August 11, 2011
So...hi! miss me?
This one has me stumped. Really stumped. Recently (as in Friday), I swapped out our Verizon provided wi-fi router for a D-link something or other i had sitting around. The Verizon router went on the porch for them to pick up when they deem necessary, but that's not my issue....
Since then (I think this started on Sunday though, but I can't remember clearly), one of my two laptops connecting through the D-link router stopped. No warnings, no errors, still had an IP address, just couldn't get past the D-link router. The issue laptop is running Windows XP, the one that still works is running Windows Vista (I haven't tried my linux laptop yet). I also have a tower that sits beyond the D-link on my gateway running Vista and it has had no issues either.
So I did the normal troubleshooting - can i ping the gateway? no. can i ping other machines on the network? no. (turns out their firewalls were blocking this though - still indefinite). can i ping the DNS server (Open DNS)? No-- expected since I couldn't reach the gateway. Can I ping the D-link? Yes! ok, I can at least connect to the D-link. I connect to the D-link web interface and...nothing. No responses. Sigh.
Cleared the DNS Cache, cleared the ARP cache, released / renewed my IP address, rebooted and woohoo!! I'm online. for 5 min. After 5 min I'm right back where I started.
Figuring rebooting every 5 min would get annoying, I did a quick malware / virus / etc scan and came up clean. Ran HJT and came up clean-ish (had one BHO that I removed). Out of desperation clicked repair on the Wireless card and woohoo!!! online!! for another five minutes.
So now I don't have to reboot to get connectivity back, but I'll be conflabergasted if I can figure out why I can't connect half the time and why I can after a restart of the NIC.
Thoughts? Anyone? is this a sign of the NIC going bad? Just bad timing to coincide with the wi-fi change? I did keep the same SSID and WEP key -- so did I just overly confuse the XP machine?
XP Pro SP 2 or 3 -- can't remember now
Dell Precision M60 (so far out of warranty it isn't funny).
Broadcom Wireless Nic (Mini PCI)
Thanks!
August 9, 2011
Hey Zig - What I know about all this could be written on the back of a postage stamp!! It's all like a foreign language to me. However, I did have a look around some 'help' sites for you (no doubt you have done the same) and the consensus is, it is most likely an 'authentication' issue...which is specific to XP.
Quotes from a help forum:
[i:11j1fpw4]Sounds like the 802.11x authentication disconnect. [/i:11j1fpw4]
[i:11j1fpw4]Wazzat? [/i:11j1fpw4]
[i:11j1fpw4]It's a checkbox Enable 802.11x Authentication. Connection properties,
Authentication tab.[/i:11j1fpw4]
Here's a link to the complete thread: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/10455 ... connection
An easy fix would be to update the XP machine to Vista....no problems with Vista eh!!!
Hope you can get it sorted mate,
Cheers.....JIM
August 11, 2011
LoL. If I'm going to upgrade at all, it will be to 7. Maybe a nice Linux distro.
I've never heard of the 802.11x authentication scenario. Thanks, something to check out!
August 7, 2011
Chad, I'm 1000 miles from home right now replying on my blackberry, so I don't have access to XP to point you to the right place, but...
Get the latest firmware for the router and the latest driver (nic) from broadcom. Look in the properties for the nic (not the connection) and you should find some nic specific setting. Make sure they match the router. Also make sure any suspend, sleep, or power saving features are disabled on the nic. There may even be a specific setting for lease time.
August 11, 2011
Wow. I've never tried to use your site on a blackberry. Brave man...brave.
I've checked the power saving features, but I guess I'll do drivers (sigh).
LoL -- thanks Dave.
August 11, 2011
Updated firmware on router -- bricked router. Reset to factory settings, router up and running on old firmware. Updated firmware again by following the directions - router running on new firmware.
Updated drivers on XP machine, rebooted. Blue screen. Safe mode, roll back driver, reboot. Updated drivers and rebooted. Now running with latest driver.
Still having the issue on XP and now my Vista machine is getting two gateways from DHCP. Not entirely sure why.
I'm thinking a rebuild of the XP machine is in order. Something corrupted the network stack and well...borked it.
Careful google searching has revealed pretty much the same answer...
sigh.
August 11, 2011
So where fine craftsmanship didn't work...
I resolved the issue with a sledgehammer. Rebuilt the laptop and all is well.
Fun, eh?
August 7, 2011
It's all about the end result, isnt' it?
August 11, 2011
LoL
the motherboard died on the laptop yesterday. so i guess it was a lost cause anyway.
:/
Welcome back Dave!
