Help with wireless and lan connection

[cheryl51]

To start with I do not know all the technical terms for equipment so please do not make fun of me. I live in the country and wireless internet was made available to me the first of the year. The company came out, put up an antennae and hooked up my connection. I also bought a linsksys router so I could use my laptop in the other room. Right from the start the wireless did not work as planned and the direct connection kept stalling out. It said I was connected but I could not access the internet. The company said to unplug the router to reset it. Sometimes it worked but not anymore. I have given up getting help from this company as there seems to be no rhyme or reason to why sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I decided to get a card for the desktop and it worked very well--never stalled. I emailed the company to tell them I thought maybe there was something wrong with my laptop and about 2 hours later the desktop could not connect. I did not change any settings at all.

Can anyone tell me simply how to begin to get my 2 computers using this service properly. When it works it is great but I have to resort to dialup when it doesn't. Right now this is the only company to use so I am stuck if I want to continue this service.

Tonight the desktop is working but the laptop will only connect wireless and the icon for the lan connection (I think that is what you call it) just keeps trying to acquire a networks address.

Again I am sorry I am not very technical but am just tired of this not working. I have been to various sites and read all the articles but nothing has clicked.

 

[Rick]

To start with I do not know all the technical terms for equipment so please do not make fun of me. I live in the country and wireless internet was made available to me the first of the year. The company came out, put up an antennae and hooked up my connection. I also bought a linsksys router so I could use my laptop in the other room. Right from the start the wireless did not work as planned and the direct connection kept stalling out. It said I was connected but I could not access the internet. The company said to unplug the router to reset it. Sometimes it worked but not anymore. I have given up getting help from this company as there seems to be no rhyme or reason to why sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I decided to get a card for the desktop and it worked very well--never stalled. I emailed the company to tell them I thought maybe there was something wrong with my laptop and about 2 hours later the desktop could not connect. I did not change any settings at all.

Can anyone tell me simply how to begin to get my 2 computers using this service properly. When it works it is great but I have to resort to dialup when it doesn't. Right now this is the only company to use so I am stuck if I want to continue this service.

Tonight the desktop is working but the laptop will only connect wireless and the icon for the lan connection (I think that is what you call it) just keeps trying to acquire a networks address.

Again I am sorry I am not very technical but am just tired of this not working. I have been to various sites and read all the articles but nothing has clicked.

First of all - Welcome. :wave:

To start with I do not know all the technical terms for equipment so please do not make fun of me.

Don't worry, most of the people here are gentle.

The company came out, put up an antennae and hooked up my connection.

This is interesting, because I don't know what this antenna is for? Is it possible this is a satellite dish of some sort? Any normal broadband doesn't require an antenna.

I also bought a linksys router so I could use my laptop in the other room.

What a router is used for, as you may already know, is to share an Internet connection. 'Home' routers are notoriously bad for disconnecting and other undesirable behavior. So what you're experiencing could be problems with your router and that would not be unusual. And Linksys... Well, I'm tired of dealing with them.

The company said to unplug the router to reset it. Sometimes it worked but not anymore.

The router just shares your Internet connection - It does not provide it. If the router locks up or does something funny, then it can appear your Internet access will quit working, but your modem (or whatever the source of your Internet is) should still be connected. The best thing you can do is plug directly into the source of your Internet (Whatever your router is plugged into) and bypass the router all together. If your connection still doesn't work, then we know to look at your modem for problems instead of your router. If the Internet works, then we can guess your router is probably to blame.

Can anyone tell me simply how to begin to get my 2 computers using this service properly.

You have a source of Internet, which may have something to do with that big antenna. Connecting a computer to this is enough to get one computer online. For two computers, your router should be connected to this source (usually a modem of some sort, but in your case I haven't a clue what kind of equipment your dealing with) and it will share your connection wirelessly. At this point, your computers should connect wired/wirelessly without incident. Unfortunately, there's an issue here which needs to be resolved.

laptop will only connect wireless and the icon for the lan connection (I think that is what you call it) just keeps trying to acquire a networks address.

