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19th August 2008, 8:19pm
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#1 | | fradulent miracle
Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Past the billbo
Posts: 12,069
|  New laptop - can't connect to wireless access point at home
Hi
I've got a new laptop & I couldn't connect to my wireless. I called Tiscali & after much confusion they guy said my IP address was a 169 one & wasn't set up for wireless. I don't get what he means? Could some help me/point me in the right direction to sort this.
Sorry, I'm hopeless!
Thank you | 
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19th August 2008, 8:24pm
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#2 | | Registered User Editor
Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Glasgow
Posts: 9,137
| Re: IP Address
An IP address that looks like 169.x.x.x is a self-assigned IP i.e. your computer just made it up.
First step - tried restarting the router and modem? | |
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19th August 2008, 8:25pm
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#3 | | MANLEGEND SuperMod
Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 27,135
| Re: IP Address
A) Do you have a password on your wireless network? If so, are you sure you entered it correctly?
B) Do you know how to connect to your wireless network? If not this could take a wee while
C) Most laptops have an on/off switch for wireless networking, is it turned off? | |
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19th August 2008, 8:26pm
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#4 | | Registered User Editor
Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Glasgow
Posts: 9,137
| Re: IP Address
Just spied that it's a new laptop, rather than a wireless fuck up. D'oh.
Listen to him ^^ | |
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19th August 2008, 8:38pm
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#5 | | fradulent miracle
Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Past the billbo
Posts: 12,069
| Re: IP Address
Quote:
Originally Posted by PapaZeb  A) Do you have a password on your wireless network? If so, are you sure you entered it correctly?
B) Do you know how to connect to your wireless network? If not this could take a wee while
C) Most laptops have an on/off switch for wireless networking, is it turned off? |
Yeah, the wireless is turned on & I'm entering the modem access code which is on the bottom of the wireless router thing.
I've been going to Start & Connect to...would that be the right route? | |
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19th August 2008, 8:41pm
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#6 | | Implied Idiot
Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Paisley
Posts: 3,917
| Re: IP Address
Also, make sure that the router is in a mode that allows new hardware to connect to it. The one's I've seen only allow new machines to connect to it if it's explicitly told to allow them, and usually it only does it for a window of 5 minutes or so. | |
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19th August 2008, 8:42pm
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#7 | | Decaying Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: SPARTA!
Posts: 7,098
| Re: IP Address
it's case sensative, just in case. | |
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19th August 2008, 8:50pm
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#8 | | fradulent miracle
Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Past the billbo
Posts: 12,069
| Re: IP Address
It's all numbers, so case sensitive doesn't work. Should I just try to age old trick of off & on again? | |
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19th August 2008, 9:53pm
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#9 | | MANLEGEND SuperMod
Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 27,135
| Re: IP Address
Next question is - have you ever had someone "work on the wireless" and perhaps changed the wireless password? Quote: |
Also, make sure that the router is in a mode that allows new hardware to connect to it. The one's I've seen only allow new machines to connect to it if it's explicitly told to allow them, and usually it only does it for a window of 5 minutes or so.
| Name of hardware? Not personally seen an 802.11 device that works that way so kinda curious.
Wait a second... "MODEM ACCESS CODE" wouldn't be long for "MAC ADDRESS" would it? | |
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19th August 2008, 10:05pm
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#10 | | mR bRIGHTSIDE
Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Glasgowish
Posts: 4,533
| Re: New laptop - can't connect to wireless access point at home
I know Thomson routers have that feature built in, but you have to switch that on.
Usually with a problem like this, we do the following.
1) Go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center(If not already, switch to classic view)
2) Once in here, on the menu on the Left Hand side go to Manage Wireless Networks
3) All networks that show as you being able to view and Modify, click on them and remove them.
4) Once you have done this, try and reconnect again.
If that doesn't work, then in the same menu check the adaptor properties, go to IPv4 and click on properties. Make sure that "Obtain an IP address automatically" and "Obtain DNS Server automatically" are both selected.
After that, It's a hard reset on the router(Should be a little hole in the back you can push in) Remember that if you are doing this, and have changed any of the settings at all then ou will need to go back and set these up again, and any other PC's connected may need to be redone if you have changed the Wireless password.
Finally, and this is only ever done as a last resort, it's a Winsock, but I wont go into that at the moment.
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20th August 2008, 8:36am
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#11 | | claire18
Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Outside Glasgow
Posts: 3,414
| Re: New laptop - can't connect to wireless access point at home
We had the same problem with ours and it was something as simple as buying an eather net cable to connect from our internet box to the router, unless it's wireless broadband you have.
__________________  "If you're frightened of dying and you're holding on you will see devils tearing you're life away, if you've made you're peace then the devils are really angels freeing you from the earth" | |
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20th August 2008, 8:41am
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#12 | | Implied Idiot
Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Paisley
Posts: 3,917
| Re: IP Address
Quote:
Originally Posted by PapaZeb Name of hardware? Not personally seen an 802.11 device that works that way so kinda curious. | The NetGear router that my dad uses for sharing the NTL connection has this feature. If I recall correctly, you have to press and hold down a combination of the buttons on the top of the unit until the wireless LED flashes, in order to 'match' a new peice of kit to the router. You've then got five minutes for the laptop to connect. Afterwards, the laptop's MAC address is stored on the router's allowable device table. | |
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28th August 2008, 9:33am
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#13 | | potential allergen
Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Medicine Cabinet
Posts: 359
| Re: New laptop - can't connect to wireless access point at home
It'll be a wireless setting mismatch. The "modem access code" might well be a MAC. That'd be wrong. You'll want to go to a machine that can already connect and determine what SSID and passphrase it's using. You ought to be able to see a 192 ip, and accessing the router's config with that will let you see the wireless key.
As has been stated, 169.254 is an autoconfiguration IP assigned by the machine to itself because it can't connect. I assume you're using Vista because you've said "start/connect to", so a manual IP address is difficult sauce. Do you have another machine connected to the router?
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