PC Help!?

[Toms306]

Hi guys,

I've borrowed a laptop to use with my galetto lead.....moving the desktop to the car seemed like a lot of effort. :?

Its an Acer travelmate 2420 - shit slow tbh, but thats not the problem. The problem is it won't connect to our wireless router (Virgin media) at home - but connects fine to the BT home hub where it usually lives. When you click the wireless connections thing, it just says windows can't configure this wireless connection, but AFAIK there are no other programs that configure it, and its not like a dongle software as it has built in wireless.

So any ideas how I can get it to connect?? I used an ethernet lead last night but the leads broken and falls out constantly....not ideal when theres 72 microsoft updates to download. hock:

Im now off out but will check back here when I get back,

Cheers
Tom

[Dan!]

I wouldnt want to be using a shit slow/unreliable laptop for mapping a car, which is what I assume its for?

[Midnightclub]

Agreed with dan.. just cancel the updates and don't let them install

[Toms306]

I wouldnt want to be using a shit slow/unreliable laptop for mapping a car, which is what I assume its for?

I'm trying to speed it up.....but think that it may need sp3 to be updated before anything else lol.

Agreed with dan.. just cancel the updates and don't let them install

They can't download as it won't connect to the wireless.....this is the problem!

[Midnightclub]

Downloading updates isn't going to make it run any faster tom

[td_dan]

If its an old laptop tom then the wireless card wont be the best and probably cant connect due to the type of password on the router.

do you know if the router password is wep or wpa?

[Toms306]

If its an old laptop tom then the wireless card wont be the best and probably cant connect due to the type of password on the router.

do you know if the router password is wep or wpa?

Yeah its one of them :? WPA 2, AES I think.

The laptop isnt really old tbh, 2 or 3 years at most. But its owned by old people so barely ever used....

[cwspellowe]

The superhubs are a PITA with older network cards. Is it an Atheros card? If so you'll need to update the drivers, there were known compatability issues with the superhubs a couple of years ago and a driver update solved it.

Also set the superhub to 145Mbps, channel 11, 2.4Ghz mode. Seems to let older laptops connect to it when you set it up like so. You might find the router is trying to set itself to channel 13 if it's still set to auto and not a lot of network cards like that.

Usually though if the wireless is working with other devices and not the laptop in question it's the laptop itself at fault. If you were closer i'd give you an RJ45, i've about 50 in the van

EDIT checking the spec on online it's only an 802.11b/g network card and 10/100 ethernet port. Try setting the superhub as I mentioned above and try again. Yours is probably still on 300Mbps and causing issues with anything working wireless g.

Encryption is also set to WPA Auto by default so shouldn't be the encryption causing issues.

[Toms306]

The superhubs are a PITA with older network cards. Is it an Atheros card? If so you'll need to update the drivers, there were known compatability issues with the superhubs a couple of years ago and a driver update solved it.

Also set the superhub to 145Mbps, channel 11, 2.4Ghz mode. Seems to let older laptops connect to it when you set it up like so. You might find the router is trying to set itself to channel 13 if it's still set to auto and not a lot of network cards like that.

Usually though if the wireless is working with other devices and not the laptop in question it's the laptop itself at fault. If you were closer i'd give you an RJ45, i've about 50 in the van

Ok.....I have no idea what you're on about!

The router works fine with my the 4 pcs and 5 phones in the house.....so gotta be the laptop.

[cwspellowe]

What hub are you using? The superhub with the blue virgin logo, and three lights on the side?

[Toms306]

No, its a linksys WAG54GS or something like that.

[cwspellowe]

Hmm then i'm out bud, my technical expertise only goes as far back as the D-links, the Linksys' were before my time

[Midnightclub]

Tom.. if you'd have just done as i'd said then it wouldn't matter.. ignore the f*cking updates it isn't going to make any difference.. you want the internet disconnected when using the galletto anyway!

EDIT: If it's running XP then unless they've put it on themselves then it's older than 2 to 3 years

[Toms306]

Tom.. if you'd have just done as i'd said then it wouldn't matter.. ignore the f*cking updates it isn't going to make any difference.. you want the internet disconnected when using the galletto anyway!

This isn't just for the galletto lol, I'm not doing the remap till next weekend anyway...thats irrelevant atm. As part of the laptop borrowing, I said I'd clean it up, update it and try make it a bit quicker.

Hmm then i'm out bud, my technical expertise only goes as far back as the D-links, the Linksys' were before my time

Oh :/ Didnt realise it was that old lol.

[cwspellowe]

Tom.. if you'd have just done as i'd said then it wouldn't matter.. ignore the f*cking updates it isn't going to make any difference.. you want the internet disconnected when using the galletto anyway!

This isn't just for the galletto lol, I'm not doing the remap till next weekend anyway...thats irrelevant atm. As part of the laptop borrowing, I said I'd clean it up, update it and try make it a bit quicker.

Erm, just being observational, but you're going to clean up, update it and optimise it yet you don't know how to connect it to your router?

[Toms306]

EDIT: If it's running XP then unless they've put it on themselves then it's older than 2 to 3 years

Yeah its xp.........where can I find out how old it is then? Must be longer than I thought!

This isn't just for the galletto lol, I'm not doing the remap till next weekend anyway...thats irrelevant atm. As part of the laptop borrowing, I said I'd clean it up, update it and try make it a bit quicker.

Erm, just being observational, but you're going to clean up, update it and optimise it yet you don't know how to connect it to your router?

I can connect any other PC or phone to my router lol.....which is why I can't work out why this one won't connect!? :?

I never said optimise! But updates, new antivirus, defrag and stuff I can just about manage.

[Midnightclub]

Erm, just being observational, but you're going to clean up, update it and optimise it yet you don't know how to connect it to your router?

Exactly this! Tom don't go playing around with something 1) You have no idea about 2) Isn't yours..

Updating it will not make any difference in speed, get a new ethernet cable they only cost about £2. Download C Cleaner and Malware bytes and run them both that'll improve the speed a bit and get rid of any infections if there is any.

[Toms306]

Oh also I've just thought........the map I'm getting is dowloaded off interent!

Erm, just being observational, but you're going to clean up, update it and optimise it yet you don't know how to connect it to your router?

Exactly this! Tom don't go playing around with something 1) You have no idea about

If that was the case, I'd never do anything....ever! hock:

[Midnightclub]

Learn how to edit a post FFS.. How many double posts do you want?

[Toms306]

You can't multiquote on here

[Scott]

Yes you can. Quote the first person, then when it loads the post editor, scroll down, press the quote button again.

Tadaaaaa.

Also since I've read the thread after cleaning it, you'll have a WRT54G, WRT54GR or a WRT54GS, they're crappy old linksys routers that used to be supplied by Virgin not long after first started offering wireless routers. I'd say it's actually down to the router rather than the laptop here, as I've experienced a number of problems with the 54GR I used to have.

My laptop, mum's laptop and mum's HTC Desire could all connect fine wirelessly, but my HTC Desire could not ever connect, even though both phones had the same software. If ever I had my xbox on wirelessly, if I turned it off, I would have to reboot the router or there would be no internet for any device in the house. There may be a firmware update available for the router, and if I remember correctly with the WRT54GS you can actually install DD-WRT, which is a different and much more capable firmware. There are numerous guides on how to do it, just use google

Failing that you'd need to use an ethernet cable or get a different router.

[Toms306]

Yes you can. Quote the first person, then when it loads the post editor, scroll down, press the quote button again.

Tadaaaaa

Oh right lol, never knew that Haha!

[Scott]

I've added some info above to help out too