This tells me your laptop is unable to resolve an IP address. This is one of the very first things that needs to be done in order to use your Internet. The router shares your Internet connection and assigns IP address to every computer. If you cannot get an IP address, then the router or quality of the network connection is probably to blame. This problem can occur while using wireless because you're either too far away or there's a lot of interference. A second (and frequent cause) can also be the result of your router not behaving properly. Turning the router off and on should resolve this problem - if only temporarily - if your problem is a result of the router getting confused.

More details would be useful. Perhaps you can find out more about how you connect to the Internet? Maybe you have cable, DSL, satellite or some sort of other weird Internet service? Do you have a modem? What is the location of the modem? What is the model of the modem? What model is your router? What is that big antenna for?

Finding the answers to those questions could help us solve your problem better because until we know the answers, its a lot of guess work. But this is a good start.

 

[cheryl51]

Thanks for all the tips. When all the problems started I was convinced it was that linksys WRK54G but nothing their site suggested helped and I have already read how bad their routers are.

What the company set on my roof is a square box I assumed was an antennae that reaches about 4 miles to town to another antennae which then goes to a town about 50 miles away. It is not satellite, I don't think anyway. It was called wireless internet. Since all that is available out here in the country is slow dial up this was suppose to be wonderful and it is when it works. The cable from the antennae into the house is hooked to a little white box about 2" x 3" that says tranzeo wireless technologies and it has another cable that goes into the router. I now have connected the cable direct from the little white box instead of through the router and neither the wireless or lan line work. I reconnected through the router and still have wireless with my laptop but no lan line.

It is late and I have messed around enough but will try your tips tomorrow. Thanks for the help. I have been trying to figure this all out on my own for about 6 months now and the company has not really been a big help.
This company is making big bucks charging $40 a month. You think they would be a little more helpful.

 

[Rick]

That sounds like WiMAX, which is indeed wireless Internet. I've never worked with that kind of equipment though, so its neat to hear about. I'm also glad you're able to get broadband in an rural area. I used to live in a very rural area in KY for a long time... They still don't have broadband out there, I hear.

Well, first of all, there are many variables which may account for your Internet problems and since I am unfamiliar with your type of Internet service, I might not be able see the possibilities which someone else who is familiar with WiMAX might see.

From what you've said though, plugging directly into the modem/receiver (Tranzero box) doesn't work. This is a good sign your Internet connection is dropping on your ISP's (Your Internet service provider) end and has nothing to do with your router or your computers. And, with wireless being spewed out over miles of distance via [directional] antennas, it wouldn't surprise me at all if you get drops or weak signals from time to time... Regardless of WiMAX technology.

I'm assuming your WiMAX service is DHCP, which means it should be automatic. That means no dialers or special software should be required to access it... Which means plugging your computer straight in should work.

Since it doesn't, I might try to unplug and re-plug the box.

I know you'd rather get your eyes poked out, but are you able to call the company and have them test your connection? They should be able to determine if your modem/reciever is connected or not.

Another thing to ask them is if your modem has a web admin interface, how to access it and if there's anything useful in the configuration page(s) to help your troubleshoot or improve your experience. There may also be a hard-reset button, which could be useful. This resets the device to factory defaults, which may or may not be desirable depending on what they say.

I now have connected the cable direct from the little white box instead of through the router and neither the wireless or lan line work.

Something I'd like you to check is your IP address. Every computer online or connected to any networking equipment should always have an IP. So plug your computer back into the little Tranzero box. Click on Start > Run and type in cmd and press [Enter]. A little black terminal window will pop up. Type in ipconfig and press [Enter] again... a list of IP addresses and other things should appear. If you could, please share this information. Include the IP addresses, default gateways and subnets listed for each of your networking devices and post them here.

