whispering
join:2008-07-16
Grand Prairie, TX
| Restarted my computer..connection GONE !
 Okay, so I restarted my computer last night around
11pm and when it came to the internet connection was lost.
We've ( My dad and I ) tried EVERYTHING in our knowlegde
to get it back on but it won't come back. My grandmother's
laptop has internet, and this desktop and my dad's desktop
has a connection but my laptop doesn't. Will someone
please tell me what is wrong? I don't have TOO much knowledge
of computer talk so please bare with me. I know a lot but
not EVERYTHING. I'm using Linksys Wireless-G notebook adapter
Model No. WPC54G // V. 7.0. I don't know what this means
but if it helps it says something about 2.4 GHZ// 802.11g
I have an IBM thinkpad and I use windows 2000. |
docrice
join:2008-03-31
Fremont, CA
| I'm going to make some assumptions in regards to how your network is set up...
The first thing to do is check if you have link layer connectivity. By that, I'm referring to either your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection to your internal network. If you plug in the Cat5 / Ethernet cable to your switch (which is presumably the same unit as your router, as I'm assuming that's what's connected to your ISP), does your network interface port light up (usually has amber and / or green blinking lights)? If you're using Wi-Fi, are you getting associated to the access point? I'm assuming at least one other machine in your house is connected via Wi-Fi.
Unfortunately, Windows 2000 doesn't give you a whole lot of clues on 802.11 connection status unless you're using a third-party supplicant. Even then, they don't always tell you much beyond "connected" or "not connected" and some vague idea of "signal strength."
If you're associated to the access point, you should be receiving an IP from your network's DHCP server, which typically is running on your router. You can use the "ipconfig" command at the command-line to see. You probably get an IP address that looks like 192.168.0.x as this is the address space typically used by most home routers. If it's 169.254.x.x, you're using a self-assigned (APIPA, or automatic private IP) address and you're not getting a proper DHCP lease.
There are other areas to explore, but let's start with this. If you indeed have a DHCP lease, can you ping the gateway (router address)? Do you have a software firewall installed on your laptop that might be preventing outbound traffic?
Another place you can check is your router / access point logging, assuming it has that function and possibly a debug level to look through granular state information. Are you using any kind of encryption on your AP? If so, did you verify settings and the passphrase values?
If you're pretty familiar with networking, however, you can always use tools that can see the 802.11 information in the air through a packet analyzer and check the 802.11 authentication / association requests. Unless you have access to somewhat pricey hardware / software solutions, this generally means a platform other than Windows though. |
