Friday night mystery...

tuco

Hi all,

here's a little puzzle for anyone who's as bored as I am frustrated

The background:

Two wireless networks running off the same adsl connection, one is from a pretty old zyxel wireless router, the other from a more recent belkin one.

Windows XP desktop happily connected to the belkin router using a belkin wireless G usb network adapter.

Belkin router burns out.

Try connecting to alternative network (several other machines, both xp, vista and various smart phones connect without any issue) and although the wireless connection shows as connected, there is no internet access.

It's been a looong time since I cleaned up the desktop machine, so instead of investigating too much, I just do a clean install of windows.

Install the latest drivers for the belkin usb adapter and bingo - nothing. Or rather, the same thing. Connected, no internet (more tech details later)

Dig out an ancient wireless usb dongle, CNET USB611, manage to find the drivers and install it and this connects and has internet, but it crawls, painfully slow.

So, using this I go about bringing my now XP SP1 machine a bit more update in terms of windows updates etc, try many different drivers, recommendations from posts I've seen online, but nothing works, the same issue, the belkin will connect but won't work.

I've tried another PCI wireless card from another PC in the house, which I know previously connected to this Zyxel router - it's also Belkin and is behaving in exactly the same way. It connects, but won't give me internet access.

Tech situation:

When using either of the belkin adapters the situation is as follows.

Wireless connected, excellent signal strength.
Valid IP address
Ping the router works
ping 66.102.9.104 works
Ping www.google.ie works
Open the router (or any other) page fails "Waiting for site..."
FTP seems ok - I can direct a browser to ftp.microsoft.com and navigate


Failed Workaround attempts

Disable all firewalls - no joy
(To me it seems like an obvious port issue, but I can't fix it...)

netsh winsock reset - no joy

Connect working CNET adapter and connect to the network. Copy IP. Disable the CNET adapter and enable either belkin adapter and manually set IP to the same as the one when succesfully connected to the network - no joy

Read about a problem that was resolved by running a Norton removal tool (http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/page-239121_35_0.html) where the guy had a very similar issue. I'd just done a clean install, so even though I did have Norton previously, I doubted this would work, but gave it a shot. I was right, no joy.


So that's about it, if I've forgotten anything I'll repost later.

I can't figure out where the ports are being blocked. This is a clean install
of windows, I eventually reinstalled zonealarm for when I'm using the CNET adapter, but had tried everything else first.

It could be a firewall on either the ADSL router or the Zyxel wireless access point, but if so, why does it let the same machine connect without issues with the same IP if it has a different wireless adapter??

If it's a compatibility issue, why can I connect, ping and FTP??
Why could the Belkin PCI card connect via this router when in another machine (also XP)??

I really can't figure this one, I'm about ready to admit defeat, so this is it, my last hope. Anybody got any thoughts?

Thanks a lot!

ScumLord

So it's only the Belkin adapters that aren't working in the laptop, but they do work in other PCs?

The Laptop can connect to the internet either through LAN or another brand adapter?

tuco

Hey,

It's a desktop, not a laptop, but yes, the Belkin PCI card definitely connected without problems via this router in a different (now dead) PC.

The pc can connect via another brand (CNET) wireless adapter or via wired, though wired isn't a long term option because of the machine location.

*edit* - haven't tried the belkin usb adapter in another machine, will give it a go now and report back...

tuco

mehmeh12

Out of curiosity the zyxel modem isn't a prestige is it?

tuco

Yep, it's a prestige, don't have the exact model here, a quick google suggests it might be the Prestige 650HW, but I'll confirm and update it later.

Just to update on the test using the Belkin USB adapter in another laptop:

Connected it to my work laptop - Vista this time, install, no problem. Detects the wireless network - no problem. Connect and it asks for the WEP key, enter the key.............timeout, error, unable to connect. Diagnose and repair? Low signal strength.

Relocate to sit beside the access point, same thing. Refuses to connect, makes a few attempts, but always comes back to a failure of the access point to respond after entering the WEP key, and windows blaming low signal strength.

So this sort of reinforces the basic interoperability problem, but remember, on the XP machine I can connect and ping everything I want successfully. Also, using the belkin PCI card I can ftp and I know that that card was used in another XP desktop to connect to this network....

mehmeh12

Im using this zyxel modem http://www.zyxel.com/web/product_family_detail.php?PC1indexflag=20040812093058&CategoryGroupNo=AC5783AE-9475-41AD-BDA5-0997187F44AA

The wireless on this has been a problem since day one. Especially with WPA settings.

tuco

Yeah, the solution is going to be a new wireless access point methinks.

Still doesn't explain what's happening though. I get the same behaviour with all security and encryption off as I do using 128 WEP. Also, one of the cards that isn't working right in my machine, previously connected in another XP machine without these issues.

Using either adapter, it does connect to the network, does assign IP, provide DNS, allow ping and FTP...

Think this one is going to have to be blamed on those pesky cosmic rays and forgotten about...

mehmeh12

Out of curiosity what router will you buying to replace the faulty zyxel modem?