BleepingComputer.com: wireless issues

I'm hoping one of you geniuses here can solve this mystery. I have a Linksys router that I use for 4 computers, 2 work great wirelessly and I have a personal computer and a work laptop connected via cable to it. I need to work wirelessly for a couple of weeks until I get a new chair for work and my laptop does not want to work. My work help desk has checked everything out on the laptop and they say there is nothing wrong with it. it's a compaq nc6400 running Windows XP. We set up the wireless network on the laptop, it says it's connected but with limited or no connectivity and signal strength is excellent. and yet, I cannot connect to the internet. my help desk suggested I call Linksys next since he believed it has something to do with the way the router is configured? I have my doubts only because of the 2 other PCs that work just fine with this wireless router. any ideas?

and, barring that....are 50 foot network cables out there? I can't work at this desk for 2 or more weeks while I wait for my new chair to arrive.

any help is greatly appreciated. thanks!

No expert and not sure what help I can offer beyond what your on site IT already have.

Go to start > run type in cmd. At the prompt type in ipconfig /all. Note the space between ipconfig and the /.
Post the results.

Yes they do sell ethernet cables in 50' lengths.

hmmmm....no copy/paste available in DOS? oy....is there anything in particular you are looking for? so I don't have to type this all out here, in other words....

and thanks for trying to help!

hmmm, I wonder if this is the issue:

media state......media disconnected

is that my problem?

I`m terrible with keyboard shortcuts. Had to look this up. Should save you some typing.


1 Right click the title bar of the “Command Prompt” window. Point to “Edit” and then click “Mark.”

2 Using your mouse, click the beginning of the text you want to copy.

3 Hold down the “Shift” key. Using your arrow keys, select the text you wish to copy.

4 Use the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl+C” to copy the text.

5 Go to the Windows-based program where you wish to paste the text. Use the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl+V” to paste the text.

tobyo, on Dec 5 2009, 07:31 AM, said:

Where are you seeing that error? Have heard of it before but never in my personal use so have not had to trouble shoot it myself.

tobyo, on Dec 5 2009, 06:31 AM, said:

ah nope! just means my cable is unplugged apparently. called the help desk again and he gave me some other ideas. I think I will call our friend who set up our router initially and see if he's got any ideas. that maybe he limited it to just the two computers that we use wireless for? could be....

thanks for trying to help ThunderZ. appreciate it!

ThunderZ, on Dec 5 2009, 06:37 AM, said:

ah, well I learned something new! I did the print screen command and got the same thing. but it's too small to be of any use I think.

tobyo, on Dec 5 2009, 07:42 AM, said:

He may have MAC filtering enabled. That may cause the problem. But that should limit your connection to the router too not just the Internet.

We`ll still be around should the need remain. Let us know if you get it worked out.

Good luck.

This post has been edited by ThunderZ: 05 December 2009 - 07:50 AM

ThunderZ, on Dec 5 2009, 06:39 AM, said:

it was in that long list of stuff that appeared after I typed ipconf /all at the command prompt. just means the cable is disconnected which I did to try and connect w/o the cable....

ThunderZ, on Dec 5 2009, 06:47 AM, said:

thanks! will do.

tobyo, on Dec 5 2009, 07:49 AM, said:

That is kind of odd. Looked up your lap top and it does have built in wireless. Windows normally defaults to the wireless connection even if a cable is plugged in.

okay, I'm back. so soon? :D

the help desk suggested that my router may have limited the number of wireless connections so....any idea on how to add another one?

ThunderZ, on Dec 5 2009, 06:56 AM, said:

I'm sure it does. in fact here is a message that just popped up:

"you might not be able to access the internet or some network resources. this problem occurred because the network did not assign a network address to the computer."

I really think that our friend set up our router so that just the two PCs can access, and not my work laptop because there wasn't a need at the time since it's 3 inches from the router and I connect via eternet cable.

If you have access to a PC that has a cable connection to the router open up a browser. In the address bar type in 192.168.1.1.

If the default IP has not been changed this should open a small window asking for a user name and password. Try admin for both. If that does not work then leave the user name blank and just try admin for the password.

This post has been edited by ThunderZ: 05 December 2009 - 08:04 AM