If you see anything like 169.254.###.### or 0.0.0.0, then your modem/receiver is almost certainly having problems.

 

[cheryl51]

Before I explore further I wanted to make sure I got this right. I should be able to access my direct connection by bypassing the router and plugging my cable direct into the little white box that my outside antenna cable is also plugged into.

What I find strange is that my desktop has the direct connection plugged into the router but my laptop doesn't. It is working wireless though.

I will go ahead and check the ip address like you wanted and report back.

 

[cheryl51]

The ip address for wireless is 192.168.1.106
subnet mask 255.255.255.0
default gateway 192.168.1.1

Local area connection 192.168.1.105
other settings same as wireless

I plugged my desktop into the same place on the router as before but changed spots for the laptop. Now the desktop shows connected but isn't and the laptop is working. I plugged it into a different spot on the router. There are 4 places.

Is it possible that the lan connection will only work on one computer at a time. I read the article on wimax and that has helped me understand why I cannot always get a connection.

I ran the ipconfig on the desktop and now it is just 0's so it is not picking up an address. The company when if first set this up told me never to push the reset button on the router just to unplug it for a couple minutes to get my connection back then they told me never to click repair connection as that would mess something up. Can you tell me why? I am kind of at a loss as I am not that technical but still know when something isn't right and the company which I don't think has all the answers tries to make me feel like it is my fault for this not working right.

 

[Rick]

The ip address for wireless is 192.168.1.106
subnet mask 255.255.255.0
default gateway 192.168.1.1

This tells me your IP address is assigned by your router (blue/black Linksys box). This is a local IP, subnet and gateway for computers in your house. This means your router is working at least somewhat, as one of its main jobs is to act as a DHCP server, assigning IP addresses to your computer.

Local area connection 192.168.1.105
other settings same as wireless

If you have the network cable plugged into your router (Blue/black Linksys box), this is expected. If you have your network cable plugged into the Tranzero box, these IP addresses are undesirable. If you haven't already, try disconnecting the cable that runs from your router to the Tranzero box. Plug your computer directly into the Tranzero box using this cable. Use ipconfig again and tell me what IP addresses you see. It may take a short moment for your computer to get an IP from the box, so wait about a half minute before you run ipconfig. If you get 0.0.0.0, try repairing your connection (more information at the bottom of this post addressing your ISPs concerns). If you can't get an IP address this way, their equipment is probably messed up or there's a special procedure/info I'm unaware of. This would constitute a call to you ISP for more information.

I plugged my desktop into the same place on the router as before but changed spots for the laptop. Now the desktop shows connected but isn't and the laptop is working. I plugged it into a different spot on the router. There are 4 places.

All of the ports on the router will be the same except for one. It should be labeled the 'WAN Port'. It's a special port used to connect to your Internet source. In this case, it might be connected to your Tranzero box.

Is it possible that the lan connection will only work on one computer at a time.

By design, most ISPs only make it possible for one computer to get online with their basic equipment. This is because your ISP only assigns you one IP address; however, all of your computers need an IP to get online!

Fortunately, your router makes it possible to have more than one computer by assigning a different set of local IP addresses. So that one IP address you get from your ISP is now assigned to your router. Your router then assigns a different class of IP address (Usually starting with 192.168.xxx.xxx) to all of the computers which connect to it. These IP addresses are just for your home only, just so the router can identify your computers. It uses the IP addresses to 'route' or direct information from the outside world into your home and to each computer. Your ability to have more than one computer is completely up to your router and not up to your ISP (in most cases).

I ran the ipconfig on the desktop and now it is just 0's so it is not picking up an address.

This is a problem with your router if you're connected wirelessly or plugged directly into your router. If you're plugged directly into your Tranzero box, this would be a problem with that instead of your router.

The company when if first set this up told me never to push the reset button on the router just to unplug it for a couple minutes to get my connection back

This seems sensible because they may have special settings which allow the Tranzero box to get your connected. Hard resetting the modem would make it forget all of these settings and may keep you from getting online again until they either come and fix it or give you the information you need to fix it yourself.

then they told me never to click repair connection as that would mess something up. Can you tell me why?

