Internet Problem

S

sicdeath

Member
Hi, I recently called my cable company, Optimum, to cancel optimum boost service because I didn't need it anymore. Couple of days later, my computer (connected via wireless adapter) and laptop ( connected via wireless built in card) are both not working properly in terms of connecting to the internet.

In the beginning, one of my laptops gave an error that a similar machine on the network has the same IP but when i checked all machines, they all had different IPs. Laptop would connect to internet but after 2-3 minutes, it would stop. It would still be connected to the router, just no internet. I checked the status of the connection and it was only sending packets, not receiving any. I formatted the laptop and the problem went away.

A day later, all my computers on the network started giving a "Limited Connection" Problem. This has been affecting all Pc's on the network except for the wired one ofcourse. When i check the status of the connection, sometimes IPv4 and IPv6 both are not connected.

When IPv4 is connected, i seem to use the internet fine. Also, it appears that I can sometimes connect to msn but not use firefox.

I am using a Linksys WRT400N which i bought 2 years ago for $150 and am really disappointment at what has been happening lately.
 
If the wired PC (which was only mentioned in passing) works OK, doesn't that point to wireless issues? How many PCs/devices are there (3 counted but the term "one of my laptops" was used)?
 
i would suggest changing the routers wireless channels to see if interferance is the issue, if that doesnt work check the firmware on the router and update it if there is a newer one get back to us once youve tried those.
 
There are 4 items connected. 1 Desktop computer via ethernet cable and 1 desktop/2 laptops via wireless. I tried all of the above but none seemed to work.
 
Is the DHCP server set to Auto? TCP/IP settings all to obtain IP and DNS automatically? Do the laptops work via Ethernet? Have you tried the laptops close to the router? Have you tried the wireless PCs one at a time with the others turned off? Have you run any speed tests such as speedtest.net? Any changes at the ISP e.g. DNS server? Can all PCs talk to each other?
 
The DHCP and TCP/IP settings have automatic obtain IP. Well, i tried them closer but no improvement and I tried one at a time, the problem still persists. Now, when i turn my desktop on (via connected wirelessly), it wont connect to internet right away. I have to wait for 3-5 minutes and its a 50/50 chance of it working or not. Do you think my router might have failed?
 
Next two most significant questions, do the laptops work via Ethernet? Can all PCs talk to each other? Did you change any settings at the time you modified your ISP contract? It's possible that the reduced max speed may be showing a problem that already existed.
 
Yes, the laptops work via ethernet connection. I did not change no settings, thats why i am surprised of all these things. I have all PC's on "Work" i believe so they cant see each other on the network.
 
First thing o try is to use ccleaner and clean out all the crap on your computer, this can sometimes cause connection problems and is easy to do.

http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

Next thing a very common cause of the limited connection error is the wrong password being used on your laptops, ensure the password for your wireless is the same as it is on your computers.

Failing this you can reset your router, there should be a tiny button that can only be pressed using a pin whihc will reset the router back to factory settings, in this case you will either need to use the default password or set your own and ensure the same is set on your computers.

Please note if you opt for the last option, which will usually fix these kind of problems easily, you will need to know how to setup your router again, usually you need the username and password from your isp and not much else.
 
sicdeath said:
.....I have all PC's on "Work" i believe so they cant see each other on the network.
Click to expand...
I've no idea what that means. If they are in the same workgroup called "Work" then they should see each other on the MS Windows Network. It sounds like they are not.

It all comes back to the wireless connection which was my original conclusion. You should go through one of the laptop's wireless settings and see if they look OK. Presumably if you already followed Innercx's comment about resetting the router you would have re-configured that. A simpler test is to cycle power to the router but I should think you have done that a few times already!

Edit: Is your wireless network secured with a password so that nobody else can use it? Check if anyone else is logged in.
 
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Yes, its secured with a password and I even changed the name and password once again. The optimum technician also came because they said that the signal was weak and that might have been the problem. Now, all my computers are working fine(none giving problems after the technician switched the modems) except this desktop(connected wirelessly) which is giving limited connectivity problems. I also updated the wireless card driver via windows update, maybe that's causing the problem. But then i reinstalled the drivers after the problem continued to exist. Will a clean installation of windows fix this problem?
 
Also, to get into router, i know the address but how do i get into the modem itself? When i log into router, it doesn't show the computers connected or maybe i can't find the section.
 
Isn't the modem the property of Optimum? I'm not sure you could login. The address may be 192.168.100.1 but it could be anything. Why do you need to poke around there other than curiosity?

If your connection with Ethernet was OK, the modem to ISP connection could not have been that bad. It may have been contributing. You still have some sort of wireless issue. Are there differences like range and speed between the desktop wireless card and the laptops? Did the wireless desktop always behave that way in exactly the same location?

If you reinstall Windows you could end up with other problems and spend a long time with the PC out of service. Would you scrap your car if you got a puncture?
 
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