Linksys WRT54G / Wireless-G PCI problems

V

VX1

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 13, 2001
Messages
263
First senario,
I setup the Linksys WRT54G and installed the Wireless-G PCI Adapter on a WinXP Pro with SP1. I used a WEP key and connected, everything went smooth. Internet and everything was working.

Second Senario,
Recently formatted, I now have WinXP Pro SP2. I have the same router settings and I go to install the Wireless-G PCI Adapter drivers/wifi util. Everything installs fine, wifi nic is recognized etc. I disable windows from controlling the wifi connections so I can use linksys's util (as I did in senario 1). This time it connects to the access point but says. "Connected to access point but no internet connection". So I can see the router, I have a DHCP address X.X.X.101 . But it wont connect to the interenet. So I tried upgrading the firmware on the router (to 2.04.4), didnt help. Same error. Looked for updated wifi nic driver (there are none, stock ones are the latest). I tried diabling WinXP's built in firewall, still doesnt get internet. I don't understand what is wrong. I can see the router but the router doesnt have an internet connection? The icing on the cake is there is a computer "wired" into the router via cat5 and it can access the net just fine. So the router see's the cable modem. I have search google and seen other people with the same issue but no resolutions were posted. I think it has to do something with XP SP2 but I dunno.

Have any idea?
 
I like the linksys util because it will generate the same HEX code via a phrase that the router has built in. So it makes changing the WEP very easy (not sure if windows has this but I assume each company generates the hex codes differently).

I will check the DNS issue. I am reluctant to use a custom firmware, it shouldnt be required to perform what the unit was designed to do, but thanks for the website, I'll checkout their FAQs.
 
It wasnt DNS related.

Turns out it was the utility used to communicate with the WAP. Linksys's Wireless-G PCI util only seems to work on Pre XP-SP2 environments. So what I did was use Windows built in communication software. The only down fall of that was I had to manully input the WEP key (ewwww). The linksys had a nice phrase generator for that. Oh well, at least it works now.

Problem resolved.
 
I found this out the hard way on one of my cable installations. The ladies 54G router and PCI card simply refused to talk to eachother. After spending over an hour myself trying to fix it, I had to swallow my pride and call up Linksys. Even with them on the phone, I had to rip out SP2 *Go figure*rip out the drivers, reinstall just the drivers twice and then change the channel frequency twice before the two would even connect.

SP2 is such a pain in the ass :mad:
 
bigstusexy: the fix was apart of SP2

I however dont really blame SP2 that much. From what I've read it usually was shitty programming if the program doesnt work under SP2 but worked under SP1.

So I blame linksys for not testing their product throughly.
 
VX1 said:
I am reluctant to use a custom firmware, it shouldnt be required to perform what the unit was designed to do, but thanks for the website, I'll checkout their FAQs.
Click to expand...

Actually, that is the point. The unit was designed to do much more than the Linksys software supports ;)
 
I am running XP SP2 with Linksys WRT54GS and WPC54GS and everything works just fine.
I did have an issue which was just like yours. For some reason my WEP key was not being saved. I used the Linksys NIC utility to delete that profile and created a new one. So far no more problems.
 
UnderLoK said:
Actually, that is the point. The unit was designed to do much more than the Linksys software supports ;)
Click to expand...

Yes I know but the setup wasnt mine, was a friend of mines. I just was helping them fix their issue. Custom firm= void of warranty and no linksys 800 support, so since they are admin'ing it now, they can call linksys next time.

It really chaps me when companies have shitty software/driver support. I had a previous problem with a Netgear WG511 not liking any newer drivers (that were NON beta). Now this issue with a Linksys Wireless G. I also do not buy D-Link products. It's sad cause there isnt many vendors left for soho network products (maybe SMC and Sonicwall is rather $$$).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top