I don't believe this for a split second. 'Repair Connection' is a feature in Windows XP which disables and re-enables your network adapter. It does some other things too, but there's absolutely no reason you should not be able to do this. It doesn't change or alter their equipment or settings - only your computer. If anything, it may be very useful. Repairing your connection when you're network adapter has the IP address 0.0.0.0 might be an easy way to get a valid IP again. Also, if it quits working on a computer, repairing is a good first (or maybe second) step.

I am kind of at a loss as I am not that technical but still know when something isn't right and the company which I don't think has all the answers tries to make me feel like it is my fault for this not working right.

I understand how you feel. Maybe if we can completely mess up their equipment, they can come out and fix it free of charge.

 

[cheryl51]

When I plug the tranzero box directly to either computer I do get an ip address.

Laptop 192.168.1.1
255.255.255.0
192.168.1.1

Media Sate--media disconnected

Desktop is 192.168.2.103
default is 192.168.2.1

Although it shows an ip address neither computer can access the internet while hooked directly through that tranzero box. I plugged it all back the same coming form the tranzero box into the router and into the computers. Now I have the lan connection working on both but the wireless is not working. It is still trying to acquire an address.

Even out of desperation I have never pushed that reset button on the router but I have clicked the windows repair. Usually it stated there is no ip address.

 

[cheryl51]

Oops hit the wrong key. I wanted to thank you so much for your help. Just explaining all this in terms I can understand will help me when I speak with the wireless company. I always wondered what that tranzeo box was for. It is just kind of strange how everything can work fine then out of the blue just quit then start working again. This is with not changing any settings at all. It can work fine at night, I shut the lid, computer goes on standy (It's a Dell, if I shut it down sometimes it will not come back on) and then in the morning is messed up.

I wanted to clear all this up so I could work on networking the two computers so I could share some files which I am sure will be another challenge. I have seen some good information on doing this here in this forum so hopefully this will help me out.

Do you honestly think an Apple computer would be more fail proof like they state in their ads. I have seriously considered buying one.

 

[DelJo63]

get the make and model number of ALL boxes.
disconnect the system that is not working to allow the one that is
to Google the net for 'xyz model 123 firmware update'

 

[Rick]

When I plug the tranzero box directly to either computer I do get an ip address.

Laptop 192.168.1.1
255.255.255.0
192.168.1.1

Media Sate--media disconnected

I don't understand what's going on here. Your laptop should never have an address of 192.168.1.1. This is the address of your router. "Media Disconnected" suggests your cable is not plugged in.

Desktop is 192.168.2.103
default is 192.168.2.1

This is looking interesting. It would appear your Tranzero box could be a router (also). Having two routers could be causing your issues.

Your Linksys router, by default, assigns local IP addresses with a range of 192.168.1.100 through 192.168.1.254. These IPs are just for use in your home. When you plug into your Tranzero box, you get the IP address 192.168.2.103. This is also a local IP range used only for home. It sounds like you have two routers trying to fighting with each other to be your gateway.

The Tranzero box is also the source of your Internet. Assuming it works like most modems, it should give you an external IP address which would look much different, like 72.56.122.9 (random example). Your external IP will never start with 192.168.2.xxx. This tells me your Tranzero box is a DHCP server and a router because it is assigning local IPs, (just like your Linksys) although it probably has modem/receiver capabilities as well.

Although it shows an ip address neither computer can access the internet while hooked directly through that tranzero box. I plugged it all back the same coming form the tranzero box into the router and into the computers. Now I have the lan connection working on both but the wireless is not working. It is still trying to acquire an address.

There may be a problem with your Tranzero equipment too. Let's fix your problem of two routers first.

