Wireless Router Issues Please help if you can!!!!!!!!!!

[Christopher Quast]

We purchased a dell last year and we also got a Netgear router with it and have never had to install it, because we never had a laptop until last night. First off I suck at this computer junk, I can find my way around OK, but when it comes to troubleshooting I am lost.

I put the disk in and it gives me the option to do the setup and then I click it and nothing happens, so then I went to my computer to try that and no luck either. I called their so-called tech support tonight and waited for over a half hour to be cut off all of a sudden.

I know their are some computer savy people on here and was hoping you could give me some other options or do I need to go out and buy a new router?

Thanks

[upnorth]

I have no real experience with netgear, but to me it sounds like there is something missing on the CD that came with it. I would try going to their HSOforum and downloading the setup app there.

There are other things to try, but if you have limited computer skills it would rather frustrating.

Typically the setup just gets you into the home page for the router and some instructions on setting it up. It may be partially working already. And you just need to get to the webpage to set it up. If you want to try that route. Power up the router, and then plug your PC into on of the switchports, power up or restart the PC then go to start, run, key in "cmd" hit enter, then key in "ipconfig" this will give you some info on IP. You should see:

IP address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

Subnet mask 255.255.255.0

gateway xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

If the device is not working you will get all zeroes.

The gateway address will be your router, this is probably going to be something like 192.168.1.1 you can take that address and put it in the address line of a webrowser, IE, Firefox or whatever you are using. Hit enter and it should get you to there routers setup. There should a default password somewhere in the documentation.

[Sandmannd]

Upnorth has it correct on this. Not real hard, but can be a paing if you haven't done it before.

[Jim43]

Are you using DSL or Cable ?

[solbes]

I can't really offer any good advice. I just installed a Netgear WR on a Dell about 3 weeks ago and didn't have too many problems. I do remember they were pretty specific on the order that things needed to occur in. I agree with upnorth with trying to download their software rather than trying the CD route.

[Jakesbuds]

Or once the CD is in the Computer try this.

Got into My Computer > Right Click the D: Drive (assuming this is your CD-Rom Drive) > Explore. Once inside the CD Contents try running the SETUP.EXE File. I had issues with my Wireless CD not auto-running too. This is the way I got it to work.

[DuckDog]

You could try to download their software, but it would be pretty easy.

Do you have Windows XP on your computer or Vista?

Start - Run - Browse - "CD" then setup.exe - open and should do it.

A download you should "save file" to your desktop so you can open it again if needed.

[Christopher Quast]

Last night we tried it on our old compter and it worked, so we got to thinking since our newer desktop came with the wireless card in it already should we just take the card out of this computer and then try it? Does this make sense to you guys at all? I figured if our old PC doesnt have a card in it and it accepted the program then if this was the case when we removed the card from our newer PC it would probably work in the same fashion.

[upnorth]

What version of Windows do you have in your new PC? Vista? Vista has some weird security stuff and or it may not be compatible.

You really shouldn't have to run the app on every PC that connects to your network, it should only be needed to setup the router.

You can just run the Wireless router setup from your older PC and then setup the new PC to use the wireless. Be sure to use WPA or WPA2 and AES or TKIP for your wireless security. And don't just use the default name for your wireless LAN, your neighbor may be using the same thing, use something unique.

Once you have the wireless LAN setup on your router make sure you write down all the settings(legible, I actually write it down in a word or notepad document) so you have them as you add devices or something else goes sour. Then you take that info and go to the PC/Laptop that you want to connect to your WLAN and setup the Wireless connection. You may need to ensure that the wireless card is turned on and wireless networking is enabled on the PC/Laptop you want to connect.

Make sense?

[Christopher Quast]

Some of it does, the older pc I was referring to actually hasnt been used for some time now, but we were thinking of just using to run the router through.

Since we still use our newer desktop on a regular basis we thought that it would make more sense to run the router through it instead of using the old desktop.

What are these codes you speak of???? Is it just a way to secure our network so others cant use ours or invade our privacy?

So if we remove our wireless card from our newer desktop, would that help get it loaded onto it instead?

Yes we do have Vista and what are the chances thats the problem?

Thanks upnorth for all your help thus far and the rest of you guys too....

[upnorth]

Once you setup your router you don't need to have a PC to run it.

Quote:

So if we remove our wireless card from our newer desktop, would that help get it loaded onto it instead?

Removing the card from a PC will not help it run you router app(or least the chance is very, very slim) it is probably something with Vista. I could be set to not run some apps or it could be that the version on your CD is not compatible with Vista. You could try Downloading a new version from netgears HSOforum. I really don't think that is the issue.

Quote:

What are these codes you speak of???? Is it just a way to secure our network so others cant use ours or invade our privacy?

Yes, you don't want others able to access your network, believe there are free tools out there anyone can get their hands on to capture data you are transmitting and you don't want that.

I would concentrate on getting the router setup and then work on getting the PC connected to the router. First things first.

[eurolarva]

If you have a computer hardwired to the wireless router open a browser window. It can be either Internet Explorer or Firefox. In the address field type 192.168.1.1 and hit enter. This is the way to get into a lot of routers. At this point it will ask for a user and password. Chances are if you have never changed yours it is probably admin with no password. YOu will want to click on wireless and verify that SSID broadcast is enabled and I would click on wireless security and disable it till you can get the new computer to see the network. Save the changes then on the laptop go to network connections and search for a wireless network. Find yours and connect. After you have done this you will want to change passwords and name your network. Then you will want to make sure wireless security is at least running WPA. Create a pass phrase for the wireless security then you will have to re connect all of your computers to that network. There is more but this is a good start.

I dont have vista but it is very common with XP that the disc when loaded will flash and not give you any interaction. It is best to use the windows wireless connection and you may have to use the disk as a pointer to a driver that will work. After everything is working you will want to go to the router and wireless adapters websites and update all the firmwares and drivers.