Laptop says is connected through router..but nothing works

[Chubbs]

Hi..I know there are several other posts similar and maybe exactly the same as this..so if there are..can you please post the links to those threads for me?

but if not..or if someone is kind enough to rehash something already posted..this is my problem.

I just moved into a new apartment, in my old apartment, I had a desktop pc and a laptop connected to a router, and both to a cable modem through that router...everything worked smoothly and fine..never had any problems.
I move to this new apartment..hook everything up the same way..my desktop works fine..but the laptop, whilst it says its connected in the networks settings..I can't open a browser, and msn/yahoo etc won't connect..I tried pinging websites and that didn't work either. I switched the ethernet cables around, putting the one that was in the laptop into my desktop, and the other into the laptop..and the same thing is happening, desktop works, laptop doesn't.
The laptop will connect to wireless networks in the building..but only if the ethernet cable isn't plugged into it...does anyone have any answers for me? would be really gratefull..oh..both pc's are running xp home. Thank you.

Chubbs

 

[mikescorpio81]

What kind of internet connection do you use or pay for? You may need to call your ISP and let them know you have moved, as you may or may not need re-provisioning.

Can you web-browse to your router? EG: http://gatewayipaddress
If you can, check inside and see whether or not the routers status is connected.

You could also try an ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew in a cmd prompt, but I doubt this will help you. By the sounds of it, it is more of a ISP internet or router disconnected status problem.

 

[Chubbs]

I have cable internet from a local provider.
They know I moved as they were in today to set up my cable tv/internet/phone.
hmm..I tried going to what[/url] ipconfig says my default gateway is* ..and it was unable to connect..then I tried a diff ip that another website said to go to if your router was linksys, which it is..that was http://192.168.1.1/ ...and that one timed out...
and yeah..I've tried the release/renew and that didn't work any ideas about what it could be then? think it's an isp issue? my desktop is working fine..and when the ethernet cable is plugged into the laptop it's showing that it's connected..and it's sending packets..just not receiving hardly any at all, and not connecting to anything still.

 

[mikescorpio81]

Once you are connected, do an ipconfig /all in a command prompt and identify your default gateway. Then try to web browse to it. Inside your modem interface there should be somewhere you can see the status of your connection.

This may or may not work, seeing as though some cable modems give you a public IP address. Or you might end up inside your router.

The correct config of your network should be Cable Modem in BRIDGE MODE - cable from network port of Cable Modem to the WAN port of your router - ISP details given to router (username and password or Static Ip or whatever) - PC into LAN port of router. This way you will get your DNS details from your router, rather than your cable modem.

 

[Chubbs]

When I try to browse to my default gateway, it gives me Firefox can't establish a connection to the server at ******** ...and IE gives me a cannot find server error. :/

 

[DelJo63]

the GATEWAY belongs to the ISP and if you can't access your own router --
it should be clear you're never going to get there from here

SOMETIMES, ipconfig /all will report the router address
and other times, it will report the ISP address. Internally, the router fully
understands that if the address is NOT on the local LAN, the only choice is to
move the traffic to to WAN side, ISP gateway.

SO, first access your router control page and get your systems to see
this router.

Usually we set the router to provide DHCP service to the LAN,
set a default address for the router itself
and then tell all our systems to use DHCP to find both the IP and DNS addresses

On a wireless router, we do this using a hardwared cable to ensure we can
talk to it

 

[mikescorpio81]

The correct config of your network should be Cable Modem in BRIDGE MODE - cable from network port of Cable Modem to the WAN port of your router - ISP details given to router (username and password or Static Ip or whatever) - PC into LAN port of router. This way you will get your DNS details from your router, rather than your cable modem.

Try this suggestion, it should work and make your network set-up easier to move in the future. Also, check with your ISP and make doubly sure it's not a problem on their end.

 

[Chubbs]

when you say pc to LAN port..you mean the laptop into that one, and leave the desktop which is working, in the port it is in?
I talked with ISP, they say it's hardware and won't help..and how do I give ISP details to router when I can't browse to the routers setup page? :/

 

[mikescorpio81]

That is the biggest problem at present; the fact that you can't browse to your router.

Plug your laptop into a LAN port of your router and hopefully you will get an IP address from it. If you do, you should be able to web browse to it. If you don't, give yourself a static IP address within the same range as the router. If you still can't, restart the router and try again or factory reset the router.

You must be able to get inside the router, if you can't, it is a big problem. Once you get inside the router, there should be an option for interent type and it should let you select cable. Then from the WAN port of the router, run a cable to the network port of the cable modem.

If you have a PC that is working fine, browse to the router from that ... or are you unable to?

Try what I suggest, as you really do need to login to that router.

 

[Chubbs]

I'm unable to browse to the router through the desktop either..will try connecting the laptop straight to the LAN port and go from there..will post results shortly :/ hope it works heh

 

[Chubbs]

ok..well..I..fixed it? lol..I don't know how..or what happened..I just stared trying the cables from the pc's in different combinations of ports..and it seems that 1&3 together work...but no other combination..thank you all for your help..hmm..I wonder if I can get into the router setup now lol..anyways..thanks again..and I'll keep my fingers crossed that it stays working..if not..I'll be posting again

 

[DelJo63]

if all else fails, replace the J*&K with a router which comes with a manual

 

[Chubbs]

lol, indeed no more of this second hand stuff eh?