Completely Baffled: Wireless not working

[kcb263]

I have had my wireless network at home running successfully for the past year using Comcast ISP, Motorola Surfbord cable modem, a Belkin Pre-N wireless router (F5D8230-4) and a laptop using a Belkin Pre-N Notebook card (F5D8010). I began getting poor performance recently from my wireless Network. Sometimes the laptop would not connect, other times it would connect but was unbearably slow just to open a simply web page.

I decided to take that opportunity to wipe my laptop clean and rebuild it installing a fresh version of Windows XP SP2 on it figuring maybe it was something with my computer. After doing so, the laptop still was showing the same problems. I downloaded and installed the latest drivers and utility from the Belkin site for the card ( v.1.2.0.80).

I called Belkin and their tier 2 support suggested that there was a problem with the router. They replaced my old Pre-N router with a new Belkin N1 Wireless router (F5D8231-4). I am still having major problems with my network now, actually even more so than before.

I have spent hours upon hours trying to troubleshoot and am still left with no wireless network.
I have downloaded and installed the latest firmware for the router. I am sitting 3 feet from the router, so the signal strength is excellent, 100%. I have tried both WEP 128 bit encryption, and unsecured, neither are working. I have tried both the Belkin card/wireless utility, as well as the internal network wireless card on the laptop using Windows Zero Configuration... still nothing.

Sometimes (about half the time) my laptop is able to see the Network SSID. Sometimes (about a quarter of the time) it even says it is able to connect to the network. However even when it is connected, it is not able to browse the Internet.

Internet connection works great when I hard wire the laptop or any of the other computers directly to the router using an Ethernet cable.

I have a Tivo with a wireless adapter and it is able to see the SSID network name, though when I try connecting to the network it fails.

I have tried every imaginable thing I can think of, and have tried suggestions I've found online from numerous web sites. Still nothing.

I am out of ideas, and really don't want to spent 3 hours with Belkin support running through the same troubleshooting procedures I have already done.

Can it be a bad router I was shipped (Just sound :confused: too easy of an explanation)? Is there something I am missing? Does my cable modem have the MAC address of the old router stored in it? (I've power cycled the equipment, to no avail.) I have tried cloning the MAC address, nothing.

Other information:
I am using DHCP and the laptop is assigned a valid internal IP (192.168.2.1).

[Variable]

Have you changed the SSID and the channel from the defaults? Not likely the new router and old router are bad but it is possible. More likely it is another network with same setup close by or the wireless config is not set up right. Scan for all wireless networks in your range. Do you have another near by on the same channel?

[kcb263]

Thank you for the response. Yes, I've tried various SSIDs as well as different channels. When scanning for wireless networks in my range, there are no others (I live at the end of a street that dead ends with not many houses around).

Since I first posted, here is the latest. I am able to see the network from the laptop. 100% strength, both my internal wireless adapter and my Belkin wireless card are picking up the network. Until I get things set up I have disabled security on the network. HOWEVER, when trying to connect to the network it continuously fails. It sees the network but cannot connect.

As another test, I replaced the Belkin Wireless N1 with my old Linksys Wireless-B router, and yes I was able to connect. (The Linksys isn't a viable option for me though, because the range it provides me doesn't cover the house. I cannot, for example, connect from my laptop while in the living room, nor cannot my Tivo see the network while using the Linksys.)

The frustrating part is, I feel that I am knowledgeable enough in this department to troubleshoot, although the 2 weeks of down time and hours of phone calls to Belkin prove otherwise!!!

Thanks again for any and all suggestions.

[mjc]

I've had problems with Belkin routers that seem to send fine but don't 'receive' at all...sometimes I've gotten them to work again by going through a complete 'factory reset' (the procedure for you model should be in the manual) and/or a firmware update. Basically you need to completely wipe the router's memory and reconfigure it...

[Relztrah]

You've probably already done this, but I recall when setting up my D-Link wireless router that I had to uncheck Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings in the Wireless Network Connection Properties window. Then select Disabled under Startup Type in the Wireless Zero Configuration Properties window. I believe the purpose was to allow my router and not Windows to manage wireless communication. Here's a link the D-Link support:

http://support.dlink.com/faq/print.asp?productid=1398#sp2

This may not apply to the Belkin router, but I had similar problems before I changed these settings in Windows.

[kcb263]

Thank you. I wish I could buy all of you a beer. Finally after many different attempts and troubleshooting techniques the wireless router is now working with all of my wireless clients.

The final fix seemed to be, as "MJC" suggested, was completely wiping the router to bring it back to factory default settings. In fact in order to be sure everything was completely wiped clean I clicked the "Restore to Factory Settings" link AS WELL as pushed in and held the hard reset pin-pushed button in the back of the router. After that, a final power cycle was done a quick simple configuration was performed on the router and everything in my house successfully connected.

What a weight off my shoulders. Now I can go back to my everyday living. Thanks again for all contributions to this thread.

-KCB