help from wireless networking gurus, please

Try to cut the gumpf out of this one, but would love some guru help.

Just changed ISP providers and new wireless router. New router up and running and tablets and phones connect to it and can access internet.

However, my gaming win7 pc detects the router but won’t let me connect to it.

I know my network card is working fine as i created a wifi hotspot with my phone and i was able to connect the gaming pc to the phone and access internet and update drivers for network card.

I know win 7 had a problem with wifi but for the life of me i can’t figure it out.

I have dragged the router upstairs and hardwired it to computer and i can access the routers menus. But when i plug the router back down stairs where the fibre cable socket is, it won’t give me internet.

I have done a multitude of things, but i won’t list them here in case i derail your train of thought.

Any help appreciated

If you’re comfortable with going DHCP across the board, I would make sure your win 7 machine doesn’t have a fixed IP address in your ipv4 setting on your NIC.

I would also flush the DHCP table on your router.

2 Likes

Unfortunately i have no idea what dhcp is

There’s a number of things here…
f the router is not plugged on the PC, can you access it- usually 198.168.1.1?
If so can you check if your PC has a fixed IP and there’s a limited range of IPs on it?
Is your PC IPv6 enabled?

a. Probably the best first thing is to run the Win 7 troubleshooter - that will do the stuff the guys above are saying in terms of resetting your IP address to be dynamic and all that gubbins automatically. Go through the steps in here and let us know how it gets on:

http://www.home-network-help.com/network-troubleshooting.html

b. Sometimes a new router and an old wireless network card might not get on, so in terms of details let us know the make/model of both - if they are incompatible (so maybe a driver update the the wireless chipset on the motherboard you have etc) or have common issues found by others then that would be good to know up front. :rotating_light:

1 Like

Thanks guys for the help.

I found the problem and it looks like the router.

After a whole day trouble shooting everything i could find in my brain and internet, i went back to basics. I lined both routers (old and new) side by side and turned them both on.

Pc showed a humongous diff in signal strength. Full 5 bars from old router and signal strength poor from new router.

Got the wife to stand on step ladder and hold new router against ceiling directly under my comp. Bang all worked like a charm. Put router on back on table, internet dropped.

I guess my tablets and mobile are more forgiving to a weak signal, but either way its a substandard signal.

So, i have vented the vocal chords over the phone and hopefully a new router in tow, otherwise, i will go back to old supplier where i know their equipment works.

I don’t think i have ever had a trouble free change of ISP provider

Thanks anyway guys. Oh anyone have any suggestions on how to get the missus to stay on the ladder holding the router to the roof while i have a gaming night?

1 Like

Oh the router is provided by your ISP?

Definitely the problem. I use an aftermarket router to avoid this problem.

Yeah its provided by isp. But the old one BT home hub was excellent, i would still use it if i could. Unfortunately they are locked. You can unlock them but strange things can happen…

So change of ISP meant new router and new router comes with the price of isp. the last one was so good, what could be wrong with a newer one???

D’oh

Ya, maybe you just got a bad one. Should check the interwebz for reviews of their newer equipment to see whether it’s at fault in general.

I know with our local ISPs, it’s basically a recommendation that you get a 3rd party router and immediately after you internet is activated, call them to have them put the modem into bridge mode for you. The “features” just aren’t there, and you can’t control things the way you want with the equipment they provide - plus, at least in the past, the disconnections were attrocious.

Hope you get it resolved.

I actually have a wifi antenna device that I plug into my PC’s wifi card … Do you have something like that B?

Other than that, I also use power line wifi extenders. :slight_smile:

@Linebacker, no don’t have anything like that. Only because the router sits directly below the mancave one floor down. Its really only max 7 feet distance vertically between router and computer and no concrete in between.

Ahh well, new router on same day delivery for tomorrow. I guess my dulcet tones add up to something. If the next router (assuming its the same) has the same probs i will buy a personal router and 50/50the cost back.

Will check it out when new gear arrives

Come to think of it, I don’t even have my router’s wifi enabled! … just a line out to my extenders.

That’s probably what I do in your situation … I’d hard wire the PC into the extender with an Ethernet cable.

My main pc is hard-wired, as well. The rest of our devices run wirelessly.