jfitts
asked on
Wireless has limited connectivity after trying a Network Bridge
While another computer was not able to connect to the internet, I tried connecting it to a laptop that did have a good wireless connection using a Network Bridge. (All operating systems are Win XP.) On the laptop, I created a Network Bridge between the wireless network connection and the local area connection. After plugging in the cable and seeing that the bridge didn't work, I dropped that idea and then totally reprogrammed the wireless router in order to get the PC up and running on the internet. When that worked for the PC, I tried to change the settings on the laptop to use the new settings of the wireless router, and I received limited connectivity. I remembered the network bridge and went and deleted it. But I have not been able to restore connectivity. I've turned everything off (cable modem, router, PC, laptop) and turning them back on one at a time (and repairing the connections), but that has not worked. I have also gone into the connection's properties and deleted the preferred network profile for the previous router settings and the newest settings, and forced a fresh connection where it asked for the passphrase.
Some other details:
The PC and two Tivos are currently successfully using the wireless network, but laptop can't connect to it.
The wireless network was set up as WEP before my troubles. When I reprogrammed the settings of the router, it defaulted to WPA and I tested that the PC could connect to the internet in that mode. (So for a while, the router was on WPA while the laptop was on WEP.) Then I changed the router to WEP and verified the PC worked on that. Only then did I go to update the settings on the laptop when it wouldn't work.
What did I screw up by trying a Network Bridge?
Thanks in advance!
Some other details:
The PC and two Tivos are currently successfully using the wireless network, but laptop can't connect to it.
The wireless network was set up as WEP before my troubles. When I reprogrammed the settings of the router, it defaulted to WPA and I tested that the PC could connect to the internet in that mode. (So for a while, the router was on WPA while the laptop was on WEP.) Then I changed the router to WEP and verified the PC worked on that. Only then did I go to update the settings on the laptop when it wouldn't work.
What did I screw up by trying a Network Bridge?
Thanks in advance!
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ASKER
johnb6767, I am going to mark your answer as a solution when I am finished, however I still have a problem. I actually tried the bridge with two laptops and both resulted in limited connectivity. Your solution fixed one of the laptops, but not the other.
On laptop2, I only uninstalled the wireless adapter at first, but that didn't restore connectivity. Next, I uninstalled two adapters (wireless and local area connection), but that didn't restore connectivity. So I uninstalled all three adapters (which included included a local area connection which was a Cisco VPN adapter). The first two reinstalled after each rebooting, but the third (the VPN adapter) didn't reinstall. The wireless adapter still has limited connectivity even after entering the passphrase for the network. Do I need to restore the VPN adapter? How do I do that?
On laptop2, I only uninstalled the wireless adapter at first, but that didn't restore connectivity. Next, I uninstalled two adapters (wireless and local area connection), but that didn't restore connectivity. So I uninstalled all three adapters (which included included a local area connection which was a Cisco VPN adapter). The first two reinstalled after each rebooting, but the third (the VPN adapter) didn't reinstall. The wireless adapter still has limited connectivity even after entering the passphrase for the network. Do I need to restore the VPN adapter? How do I do that?
Run a repair on the Cisco VPN client.....
ASKER
Zahersyed, here's what ipconfig says for Laptop2:
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : XXXXXX
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : xxxxxxxx.com
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 4:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom NetXtreme 57xx Gigabit Cont
roller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-22-C1-26-7E
Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 5:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network
Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-13-CE-82-04-5B
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.25.163
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : XXXXXX
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : xxxxxxxx.com
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Mixed
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection 4:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom NetXtreme 57xx Gigabit Cont
roller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-22-C1-26-7E
Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection 5:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network
Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-13-CE-82-04-5B
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.25.163
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
ASKER
johnb6767, where do I find the Cisco VPN client?
Add/Remove programs in the Control Panel.
Select Repair, or if you have a good install for it, uninstall it and reinstall it.....
Select Repair, or if you have a good install for it, uninstall it and reinstall it.....
SOLUTION
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ASKER
john,
I reinstalled Cisco VPN and have the adapter back and the local area connection it relates to. But once that came back, the wireless connection lost it's ability to see the network. I clicked on its properties and the Wireless tab was missing. I also didn't have the ability to disable the wireless connection, or to uninstall the adapter in the device manager (all those things become Not Responding). I went into Safe Mode and only there was I able to uninstall the wireless adapter. I have rebooted and it reinstalled the wireless adapter... it sees the network but I still have limited connectivity. (At that point I even entered the netsh command you gave me.)
