harleyguy03
join:2009-04-04
Cleveland, OH
| frustrating wireless problem
I apologize for the long post. My 1000sw home portal setup (Win XP sp3) dropped a previously connected 2wire wireless (2wire usb wireless adapter) connected (backup win ME) computer. My backup computer's wireless connection to my 1000sw worked perfectly for months. Then one day out of the blue the wireless connected comuputer could no longer connect via a web browser. each computer can successfully ping each other via windows command.exe. In fact the wireless computer successfully pings any ip address that I enter into the windows command.exe window but will not connect to ANY ip address entered in the address line of internet explorer. The 2wire website shows both computers listed under the "home network" I reinstalled the sbc 2wire software a number of times in the backup computer. when it comes time for the 2wire setup wizard to attempt to connect to the home portal I get the error message that there dosen't appear to be a connection to the home portal. I don't understand this since the 2wire website shows BOTH computers as connected to the network. Signal strength is very strong on the wireless as it's also picking up a number of other networks in the neighborhood. I am convinced that the problem is with the main "ehternet wired" 1000sw computer. The reason I think this is because I dug out a third computer (win ME) set it up with the sbc software and the same 2wire wireless adapter and got the same results as my regular backup (win me)! I have researched this problem till I'm blue in the face with no succesful results. sbc AT&t support will not support win ME or so I was told by a tech support person, Although the tech person suggested that I try reversing my setup and try hooking up the backup Win ME computer to the 1000sw and then try connecting the Win XP computer via the wireless adapter. I'm somewhat hesitant to do that as a wireless connection is generally slower than the main connection. Also I considered reseting the home portal "factory resets" in the Management and Diagnostic consle at the 2wire website but I don't want to take a chance and lose the connection on the main computer. If I were to lose all my connections to the internet I would probably "freak out" and have to go into rehab. lol!! Any help/ideas would be appreciated. Thanks for your time in considering my post. |
|
muiredised
ESSE QUAM VIDERI
join:2007-06-11
Tacoma, WA
| said by harleyguy03  :Then one day out of the blue the wireless connected comuputer could no longer connect via a web browser. each computer can successfully ping each other via windows command.exe. In fact the wireless computer successfully pings any ip address that I enter into the windows command.exe window but will not connect to ANY ip address entered in the address line of internet explorer. This tells you that the problem is with neither the 2wire gateway nor the 2wire usb adapter. If you can ping, then the wireless link is up... period.
You must now turn to investigating the WinME computer to see what is preventing you from browsing. Most common thing... improperly configured firewall. Do you have Norton Internet Stupidity suite or something similar installed installed? Second common thing... you are configured to use a proxy in the IE internet options. Third common thing... you have invalid hard-coded DNS servers, but since you cannot browse by ip either this is unlikely. Fourth common thing with WinME... the entire OS is garbage. Time to retire, upgrade, or install something like Ubuntu on it.
Even though you have tried two different WinME computers with the same result you have solid proof that the wifi connection is working because you can ping across it. Something is amiss elsewhere.
Good luck.
--
Assiduus usus uni rei deditus et ingenium et artem saepe vincit |
|
harleyguy03
join:2009-04-04
Cleveland, OH
| reply to harleyguy03
Thanks for the reply. I've tried to investigate Win ME internet settings. on another forum a poster listed the default settings for win me internet settings such as proxy server which is disabled. most settings are on automatic detection. Win ME has no firewall as part of the os. I had zone alarm years ago but took it out when I got sbc dsl. I briefly opened the firewalls on my main computer but that isn't where the problem is as I suspected it wasn't. There is no antivirus software on it anymore. proxy server is disabled. I got rid of Norton stuff years ago.I have a couple of options left, 1st, I think I'll install a copy of firefox and see what happens. 2nd I may reformat the HDD and reinstall WinMe. 3rd, Ive been wanting to get a laptop for a long time, maybe it's time. I understand that it's waaaay past time for me to scrap WinMe but since it was a backup that my significant other used to surf the net I thought I would try to get it going for her again, that way she would quit bugging me to use my computer. I'll play with this a little longer but I'm about at the end of my rope with this considering it's an obsolete POS. I'll keep monitoring my post, and if I figure it out I'll make sure to post the solution. Thanks |
|
harleyguy03
join:2009-04-04
Cleveland, OH
| Update: Well I've tried a couple of things. 1st I did sort of a WinMe Repair/partial reinstall...no effect on connection. 2nd I installed firefox, same result. 3rd I did a direct connection via usb cable to the router....no effect on connection. Backup computer is showing on the 2wire network as connected via usb. I can still ping back and forth but browser still won't work. One thing I notice on the backup computer that won't connect vs the main computer that has no connection problem is that the backup computer will only ping via ip address and not domain names EXCEPT when it does a loopback and pings itself. This has become more of a challenge than a necessity, I don't like giving in to defeat. I think my next move will be to bring in my son's laptop and configure it into the network and see if it will connect. |
|
harleyguy03
join:2009-04-04
Cleveland, OH
| UPDATE: You were right "muiredised" it is a problem with WinME. My son's laptop had no problem logging on the internet once he connected to my network. I've given up trying to figure out the problem with WinME. Since the backup computer is so obsolete I'm just going to replace it with a new lowend laptop for a backup system. Thanks for the imput. |
|