Unplug the Linksys router (to disable wireless). There probably aren't any other wireless signals in the area since broadband isn't common over there. But if you are still picking up wireless, try disabling your wireless adapter. I ask you to do this so we can ensure you're connected ONLY to the Tranzero box.

Unplug the Tranzero box for several seconds. Connect it again and wait a minute or so. Plug in your computer via a network cable directly into the Tranzero box. Give it just several seconds and the box should assign you an IP address of 192.168.2.xxx. Do you get Internet now?

If you do, then we know your Tranzero box is working.

If you don't, you're going to need additional help from your ISP since I don't know much about the box. I can tell you that it probably has a web interface which lets you configure it. You can also probably solve your connection issues using this interface as well, but you may also get yourself into some trouble if you start playing with options you aren't familiar with. This is where your ISP should be able to help you once we get your other problems squared away. If you're interested in poking around, the web interface should be accessible by typing in 192.168.2.1 in Internet Explorer and pressing Enter. You'll probably be asked for a user name and password, which could be anything. But try admin / admin or admin / pass or admin / password, as these are very common defaults.

Your Linksys... We need to set this router to be an access point only. The problem (or at least a problem) is your Linksys is acting as a router and DHCP server as well as your Tranzero box. They get confused and they fight for supremacy, but only one can be the sole DHCP server & router. For simplicity, we'll leave this part up to your Tranzero box and turn your Linksys wireless router into a Linksys wireless access point.

• Disconnect your Linksys from everything including network cables and power. It's important we don't connect it to your Tranzero box until it is time.
• Connect to the router wirelessly or with a cable in any of the ports except the WAN port. Wait for it to finish 'acquiring IP address'
• Open Internet Explorer and type in 192.168.1.1 into the address bar and press [Enter]
• A box should pop up with a prompt for a user name and password. By default, the user name is just blank and the password is admin
• You should be logged into your router's web interface now. In here, we can change settings for your Linksys router.
• You'll see connection settings for WAN. It might look something like this.
• Select 'Disable DHCP Server'
• Empty any configuration data typed into the "Internet Connection" area. This information might include PPPOE login, host name, domain name etc. You may want to write the information down just in case you find you need it later for whatever reason... Just to be safe.
• Change the router's 'Local IP Address' setting from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.2.2. Once we save the changes, this will now be how you access the configuration interface of your router instead of 192.168.1.1. The subnet should be set to 255.255.255.0 (as usual)
• Click the save button and wait several seconds. You'll no longer be able to connect to your router because we changed its host IP.
• Connect the Linksys router to your Tranzero box using any port except the WAN port. We won't be using this port any more.
• You should now be able to access the Internet via wireless and by plugging into either router

What JoeBeard suggested was updating the firmware (even though he said fireware. ). It's a good idea, but I think we need to investigate more before we try it and brick your router.

 

[cheryl51]

Ok, I disabled my wireless adapter and disconnected the tranzeo box but when I connected it the way you said it states media state.... media disconnected. I noticed the way the two adapters, linksys and tranzeo are plugged together with an extension cord. Both electrical adapters are plugged into an extension cord, then the cord is plugged in to the outlet. Is that the normal way. Should I try to unplug the linksys from the electrical outlet altogether. I did disconnect it the way you said but no ip address shows.

I will have to get my internet back now so I can try that other stuff. This is quite the mystery.

 

[DelJo63]

Both electrical adapters are plugged into an extension cord, then the cord is plugged in to the outlet. Is that the normal way. Should I try to unplug the linksys from the electrical outlet altogether.

the a/c power setup is a non-issue. personally, I would plug ALL computer equipment
into at least a surge protector, and as we experience 'loss of power' every now and then,
I've gone to a UPS to allow controlled shutdown.

 

[cheryl51]

I have to go to Kansas City tomorrow so will try to do all the stuff you recommend when I get back or perhaps Friday. This whole setup has bothered me from the start as the first problem was never being able to use my laptop wirelessly throughout the house like he said I should. I have done all the linksys firmware update, put the router up high, changed the antenna around and turned off my phones but nothing has helped and I have just put up with the unreliability but when the lan line does not work it is a real pain. I rely on my computer for my business and I have to be able to get online.

