Virgin Media 'Cabled' Broadband + Cisco Small Business WRVS4400N Wireless Router problems

@ Mutahir

Cisco Router is the WRVS4400N (mentioned in the title) its a wireless router with VPN and security

Cisco router sits between Virgin's Modem (Cable) and the 4 wiresless laptops + another laptop which is hardwired
(note: the 5th laptop has to be hard wired as without it being so, no one can connect to the router) we would like it to be wireless as well. but this is the core problem.  This particular laptop is taken out of the office on a daily basis as its needed for the road.

a) cant test with another router as we dont have one.

b) tested it with another laptop from home, again... unless the one laptop is 'hard wired' via ethernet is connected, nothing else connects.

ALL the wireless clients, detect the router, but fail to get a DHCP IP address... i suppose i could manually set their IP addresses up to get round it, that might work, but surely the DHCP SHOULD work!

As soon as the laptop next to the router is plugged directly in, they all get connection straight away with no problems!

Hi,

What OS is running on the laptops ?
           All laptops are running Windows XP

What is the wireless Security standard you are using on your cisco router ?

            WPA/TKIP
Try to unsecure your wireless network completely (no Security, no wep, wpa, no wpa2psk) and then see if everything connects

            I'll try this and let you know the results
Make sure the DHCP is running on your cisco router

             Yes it is runnning


If no security on router and your clients connect then try to use WEP and see if they connect

               

Let me know after these steps and please provide what laptops are they (latest ones or old ones ) operating system

            Some old, some new, oldest is a dell inspiron 1200

switch off/disable any firewall on your router.

            Disabled Firewall to no avail

ok latest results

I disabled all security on the router, so it was completly unsecured.

Still had the same problem, wireless clients find the router, it reports its connected, but 'limited or no connection' is displayed, upon doing ipconfig at this point, reveals a privatly assigned 169.... IP address, pursumably because the router failed to give out DHCP.

So at this point i tried disabling any and all firewalls on the laptops to see if that was interfering with the authentication process... again, 'limited or no connection' and a private 169... address.

So then i overrode the DHCP, and manually configured the machines IP's to 192.168.1.n, filled out the gateway and dns servers manually. ... result.. Instant connection! Internet and everything works properly!

However, if you set back to manual, its back to 'limited or no connection'

I've hard reset the router, i've cleared the cache etc. and run out of ideas.

and STILL the strange thing that ONLY when the laptop upstairs (next to the router) is connected to it through ethernet cable as apposed to wireless... can the other machines connect wirelessly on DHCP with no problems.

As soon as we unplug the laptop upstairs from the ethernet port, do all the wireless machines loose their ability to connect.

I'm assuming as a result of this, its not the security on the router but some sort of fault with the DHCP server within the router not servicing DHCP request's unless something is already connected using Ethernet.

However I have no way of resolving it that i know of, any idea's?

update again : Having the router replaced totally now, i suspect it maybe faulty. if i still have the same fault i think i'll go spare!

let me know if anyone has any ideas or experienced the same problem?

Cheers