Inspiron B130 w/ 1370 WLAN

Question

hoping someone can help me??  i have a wireless network set up on my laptop, using a westell/versalink modem and belkin g wireless router.....when connecting directly from the modem to the laptop, internet connection works fine.  but, when going thru the router, nothing...........so, i read on dell's support site, that if i had a certain model of modem, i needed to update the firmware.  i had that model, so i did that, and now, my wireless connection is not even detected, nor does it show up on the 'available wireless networks' list.  i have windows xp managing my network, but even if i switch to dell, still no wireless connection.  don't have much expertise, so i'm totally lost now!! thanks for any help in advance.

volcano11 · Answer

First, the font you are using is too small for my old eyes.  Please try to use a larger font.   Second, if you have the Westel Versalink modem/router, why are you also using a belkin wireless router?   I really don't understand your setup or you don't have the exact model of router that the firmware upgrade applies to.   Steve

cowriteme · Answer

hello, steve.  sorry about the small font.  :smileyhappy: thanks for responding.........the westell versalink is just a modem - not a modem & router, that i got with my DSL service thru Verizon.  I needed the belkin wireless router for my laptop, to go wireless.

volcano11 · Answer

If you modem is not a modem router, then the suggested firmware upgrade does not apply.   Hopefully it didn't mess things up.  The fact that you can connect directly to the modem suggests that it didn't.    Let's see if we can figure out if the problem lies with the Belkin Router or the computer.   If you connect by ethernet to the router with the router connected to the modem, do you get an internet connection?  That would tell us that the router is sucessfully making the connection to the modem and that it is not a general software problem with your computer.  Can other computers connect through the router to internet?  If so, do these connect by wireless or ethernet?   Steve

cowriteme · Answer

if i connect by ethernet to the router w/ the router connected to the modem, no internet connection......and my wireless network is not detected or listed. the only way i can get any internet connection is to connect the modem by ethernet directly to the computer.

volcano11 · Answer

Ok, that helps.  It tells us that it is not a general software problem with the computer, and suggests that the problem is with the router.  Let's try to narrow it down some more.  First, see if you tell if the router is making the connection to the modem.  To do this, connect the router to the modem and connect the computer to the router by ethernet.   Open a web browser and log in to the router's configuration page.   I haven't seen a Belkin router's configuration pages for a while, but you should be able to easily do the following with the help of the router's user guide.  Make sure the router is set up to correctly make the PPPoE connection.  Then, if it is, make sure that it is getting an IP address from the modem.    Then, to check the computer connection to the router,  do the following.  First, with the ethernet cable plugged into the router, go to Start > Run and type cmd then click OK. In the command prompt window that opens, type ipconfig /all then hit the enter key. Write down the output from this command or select it and save it to a txt file, then copy this output into a reply to this message.    Next, unplug the ethernet cable from the router, make sure your wireless adapter is turned on and enabled, then run the ipconfig /all command again, write down the output and post that in a reply to this message.   Steve

cowriteme · Answer

first, i must say once again how much i really appreciate all of your help!!!!

ok, i did the IP static address configuration from Belkin's website -- after which, i couldn't even get internet connection with the modem plugged right into my laptop........so, i put everthing back to the way it was, and i can get internet connection that way fine again. what does that mean?

here's the ipconfig/all for scenario#1 (modem to router):

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]

C:\Documents and Settings\Daphne>ipconfig/all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : COWRITEME

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

MediaState . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Cont

roller

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-22-98-1B-20

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

MediaState . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Dell Wireless 1370 WLAN Mini-PCI Car

d

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-A5-4F-81-BF

cowriteme · Answer

and here's scenario #2 (modem to laptop BEFORE i did the configuration):

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]

C:\Documents and Settings\Daphne>ipconfig/all

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : COWRITEME

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : myhome.westell.com

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : myhome.westell.com

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-22-98-1B-20

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes

Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.45

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

192.168.1.1

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Monday, July 16, 20076:56:08 PM

Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, July 17, 20076:56:08 PM

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

MediaState . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Dell Wireless 1370 WLAN Mini-PCI Card

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-A5-4F-81-BF

and scenario#2 (modem to laptop AFTER i did the configuration):

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : COWRITEME

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-22-98-1B-20

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.45

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.2.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.0.0.0

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

MediaState . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Dell Wireless 1370 WLAN Mini-PCI Card

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-A5-4F-81-BF

volcano11 · Answer

Please read my previous post again.  First, I never told you to set up any kind of static IP address on anything!!!!.  I asked you to connect the laptop to the modem using an ethernet cable and go into the router's configuration page and see if it is set up to make the PPPoE connection and to see if you can determine the ip address that the router is getting from the modem.  DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING!   If you don't know how to do this, tell me the model of your Belkin Router and I'll go on the internet, look up the manual, read it myself, then try to tell you what to do.    Second, I asked you to connect the laptop to the router by ethernet (with the modem still connected to the router) and run the ipcofnig command (scenario 1) and to then disconnect the ethernet cable from the laptop to the router and run the ipconfig command again (scenario 2).  You need to post the full results of both scenarios!!   Steve

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

Inspiron B130 w/ 1370 WLAN

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