Like I said before I will try your suggestions when I get back.

Thanks again. I hope I am not too much of a nuisance. I would rather learn how to fix things myself and understand the whys instead of having someone come in. I don't think they appreciate me watching over their backs to see what they are doing.

 

[cheryl51]

I have been doing some checking and the tranzeo box is a TR-SUR-001 surge protected power-over-ethernet. This may tell you guys something but not me. I checked out the firmware updates on the wrk54G ver. 1.1 linksys router and it is suppose to be the latest 1.58.03. When I type 192.168.1.1 into my browser window to get into linksys the following comes up.

ip address 10.10.231.76
subnet 255.255.255.0
default gateway 10.10.231.1
dns1 10.10.251.1
dns2 69.27.136.10

it is on channel 6 UPnp, remote upgrade and remote admin are disabled.

I have been to the linksys forums a long time ago and tried several things to make it work better but just got frustrated and quit trying. I am getting ready to follow Rick's suggestions now so will post back later.

 

[Rick]

Because of this...

Desktop is 192.168.2.103
default is 192.168.2.1

... and this

When I type 192.168.1.1 into my browser window to get into linksys

It seems pretty evident there are two routers on your home network. Our job will be to isolate one and disable the other. I really believe this is causing (at least some) of your random disconnects and Internet sharing problems.

 

[cheryl51]

I am getting a little afraid now. I have messed around and although it says connected without that tranzeo box the only way I can access the internet is going through it with the linksys router. What you said to do did not work. I have to connect the tranzeo box into the wan port on the linksys as that is the only way I can really connect with internet. I am now on dial up as it will take me awhile to figure out how to get the router set up back to the normal not right settings but at least it worked that way just not well. Maybe I did something wrong but tried to follow your exact directions.

 

[cheryl51]

I cannot get back into the linksys to change the settings back. You said to change the 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.2.2 and I did but cannot get back into it with either. Please help me fix this. I don't want to have to call that company as they accused me once of changing things around when I really didn't. I don't know what they would say now. This is embarrassing. I will mess around a little more and take a deep breath. Surely I can figure this out.

It's okay Cheryl. Getting back into your router won't be too complicated.

What has happened (my guess), is you've disabled DHCP serving (which is good) and changed the IP to 192.168.2.2 (which is also good). But there may not be a 2nd DHCP server (even though it sure looked like there was)... Perhaps it was sun spots or solar flares. So now your computer doesn't have an IP address and can't connect to anything.

Try turning the Linksys router off for a few seconds and turning it back on again. Restarting it will help minimize the possibility of a router problem and renew your IP address (Because we'll need to get you onto the 192.168.2.xxx IP block, if your IP is 192.168.1.xxx it will cause issues). Give it several seconds. Did you get an IP address or is it still acquiring one?

If you do get an IP, that means there's another DHCP server somewhere. That's good because we'll need one and that's what I was counting on. If you do not get an IP, that means there isn't another DHCP server. That's not good because you need an IP address to communicate with the networking equipment in your home and get online. But if you aren't getting IP, that ends that experiment because you'll want a DHCP server and the 192.168.2.1 address we saw earlier may have been some sort of fluke? So we should put everything back the way it was.

Since your Linksys' IP address is now 192.168.2.2 and the DHCP server is turned off, we'll need to assign an IP address manually to your computer so we can access your router. Here's a reference as my instructions will be short. Ordinarily there would be a DHCP server to give you one, but apparently there is not.

You'll need to change your computer's IP address to 192.168.2.10 (not this specifically, but as long as it is not 192.168.2.1 or 192.168.2.2). Set your subnet to 255.255.255.0. Set your gateway to 192.168.2.2. Click OK and give it a few seconds. You should now be able to access your Linksys router's configuration page by typing 192.168.2.2.

