Wireless Card Says "Connected" but Won't Connect!

[AngelicKnight]

I've been working on this one for the past few hours, and it's driving me MAD:

Windows 98 Second Edition
Trendnet wireless card
Microsoft wireless router

Here's what I'm looking at:

1) Router is properly configured and connected. Two other machines are connected to the router via wired connections successfully.
2) No security whatsoever, meaning no encryption...just until I can establish a wireless connection. Keeping it basic until I can figure out this problem.
3) The trouble computer is configured correctly. IP, DHCP, DNS, Gateway, and Submask settings are all correctly configured.
4) Drivers installed for the card.
5) Configuration utility for the card shows the card as CONNECTED, green light and strong connection.
6) Router configuration menu identifies the computer as successfully connected.

However, despite the green card and confirmed connection, as soon as I open Explorer, I get "Page Cannot be Displayed". WTC?! That doesn't make sense!

So how can the card AND the router show me as connected, but I still can't connect? I can't even ping the router!

[Nokia]

Thats a weird one, connected but cant ping the router.

When you say the router shows you as connected does it tell you the right IP address for the wireless connection?

First steps I would say are to check you dont have a MAC address filter or IP address filter enabled.

If you could ping it, I would say the problem was with your IE configuration but since you cant ping it the problem obviously lies within the physical connection. Does you router have a setting to block all internal pings?

Try pinging another computer on you network.

See how that goes!

[moxnix]

I think Nokia hit it on the head......you are not getting a workable IP from your router. Click on the icon in your system tray that shows you are connected and then go to the support tab and check the address you have been given. It should be something like 192.68.0.103 (100-199) and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0

You might have to manually enter one, if all else fails.

[Winston]

If you are using internal static IP's and have the DHCP server enabled on the router that is what will happen.


It's worth it to check.

[AngelicKnight]

Yep, believe it or not, I've actually checked all that.

Router address is 192.168.2.1 with subnet mask 255.255.255.0. The card's configuration settings are set so that the primary DNS and gateway are 192.168.2.1.

The router does have DHCP enabled, and I've tried configuring the card with both the static IP of 192.168.2.6 (which is indeed free) and the automatic IP, so I have indeed tried that setting both ways. No difference.

So it's quite a quandry! I've checked the smaller, usually lesser-noticed settings...Channel is set to 6 on both router and card configuration...got the SSID right...no encryption...Preamble set to auto on the card config...all other minor settings set to auto...no IP or MAC filtering on the router...still no luck.

[MrLinus]

When you put in the static IP address did you also put in DNS addresses?

[AngelicKnight]

Yep, sure did. Put in the 192.168.2.1 address of the router for that.

[moxnix]

?? but you still haven't said what the IP the box you are trying to connect has for an IP. It may be connecting to the router but on an IP that is not useable to connect to the net.

[AngelicKnight]

I've tried configuring the card with both the static IP of 192.168.2.6 (which is indeed free) and the automatic IP

[MrLinus]

Put in the 192.168.2.1 address of the router for that.

I meant, did you put in your ISPs DNS? Avoid using the router for it. As odd as it sounds, although the router should push it through it may not. Also, I'm not sure how well Win98 supports wireless..