Wireless Network Help Please!!!!!

August 26, 2007 11:21 PM

Wireless Help!! I just moved into a new apartment and I cannot for the life of me figure out how to configure my WINXP PC desktop so that it will pick up my wireless network. I have a airport extreme base station upstairs broadcasting an internet connection. My ibook and pc laptop have no problem connecting wirelessly. I'm trying to pick up the signal with a D-Link DWL-810+ connected to the desktop with an ethernet cable. The desktop will connect to the D-Link but not to the internet. What can I do??
posted by drunkghosts to computers & internet (7 comments total)

So, you used to have it working? Before you moved? What did you change?
posted by philomathoholic at 11:48 PM on August 26, 2007

If it's just signal strength, tilt the antenna on the D-Link so that it is perpendicular to the line pointing to the airport. If you have to change the settings, the manual is available on-line.
posted by BrotherCaine at 12:05 AM on August 27, 2007

To expand on BrotherCaine's answer, you could take one of your laptops, connect it to the D-Link, and move them around to different areas of the house to see if it works any better. Be sure to disable the wireless connection on your laptop, so you can be sure where the internet connection is from.

Also, your ethernet bridge has an IP address, right? Try browsing to it to see if it gives you any information about connectivity, or options to reset the connection.

You might want to change your 'wirless' tag to 'wireless'.
posted by philomathoholic at 12:54 AM on August 27, 2007

Check your 802.11 b and g settings. It looks like the DWL is b only and IIRC airports default to g only. Poke around the settings to make sure it's broadcasting g + b.
posted by knowles at 1:48 AM on August 27, 2007

Can you explain how/why you're attempting to use an ethernet cable to reach a wireless network?

/does not compute
posted by Wild_Eep at 6:24 AM on August 27, 2007

You could try a new solution with your desktop: go to CompUSA/Best Buy type place and pick up a USB wireless adapter. The house brand at CompUSA is around $25 bucks. While those things don't have the best range, it should be fine in an apartment.
posted by Burhanistan at 7:13 AM on August 27, 2007

oh, I get it, the DWL is a bridge. Duh.

knowles is right, you'll want the AEBS to broadcast in b/g mode.

Fire up Airport Admin Utility (or the more recent Airport Utility) to check the setting and restart the base station.
posted by Wild_Eep at 7:14 AM on August 27, 2007