Windows 7 No wifi access after new Win7 install

[Turbojoe]

I have a Linksys WRT54GS that I bought at least 6 years ago. It has worked flawless from the start so I never had to learn anything about wireless networking. That is until now.

I just built a new system with a clean install of Windows 7 which I have been running since the final public release in July of 2009. At the same time I took my old box, formatted the HD and put a clean install of XP on it. It has a Linksys WMP54GS wireless-G PCI adapter (w/ speedbooster). Both of these boxes were painless to get online with after the builds. However........now I can no longer access my network with my cellphone and my daughter can no longer connect with her laptop. The network shows up on the phone and the laptop but when trying to connect it won't. Not a thing had been changed on the router. Password is still the same etc. I did go ahead and do the firmware update though. The last time I updated it was 2007 and there had been 8 updates since then. As I said all had been fine so I never thought about checking for updates.

What has me puzzled is that the wireless XP box connects just fine but no matter what the phone and laptop won't. Now this may be a really stupid question but seeing as this is a new Windows 7 install on a new computer (assembled from a Newegg bundle deal) do I need to install the Linksys software CD? Windows 7 Seems to have already configured everything for the network and drivers. I'm hesitant to run the CD because I don't want to risk hosing something in the process and having no internet at all.

It's not critical to have the other devices be able to connect but it would be nice to have full access like I used to. Any help would be appreciated. Keep in mind that anything network related is 100% Greek to me so I'll need my hand held through any process.

Thanks in advance guys.

Joe

 

[tagordon]

I have a Linksys WRT54GS that I bought at least 6 years ago. It has worked flawless from the start so I never had to learn anything about wireless networking. That is until now.

I just built a new system with a clean install of Windows 7 which I have been running since the final public release in July of 2009. At the same time I took my old box, formatted the HD and put a clean install of XP on it. It has a Linksys WMP54GS wireless-G PCI adapter (w/ speedbooster). Both of these boxes were painless to get online with after the builds. However........now I can no longer access my network with my cellphone and my daughter can no longer connect with her laptop. The network shows up on the phone and the laptop but when trying to connect it won't. Not a thing had been changed on the router. Password is still the same etc. I did go ahead and do the firmware update though. The last time I updated it was 2007 and there had been 8 updates since then. As I said all had been fine so I never thought about checking for updates.

What has me puzzled is that the wireless XP box connects just fine but no matter what the phone and laptop won't. Now this may be a really stupid question but seeing as this is a new Windows 7 install on a new computer (assembled from a Newegg bundle deal) do I need to install the Linksys software CD? Windows 7 Seems to have already configured everything for the network and drivers. I'm hesitant to run the CD because I don't want to risk hosing something in the process and having no internet at all.

It's not critical to have the other devices be able to connect but it would be nice to have full access like I used to. Any help would be appreciated. Keep in mind that anything network related is 100% Greek to me so I'll need my hand held through any process.

Thanks in advance guys.

Joe

If u haven't tried yet:
Delete/Remove wifi network from list on device/pc
Log off device/pc if applies
Power off device
Power on device
Select wifi network from list of networks found on device/pc
Enter login info and connnect
This usually resolves connection issues such as you describe

Should this fail
Reset router to factory defaults
Then login to router
And change SSID and WEP Key
Now login the devices/pc's using the new settings
Dealing with can not connect issues
is usually a matter of settings not matching what is required for authorization
when it is NOT an issue with all devices/pc's
So its necessary remove all previous settings from device
See this almost everyday at work as a support tech

It is also possible the MAC Address for a device/pc is creating the issue with and individual device/pc
Resetting can resolve this by refreshing the cache(s)

Do not panic if it fails the first time, reset to defaults and do it again

 

[Turbojoe]

Thanks tagordon! You were 100% correct. I wish I had just gone to bed and waited to see your post. It would have saved me a LOT of head scratching as I could have followed your steps instead. I did manage to finally get it straightened out at around 4:00 a.m. The problem all came down to me using the Linksys "easy setup ". It had configured my main desktop and the wireless Linksys card in my XP as its own little network. That's why the XP box worked fine but nothing else could get in. Once I did like you said and basically started all over fresh without using the Linksys setup I was able to change the ssid and took the opportunity to change the login info that I had been using for years to something longer and more secure. I also set it for wpa2 as well. This was all for the good I guess as I probably now have a slightly more secure network. I still don't know much about networks but this little mess I created helped me to learn a little.

For the next time I mess this up I've printed out your post and put it in the box for the router. Following that info I'll be up and running in 5 minutes instead of 5 hours doing it on my own. Your post came after I got it fixed but it helps that it tells me that I probably have everything right. At least I can log in to the network with phones and laptops etc. once they use the new password and wpa2.

Thanks again for your reply. I'm sure someone else will find your information useful too.

Joe