different!

I still didn't have service, but it was on the part of the adapter. I had trouble installing the drivers for it onto the laptop (the drivers weren't included with the adapter). I downloaded them from the Linksys website, but couldn't get them to fully install. The way I found that out was through the Linksys's website, which you may want to try. There is a function on there website that will scan your computer and hardware to see what the problem is. You get to it from "Support"-->"Technical Support"-->"Easy Connect"-->"Router's initial setup.....". Although, even though the Linksys website told me that the problem was that the driver were not fully installed, it could not do it for me, and didn't solve the problem.

The way I finally solved the problem was to go to the Microsoft updates website. I selected the "Custom" update check option. Then it found some updates that I wasn't interested in....But there is this option on the page after it finds the updates, "Hardware"...I clicked that and it found that my wireless adapter wasn't function properly and suggested I download the "update"....I did it, and everything's been working fine ever since.

Hope this info helps. I'm definitely satisfied with the Linksys WRT54GS, I've had *zero* problems with it so far.

Fast link the Linksys help you need: Linksys Help

Microsoft Update Site: Microsoft Updates website

I have a Linksys WRT54G wireless router and didn't use the installation CD at all during setup. Basically, the only thing the CD is trying to do is to find your DSL connection User ID and Password in the DSL "dial-up" software on your PC and install that on the router. I've had this router for about 4 months now and it has been 100% reliable so far. I'm not sure of the difference between my WRT54G versus your WRT54GS though..

Another thing you might want to do is to flash your BIOS on the WRT54GS to a third party firmware such as HyperWRT or Sveasoft. I have HyperWRT 2.0 v3.01.3 installed on my WRT54G and it has some additional features that the standard BIOS doesn't have. My favourite feature is the ability to adjust the transmit power of the wireless LAN on the router, and also to be able to write a script to direct the network traffic log to your PC running a logging software so you can analyse the log for any security breaches or hack attempts.

I've flashed a few of the Linksys devices with Sveasoft to get the additional Tx power features as well as some other goodies. I've also accidentally trashed one of them to the point that I have to delve directly into the O/S to do an ugly restoration procedure. Right now that's a "spare" unit that's sitting in the basement. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon8.gif

That's one of the things you have to be careful about when flashing the BIOS... You need to MAKE SURE that there is NO INTERRUPTION to power while it is writing the BIOS, otherwise, it could turn your router to trash..

Ya'll are talking BIG TIME greek when you say stuff like "flash the bios".

It works. Isn't that enough?

Yeah, GEEKS! (just kidding, actually, I'm jealous you guys are so knowledgeable about these things)

It wasn't a power interruption; I thinik I had accidentally flashed from a newer version of firmware to the previous one, which really mucked things up. Fortunately the OS is still alive and responds to the short-two-CPU-pins-and-ping trick. I just have to get around to opening it up again, shorting the magic pins, and starting up a TFTP or Telnet session to be able to re-flash it.

[ QUOTE ]
PlayboyJoeShmoe said:
Ya'll are talking BIG TIME greek when you say stuff like "flash the bios".


[/ QUOTE ]

Well, in this one particular case I accidentally flushed the bios! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif