Oh, lovely wise people of mumsnet. I have a wireless router....what do I do with it??

[BelleDeChocChipCookieMonster]

I've connected it as per diagram, stuck the disk in, pressed set up and it says it's not able to connect to the router via any network adapters in the computer.

Please, please help

What router, what computer? what is your set up prior to getting the router? What are you aiming to achieve? All info helps...:)

um... I wanted wireless tinternet in the house so I can mumsnet work in bed

We have 2 laptops, 1 was connected via a cable thingy to a modem, the other was conected to my neighbours tinternet as she sold me the laptop and didn't change the password. I didn't use it though so I shared ds's laptop with him. I bought a wireless router so I could use my laptop gult free. One is a windows xp, one is a windows vista. For some odd reason the tinternet now works on the vista (ds's laptop), I've now wipped all of my lovely neighbours internet details off my laptop and I don't really know how to connect it up to mine. Also... ds's laptop (the vista) is connected to the tiniternet via a cable which defeats the object of having wifi IYSWIM.

thank you

you need either a wireless network adaptor in your laptop or a wireless dongle - you might have the former and just need to activate it with a switch - look around the sides of your laptop for any switches you don't know the functions of. If no joy just get a wirless dongle - very easy - just stick it into a USB port and leave it in - looks like a short USB stick - hth

They are both wireless laptops. I don't know how to make them both work though.

ah in that case maybe all you need to do is create the network - assuming windows go to Open Network and Sharing Center - once you've created & named it you'll be able to connect to it - any closer?

Oh lord! I can't play on ds's username on the laptop. I shall have to go to bed and try to sort it in the morning!

Thank you I need to encript it aswell or somethingorother?? [cofused]

cofused and tired

"ah in that case maybe all you need to do is create the network - assuming windows go to Open Network and Sharing Center"

You shouldn't need to create it.....

On XP down at the right of the start bar there should be a little icon for your wireless network adapter. Double clicking on it will usually bring up a window that will list all the available wireless networks and you just click on the one that you want to join.

Or if you go to Start Menu/Network Connections there should be an icon for your Wireless connection. Select it and then there's a View Wireless Networks button on there.

You can create new wireless networks, but that's not really what you want to be doing.

The first time you set up a wireless router you have to connect your pc with the wire.

Then follow the disk instructions for that router, proabably best to set it to have no security just to start with, so you can test it is working, then put on the security afterwards, along with your network passwords.

Your network probably already exists, but you could create a new one if you find that easier.

What type of router is it? Some are easier to set up than others.

Might be worth plugging cable into your XP laptop and trying the CD again (though I have sent my 0800 number to see if I can help that way).

I tried that. One laptop works with the cable in the back (the vista), the other one's really pissed off at me and won't connect to anything. I have replied NetworkGuy. Thank you

It's a Belkin. I contacted them last night, they said don't use the disk. I get a list of about 8 networks that are availiable if I click on the icon, I don't know which one mine is though

Right, I had been debating telling you to ignore the CD but now they have too :)

Did the router come from the ISP or did you buy it separately ? As the Vista PC connects OK via the cable, it will probably be best to stick with that for the moment, as that should allow you to access the router control panel.

Once you are in the control panel, it should be easy to set the Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and then that should show up on your XP PC.

I brought it seperatly. I can't access the router control panel as I can't find it in the control panel settings

"Control Panel" might not have been the best choice of words.

There is an admin web page for the router, very often it's something like 192.168.1.1 though it will vary.

Ahh. I tried typing that into the bit on the top of the page as per instructions on their web site and it did nothing but time out.

"I tried typing that into the bit on the top of the page as per instructions on their web site and it did nothing but time out."

Even when connected via a cable?

yes. It just times out (it says it times out).

It says this:
The connection was reset
The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading.

• The site could be temporarily unavailable or too busy. Try again in a few moments.

*   If you are unable to load any pages, check your computer's network
      connection.

*   If your computer or network is protected by a firewall or proxy, make sure
      that Firefox is permitted to access the Web.

Is this the Vista machine (the one that works on) with a cable?

Whichever machine it is bring up a command prompt (Start/Run and enter cmd)

When the black box appears enter ipconfig /all

What do you see?

What are the IP addresses that are given adn which adapter do they come under?

What I'm looking for is the bit that says something like:

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : xxx
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) 82566DM-2 Gigabit N
onnection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : xxx
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : xxx
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : xxx
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : xxx
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : xxx
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : xxx

Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : xxx
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : xxx

So it should say "Ethernet" before all the information and then what does it say under "IP Address"

Oh and as another thing also give 192.168.2.1 a quick try

Yes, the vista. The bloody page keeps going off!

I have a funny feeling that the Vista machine might not be connecting to your router....

Switch to the XP machine, plug in the cable, bring up the DOS box and then enter that ipconfig /all thing

It's connected to something. It I take the earthnet cable out of the back the tinternet goes off.

It doesn't stay up on the other laptop either. I think the firewall's blocking it but when I disable the wall it still does nothing.