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No, this is not good...Cannot connect to broadband.

Lolaan
Rising Star
Posts: 201
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Cannot connect wirelessly.....well, not really.

Yes, I saw the thread and I saw the problems that it can create as well. I was just connected with broadband yesterday, and as I understand they test the line for a few weeks to try and get the best speed possible, so I don't really want to mess up with the router at the moment. I will have to buy another ethernet cable and see if I can use the netbook with it in the meantime. Until Ben get his hands on one faulty router and discover why it does that for sure (I suppose even with the previous firmware you suppose to be capable of connecting wirelessly), I will try to avoid messing about with my router.
I don't know why it can connect (sometimes) for a tiny little while, but then the connection dropped and then refuse to connect again.
BenTrimble
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 2,106
Registered: ‎06-02-2008

Re: Cannot connect wirelessly.....well, not really.

As advised in your other thread, it sounds like you have an IP address conflict which will be causing major problems.
MisterW
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 14,575
Thanks: 5,411
Fixes: 385
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Cannot connect wirelessly.....well, not really.

Quote
I don't know why it can connect (sometimes) for a tiny little while, but then the connection dropped and then refuse to connect again.

I noticed on your other thread you were getting 'ip conflict messages', you need to follow Ben's advice on checking IP settings on your other computers.
Edit : Ben's faster than me.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 4,927
Thanks: 145
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: No, this is not good...Cannot connect to broadband.

Quote from: Ben
If your computer is issuing an IP address conflict then you probably have static IP's assigned to devices in your house which are on the network.

That's not necessarily a bad thing.  If you have a network printer it usually makes sense to give it a static IP address.  The trick is to get the range of addresses assigned by your router to avoid the static IPs you have set.  So if your router has IP address 192.168.x.1 then adjust the LAN/DHCP settings so the starting dynamic address is 192.168.x.20, say, leaving addresses 192.168.x.2 to 192.168.x.19 for your static IPs.
You sometimes get the IP address conflict message if computer 1 is in sleep mode, you switch on computer 2 and then wake up computer 1 again.  There is nothing much you can do to avoid it in those circumstances, apart from turning your computers off rather than allowing them to sleep/hibernate. 
BenTrimble
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 2,106
Registered: ‎06-02-2008

Re: No, this is not good...Cannot connect to broadband.

Static IP range for a Thomson is 192.168.1.1 - 192.168.1.63, DHCP range is 192.168.1.64 - 192.168.1.253, router IP address is 192.168.1.254.
I'm a fan of either increasing the DHCP lease time or assigning IP's via MAC so your device will get the same IP but it won't cause problems if you take that device and connect it to another network.
This is a bit technical though Smiley
Lolaan
Rising Star
Posts: 201
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: No, this is not good...Cannot connect to broadband.

Done what Ben said, it wasn't like in the picture. there was an IP address there so rectify it. Now it looked like the picture, but it's still no better. connected for a minute, now cannot connect again. Sometimes PlusnetWireless don't even show in the list, then it shows again, but when I want to connect, it shows "waiting for the network", then try to connect for a minute, then go back to the list again without connecting.
I have both computers on, but this time no IP address conflict window shows.
I don't know what's happened, but at one point my Plusnet dialup account started trying to connect, so I changed this to "never dial a connection" and it stopped. Then the wireless connected straight away, but one minute later it had gone again. Then a while later it connects again for a minute, then goes again.
It can connect, but cannot sustain the connection.
BenTrimble
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 2,106
Registered: ‎06-02-2008

Re: No, this is not good...Cannot connect to broadband.

OK, we need to change your wireless channel then. The exact process varies a little depending on your router firmware version but it's generally Home Network > WLAN Plusnet Wireless > Configure. Change the 'Channel Selection' to 'Manual' then go through the channels one by one until you find a clear one.
Lolaan
Rising Star
Posts: 201
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: No, this is not good...Cannot connect to broadband.

Do I need to go back to the router configuration page to do this? Because if I do, I cannot go back, when I type the router address in internet explorer, it just gives a list of websites with threads describing problems in going back to router configuration page.
Strat
Community Veteran
Posts: 31,320
Thanks: 1,609
Fixes: 565
Registered: ‎14-04-2007

Re: No, this is not good...Cannot connect to broadband.

inSSIDer at http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider is good for checking out WiFi networks and is free Smiley
Load and run it on your net-book and it will show you your router and other access points in the neighbourhood.
Windows 10 Firefox 109.0 (64-bit)
To argue with someone who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead - Thomas Paine
BenTrimble
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 2,106
Registered: ‎06-02-2008

Re: No, this is not good...Cannot connect to broadband.

It sounds like you're searching for the IP address, instead of typing it into the address bar. Which browser are you using?
Lolaan
Rising Star
Posts: 201
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: No, this is not good...Cannot connect to broadband.

Got finally into the router configuration page. I am trying channel 4 at the moment. It seems it is more stable than the previous one. (Using inssider to scan it).  It fluctuates up and down but don't crash like when it was on channel 1. The signal strengh fluctuates between 20 and 50 , with a peak at 10 for 2 seconds. (I don't know what it means though). Is it any good? The wireless has been on for 8 entire minutes  Shocked  without crashing down.
Any good?
BenTrimble
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 2,106
Registered: ‎06-02-2008

Re: No, this is not good...Cannot connect to broadband.

If you had problems with channel 1, you might need to go as far as 6 to get out of the frequency, the attached image will hopefully make some sense...
Lolaan
Rising Star
Posts: 201
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: No, this is not good...Cannot connect to broadband.

Right, I will try channel six, and see what's happen.
BenTrimble
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 2,106
Registered: ‎06-02-2008

Re: No, this is not good...Cannot connect to broadband.

I've also seen some improvement in changing from WPA + WPA2 to WPA (only). If you're changing settings then you might as well give this a go.
Lolaan
Rising Star
Posts: 201
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: No, this is not good...Cannot connect to broadband.

Ok, I'll leave it on channel 6. The connection seems holding, if a bit slow.
How do I change WPA + WPA2 to WPA? Isn't that a security setting? Isn't WPA not as good as WA2?