PN Router question(s)

I have recently been using the PN supplied TG585v7 router which connects the main PC flawlessly with a wired connection.

Wireless is giving me grief. Although I don't use it much I would like it to work! My old Dell laptop recognises the router but fails on "seeking network address". inSSIDer shows a strong signal from within the same room.

The router - Home, Home Network, Devices does not appear to see the laptop. I tried with both the internal wifi connection and subsequently with a Netgear USB dongle. I'm baffled by this.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

TVMIA
Meldrew

Is the router using UK country settings and channel 12 or 13 and the laptop using US settings which stop at channel 11?

I have sometimes had problems with DHCP (the 'seeking network address') but not from any wireless device. Without wishing to brag (and I generally dislike wireless, but have been testing it this week) I currently have 5 wireless devices connected right now...

If you don't really need to use DHCP (and personally I tend towards fixed IP to put Linux, Windows, and other devices into groups) then you could do worse than set the IP address manually and then add DNS of 192.168.1.254 (router) and say 8.8.8.8 (Google) and/or use one of the OpenDNS addresses for the second (or even third) DNS.

As a test, disconnect the router from the phone line, then disable the firewall(s) on the Dell.

Whether or not that works, don't forget to turn a firewall on before reconnecting to the phone.

Have you tried updating the firmware

If it is anything like SWMBO's laptop which is a Packard Bell ~ it had a very flakey wireless connection but I updated the PB drivers for the wireless and all was hunky dorey

HTH maybe ???

Has Plusnet 'published' a recommendation for this (firmware update) to be done?

http://community.plus.net/library/hardware/how-to-up...

Later versions have fixed some wifi issus but make sure you use the correct version as the v7 & v8 firmwares are not compatible.

Edited by deleted (Thu 07-Jul-11 00:27:08)

http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,9120...
Is the best I can come up with as most of the links are for the v8 version

Interesting...

I swapped to a PN router a couple of weeks ago.

I now find I can only run my laptop wired.

In fact, I thought the wireless adapter on the laptop must be on the blink, given that my iPad and phone are still OK.

You are now causing me to question whether there's anything wrong with the laptop (it worked with the old router, after all!)

So I think the new router has introduced a problem. But it's not common to all devices.

Tina

Thanks for that (and to Peter Vaughan, too, for link).

Now I know what my sister's (v8) router looks like. Glad they moved the power switch from the position on the v7 (which I am using). Don't think I'll bother to flash with new firmware... given it is working fine for me

Hope my next change will be to use FTTC, but sadly that might not be for some years, unless North Wales gets boosted from the back of the queue!

Thanks all for last night's suggestions. The router just will not see the laptop so I now presume that upgrading the firmware as suggested today may cure the problem.

This 585v7 from PN is the only router I have ever had that was new and clearly is not up to the job. All my others have come for a song from ebay and worked perfectly. Having now gone on to 21CN I thought the PN one would do a better job! Now back to my trusty HomeHub2.

I think I will have a look for another Netgear now. With those you can also specifically block annoying websites effectively at source. If only they did Voip ports too.

TVM all
Meldrew