Any suggestions?
I reinstalled Cisco VPN and have the adapter back and the local area connection it relates to. But once that came back, the wireless connection lost it's ability to see the network. I clicked on its properties and the Wireless tab was missing. I also didn't have the ability to disable the wireless connection, or to uninstall the adapter in the device manager (all those things become Not Responding). I went into Safe Mode and only there was I able to uninstall the wireless adapter. I have rebooted and it reinstalled the wireless adapter... it sees the network but I still have limited connectivity. (At that point I even entered the netsh command you gave me.)
Any suggestions?
Did you try removing the security?
Also, what SP are you on, SP3?
If not, upgrade to SP3, might help rewrite things.....
I would also try the System File Checker...
Start>run>cmd.exe
sfc /purgecache
You WILL need the XP CD for this to complete...
Scannow sfc
http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html
Also, what SP are you on, SP3?
If not, upgrade to SP3, might help rewrite things.....
I would also try the System File Checker...
Start>run>cmd.exe
sfc /purgecache
You WILL need the XP CD for this to complete...
Scannow sfc
http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html
Oh, and "sfc /scannow", after the above command......
ASKER
john,
I'm on SP2, but I wanted to wait on the SP3 try until performing sfc because I only have CD for XP SP2.
I performed sfc /purgecache and sfc /scannow. It took a long time and finished without telling me anything, so I'm not sure if it corrected anything or not. I rebooted and there was no improvement.
I then took security off the router and the laptop did connect to it fine. (So at least I can connect that way, but I'd have to change my entire network to be security free.) What does that tell us?
Finally, since running sfc, I tried uninstalling the network adapters one more time and rebooting to reinstall. That didn't fix the problem. However, as has been the case, I had to go into safe mode to uninstall the adapters, which gave me the thought to try system restore to take the machine back to before I tried the network bridge. System restore worked and I got back all of the profiles in the wireless adapter and I can tell it returned me to the original installation of Cisco VPN. I rebooted and the system feels much more stable now. However, it still won't connect to the router with security turned on... so I am currently running with no security on all devices.
Therefore, I'm going to consider this issue resolved with the uninstall and reboot to fix one laptop and the system restore to fix the other laptop. (The wireless connectivity issue with security is probably another issue and I will attempt starting over from scratch with the router and starting a new thread if I still can't get security to work on everything.)
Thanks!
I'm on SP2, but I wanted to wait on the SP3 try until performing sfc because I only have CD for XP SP2.
I performed sfc /purgecache and sfc /scannow. It took a long time and finished without telling me anything, so I'm not sure if it corrected anything or not. I rebooted and there was no improvement.
I then took security off the router and the laptop did connect to it fine. (So at least I can connect that way, but I'd have to change my entire network to be security free.) What does that tell us?
Finally, since running sfc, I tried uninstalling the network adapters one more time and rebooting to reinstall. That didn't fix the problem. However, as has been the case, I had to go into safe mode to uninstall the adapters, which gave me the thought to try system restore to take the machine back to before I tried the network bridge. System restore worked and I got back all of the profiles in the wireless adapter and I can tell it returned me to the original installation of Cisco VPN. I rebooted and the system feels much more stable now. However, it still won't connect to the router with security turned on... so I am currently running with no security on all devices.
Therefore, I'm going to consider this issue resolved with the uninstall and reboot to fix one laptop and the system restore to fix the other laptop. (The wireless connectivity issue with security is probably another issue and I will attempt starting over from scratch with the router and starting a new thread if I still can't get security to work on everything.)
Thanks!
ASKER
Uninstalling adapters and rebooting to reinstall them fixed network connection on laptop1, but not laptop2. Later, the suggestion to remove security restored connectivity to laptop2. However, I had to use System Restore to restore it to a point before trying the Network Bridge in order to restore stability to laptop2.
If the security is not working, I usually atribute that to a driver.... But if you have the latest.... Well......
Im glad you got the majority of it fixed....
Im glad you got the majority of it fixed....
Start
Run
type "cmd"
ipconfig /all
post the result here.