Laptop card configuration for wireless network

brebeans,

If the Netgear device you purchased is a range extender, then the SSID it rebroadcasts will be the one provided by the original wireless network's router. Is "1180" the correct model of your Dell router, or is it an 1184? You mention an 1184 later in the post. Is the Dimension 8300 connected using an 1180 wireless USB device, and your router is actually the Truemobile 1184?

It sounds like you've somehow created two wireless networks with two different SSIDs, but that you didn't intend that.

Can you clarify all the wireless model numbers involved, including the model number for the Netgear device? Unless it's actually another router, it should not be broadcasting an SSID that's different from the one provided by the original router. Also please explain exactly how the Netgear device is connected to your router.

Jim

Thanks for responding.  This is sort of making me crazy.

My Dell router is the Truemobile 1184, hooked up to my Dell Dimension desktop 8300 via cable.

My USB 2.0 wireless adaptor is the 1180 and is connected to my Tivo.

The Netgear that I bouth is  a 54mbps Wall plugged wireless range extender (WGX102) with a Wall plugged Ethner bridge (XE102)and wale plugged wirless range extender in my family room with the Tivo and where I use my laptop mostly.  My laptop is the Dell Insprion 9100.  Both computers have XP2, working fine now.

Yes, my laptop shows two networks, the "netgear" and the "wireless".  My laptop was configured with my 1184 router and dimension desktop before I wirelessly connected my Tivo.

Like I said, on the laptop it shows two networks:  "netgear" and "wireless".  I can use the "netgear" network to access the internet with great connectivity.  However, I cannot access my desktop files with this nor does it see the Tivo.

If I use "wireless" named network, I can connect to the internet (with much lower signal because it's not "seeing or using" the netgear ranger extender) and I can connect to my desktop, but my laptop doesn't see the Tivo.

Is there a way for all three components to be on the "netgear" network.  My Tivo doesn't see the signal on the "wireless" network and, as I said, the laptop signal is also "low or very low". 

Do you need additional info?

Thanks so much for helping to figure this out.

 

brebeans,

Thanks for the information! The WGX102 and XE102 work together to bridge the wired and wireless networks over your house electrical wiring. The WGX102 is an "access point", distributing the wireless signal back to the wired network via the house wiring. Pretty clever!

The reason the wireless network as seen from the 1184 is named "wireless" and the one seen from the WGX102 is named "netgear" is simply that those are the default SSID settings for those devices. In order to act as one wireless network, they both need to have the same SSID. It would be better if neither one used the vendor's default name, but the minimum change is to go into the 1184's setup and change the SSID from "wireless" to "netgear". Changing the 1184's SSID using the 1184's Web interface is described in this section of the manual.

I suspect that the 1184's wireless channel is set to 6, which is the default. The WGX102 should use a different channel. It looks like channel 11 is the Netgear's default, so that should be OK. You don't want them to both be the same, or they will interfere with each other.

After both the 1184 and the WGX102 are using the same SSID, the various clients should be set up so the SSID you selected is their "preferred" wireless network.

Jim

Hi Jim:

Thanks!.   Do I just go into the admin for the router and simply change the name from "wireless" to "netgear" ?  Is the name case sensitive?

Do I need to change anything else?  What should I be on the lookout for to let me know if it's working correctly/incorrectly?

Thanks a lot. 

Sorry if this seems a bit simple question, but I don't want to screw up my laptop or my Tivo since it took me awhile to get them all working (albeit, if not on the same network yet!).

 

Hi Jim:

I changed the network name to NETGEAR and now the laptop and desktop are both recognized and using the stronger signal through the netgear range extender!  Awesome. Thanks.

However, how do I know or how can I configure the desktop and laptop to see my Tivo as a client on the network?  Should I see in in "workgroup computers"? 

I'll do more investigating on the Tivo end, too, to see if I'm missing something.

by the way, I left the channel on the 1184 on 6.  All I changed was the SSID name from "wireless" to "NETGEAR".

Thanks again.

 

brebeans,

Yes, the names should be the same, including case. From the results, it sounds like that's what you did. Congratulations!

I'm afraid I don't know anything about Tivo setup. If it's supposed to act like a Windows Networking client, it should be set up with the same "workgroup" name as the "real" Windows systems.

Jim