What you should do is turn the DHCP server back ON and change the IP address to 192.168.1.1 as previously done. Plug your Tranzero box back into the WAN port on your Linksys router and eveything should be back to normal.

Don't forget to reconfigure your computer's IP address to use DHCP.

If things still don't work or you can't access your router, try turning your Linksys off and on again. If it still doesn't work, try the hard-reset button on the back of your Linksys should be the answer. Hold it in for several seconds or turn the power off, hold it in and turn the power on... Then continue holding for several seconds and it should reset everything to factory defaults, including its IP to 192.168.1.1 and its DHCP serving capabilities on.

This has become quite a scenario.

 

[DelJo63]

I have been doing some checking and the tranzeo box is a TR-SUR-001 surge protected power-over-ethernet.

this is nothing but a lightning surge protector for the line. all services are coming elsewhere.

 

[cheryl51]

jobeard, why can't I access the internet without this if it is just a surge protector.

Rick, I did have to reset the router and it appeared like all was well but even though my computer shows the connections I cannot access the internet. Should I put all the information back the way it was before.
I am used to things getting worse before they get better. That is why I was afraid to mess around with this and I was right.

 

[DelJo63]

TR-SUR-001 Surge protected Power-Over-Ethernet

jobeard, why can't I access the internet without this if it is just a surge protector.

see product description and price
Rick appears to be correct in stating that there's two routers, but this product
is not one. It must be associated with the antenna on the roof somehow

 

[Rick]

jobeard, why can't I access the internet without this if it is just a surge protector.

Rick, I did have to reset the router and it appeared like all was well but even though my computer shows the connections I cannot access the internet. Should I put all the information back the way it was before.
I am used to things getting worse before they get better. That is why I was afraid to mess around with this and I was right.

Yes, go ahead and put everything back. I'd like to see you online (sometimes) than not at all!

 

[cheryl51]

All is working ok or at least the way it was before I started messing around with stuff. Some of the settings are different with the default settings but as long as it works I am not going to worry too much. I still know something is not quite right with my whole setup and it bugs me to no end.

 

[cheryl51]

I am trying to clear things up a bit before I start in on this situation again. You guys said that I should be able to get my lan connection by bypassing router and tranzeo box and just plugging in the cable direct but I can't.

I have tried to set things back the way they were but for some reason cannot turn off windows firewall. I have sygate and know they cannot run together. It tells me that for my security some settings are controlled by Group Policy.

I also am getting sygate messages saying that the ip network address translater has received a multicast packet from remote machine 192.168.0.1 and do I want it to access network.

I know you said it sounds like I have 2 routers and it is all making a little more sense to me now but I don't really know what to try next. Any suggestions or have you given up on my sad situation.

The computer worked fine last night and early this morning but is almost at a standstill now and I have done nothing different.

 

[DelJo63]

I have tried to set things back the way they were but for some reason cannot turn off windows firewall. I have sygate and know they cannot run together. It tells me that for my security some settings are controlled by Group Policy.

you must have XP PRO via the Group Policy issue. You must be able to control
the system; uninstall Sysgate, reboot and enable the default Windows firewall.
we can always reinstall Sysgate if that's your prefernce. get the network running
and then fuss with firewall settings.

You guys said that I should be able to get my lan connection by bypassing router and tranzeo box and just plugging in the cable direct but I can't.

to be clear, didn't this work w/o the router on day one? if so, must be made to work again.

a) capture your MAC address via IPCONFIG /ALL
it looks like xx:yy:zz:aa:bb......

your ISP can require that this is the MAC being seen from their end.
we can always make your router report that address, but your direct connection w/o the router is the beginning of enlightenment.

if you have to call the ISP service tech back to your home, disconnect the
linksys and hide it from sight. once they make it run at all,
get a screen capture of IPCONFIG /ALL and keep it for reference.