Cant connet to the Internet using wireless router

[wan_amri]

I just receieved a wireless router from Virgin Media who supplies my broadband Internet. The Router is NETGEAR WGR614 (54Mbps). Followed step by step instrustion (even talked to Virgin Broadband support staff) to set it up. So everyhting done to include my laptop recognised the router and the wireless connection is detected too. So I thought great I could browse the Internet with my new wireless connection. When trying to connect to the Internet, received warning saying unable to connect to the selected network (only has only one avalaibla network anyway). Called Virgin support again and after one hour listening to this person who wanted only his words to be followed, eventually he told me to take my laptop to computer shop to get it checked. I was so annoyed with him ... instead of trying to help and solve the problem further and didnt want to admit that he couldnt help, he said that my laptop is the one needs checking.
Is there anyone out there why I can't connect to the Internet wireless using this router?
Thanks.

[sara3]

firstly, I'd check that your wireless is switched to "on". most laptops have a small button/switch that turns it on and off.

sorry, that sounds a bit simplistic, but that should be the first thing to check. let's hope it's that easy!

[wan_amri]

Oh yes I had done that beforehand. When I said evertyhing is done that to include to switch that on too.

[poltergeist]

i hd the same problem with netgear. i had to change the name of the router to netgear123 and it worked for some reason

[wan_amri]

Hi Poltergeist,

Do I have to start the set up all over again and change the name to the one you tried. Where would I change the router name then?

Thanks.

[poltergeist]

i cant remember exactly but I had to go into the settings of the wifi and eventually I found an option to do so. Im not at home at the moment. but if ChuckFickens reads this I am sure he will tell you...

[Huderon]

I have the same router and found I couldn't connect wirelessly when I first set it up. What I had done was to install the drivers and then let the Netgear software set up the connection. Tried it several times and it just would not work.

In the end I uninstalled everything and started from scratch, but once the drivers were installed I chose the option to let Windows set up the connection instead of using the Netgear software, and lo and behold, everything worked.

That was all on XP, Vista may be different. Oh yes, one other thing I found with the Netgear installation software - it messed up the XP logon screen, removing the list of users and replacing it with a bald logon screen. If you get that, this link will take you to a site where you can download a program to fix the problem (assuming you want to of course).

[ChuckFickens]

I hate wireless!!

can you connect to the internet using the supplied ethernet cable? if you can, and while connected using the cable, type the following into your address bar in a browser 192.168.1.1 (or 192.168.0.1 if that doesn't work) then login with the username admin and the password password.

Once loged in look down the left hand side for wireless settings and click on this. and on that page firstly change the SSID to something else, this is publicly viewable so nothing personal. then setup the following

tick in both enable access point and broadcast SSID

And then under security settings select WPA-PSK and type in a password where it gives you the space to enter a passphrase. and click apply

Then disconnect the cable, search for wireless networks on your computer and you should see the new SSID appear as a network, select this and connect to it, you should then be prompted for the password (passphrase) you've just entered in the netgear pages, type this in and you should connect OK.

[wan_amri]

Hi Huderon and Chuck, I will try Chuck's advise first because I can connect to the Internet using supplied ethernet cable (which I'm using now t access the Internet). If still not working, I will try Huderon. I'm sure I will be back here for more help if I get stuck again. Wish me luck.
Thanks for now.

[wan_amri]

I need some more help please because I have tried those adivsed by Chuck and Huderon but im still stuck.
Please help!!!!

[Huderon]

OK, back to the basics then. If you are using XP, do you have at least service pack 2 installed ? That model of router won't work without SP2. Now ignoring the router for the moment ...

You are with Virgin, so they must have supplied you with a cable modem. Can you get onto the net using an ethernet cable plugged into the cable modem ?

If you can, your broadband connection is working.

If you can't get a connection that way, can you get one using a USB lead to connect your laptop to the cable modem ? The USB lead may well have been supplied with the modem (it was with mine).

If using the USB lead works and using the ethernet cable doesn't, you may have a faulty ethernet cable.

If you can get online using the ethernet cable and the modem, and you want to use wireless, you will need two ethernet cables initially. One to connect your laptop to the router, and one to connect the router to the cable modem.

(contd)

[Huderon]

(continuation)

Ideally you should use the Netgear software for the next bit. If your package is like mine, there are two CDs, one for setting up the router itself and one for setting up the wireless dongle (if one came with the router that is). Use the wizard on the rouer setup disk to guide you through the connection process, but the next bit of this tells you how to physically connect everything anyway.

Turn off the laptop and the cable modem. Connect the laptop to the router with one of the ethernet cables. There are 4 sockets on the back of the router, use the one nearest the routers power connection (the leftmost one looking at the back of the router). Use the second ethernet cable to connect the router to the cable modem. This time you plug the cable into the socket nearest the wireless antenna (the one on the right looking at the back of the router).

Then turn the power on to the cable modem and wait 2 mins. Now plug the power lead into the router and turn it on. Wait until you have only green lights showing on the router. Finally turn on the laptop. If you ahve been using the wizard to do the setup you should see the setup wizard asking if you want help setting up your wireless network. Before you go on to that, run your web browser and see if you can get to Google. If you can, all your connections are right. Now let the wizard help you to set up the wireless connection and security in combination with ChuckFickens instructions for enabling wireless and setting the security options.

Turn off the laptop, router and cable modem. Disconnect the laptop from the router, turn on the cable modem, wait 2 mins, turn on the router, wait till you have all green lights, then turn on the laptop and see if you can establish a wireless connection to the SSID you created when setting up the router.

[Huderon]

oops ... There are 5 ethernet sockets on the back of the router not 4, but you still plug the laptop into the leftmost one (looking ay the bak of the router) and connect the router to the cable modem using the rightmost one (the one nearest the antenna).

[ACtheTROLL]

lol

the wireless wizard makes it much easier ...... erm

>>>> even talked to Virgin Broadband support staff
>>>>>>after one hour listening to this person who wanted
>>>>>> only his words to be followed"

I'l grant you - it's unusual for a support desk to want you to do it their way .... you were obviously doing so well yourself ...

I honestly think that you'll be better getting someone in ... or just use a wire connection

[wan_amri]

Hi Huderon,

Thank you very much for your advise.

1. My laptop has XP SP2.

2. They dont suplply USB cable with mine.

3. I can use an Ethernet cable to get onto the Internet. I have two ethernet cables one that I usually used for wired connection (white) and another one is the one that came with the router (yellow). The configuration I did like you said ... yellow ethernet cable to link between cable modem to the router (plugged in to the yellow port at the back of the router), and the white ethernet cable is link from the router (I plugged into the nearest port ot the yellow port) to my laptop. That way yes I can get onto the Internet.

4. Regarding set up instruction and all that ... I followed exactly what you said which the same instruction that come on one CD (only one CD).

Virgin Media broadband technical supports was not helpful at all. Mind you because it was the weekend, the suppport staff (talked to 3 of them) I got were Indian people who all of them sounded ignorant (They cut every sentence I said before I finished them). And the of each converstation, they only thing they told me my laptop needs checking with computer shop. I told them there is nothing wrong with my computer and I even checked with my laptop company whether my wireless card which is built in compatible with this particular router. Toshiba said my laptop can use any types of routers, not just NETGEAR.

I'm just hoping that today I can contact Virgin Media again and hopefully this time I speak to someone from UK who would listen to my problem and guided me patiently instead of cutting my sentences before I finished them.

I feel frustrating really.