A21e 2628 with no internet connection

Message

HydePark · #1 Post by **HydePark** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:00 pm

My A21e cannot connect to the internet. I have tried the 3Com combo NIC card, a wireless PCMCIA card, and the USB port through a cable modem. All have failed. They do not recieve an automatic IP address but show an internal "169.xxx.xxx". I have reset all settings using the ones from two other systems on the same network, and have loaded and re-loaded the drivers for all 3 types of connections. The PCMCIA port IS operating as I can use a PCMCIA modem card with no problems. The USB port works because I can send/recieve data to/from an external drive. I tried getting a schematic or flowchart to troubleshoot to no avail. Any suggestions?? Thanks.

tim S · #2 Post by **tim S** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:03 pm

Make sure the adapter you have works with the OS you are using.
If it's the original Win 98 or SE, then your wireless problem may lie there, Win 2K isn't much better either.
I have XP on an A20m using an Orinoco PCMCIA card and all is well.
Tim S

HydePark · #3 Post by **HydePark** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:13 pm

tim S wrote:Make sure the adapter you have works with the OS you are using.
If it's the original Win 98 or SE, then your wireless problem may lie there, Win 2K isn't much better either.
I have XP on an A20m using an Orinoco PCMCIA card and all is well.
Tim S

The PCMCIA card I have is a Linksys WPC11. The drivers are for XP PRO SP2. My problem doesn't appear to be with only the wireless as I cannot connect using the installed NIC card (3COM mini combo). The USB port also won't connect through a cable modem. The internal modem and an external modem both work so I assume that the combo card and PCMCIA port are both good. Running IPCONFIG, both the NIC and the wireless show a 169.xxx.x.x address and won't acquire an automatic IP address from my router. All other systems on the router are working fine.

fasterbybike · #4 Post by **fasterbybike** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 2:53 pm

HydePark wrote:The PCMCIA card I have is a Linksys WPC11. The drivers are for XP PRO SP2.
My problem doesn't appear to be with only the wireless as I cannot connect using the installed NIC card (3COM mini combo).

Make sure the drivers you are using match the OS you've installed -. Drivers for the 3COM card are here. You can use the device manager to replace your existing drivers in W2K and XP. I'm not sure how you do this in Win9X though.

HydePark · #5 Post by **HydePark** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 3:01 pm

fasterbybike wrote:
HydePark wrote:The PCMCIA card I have is a Linksys WPC11. The drivers are for XP PRO SP2.
My problem doesn't appear to be with only the wireless as I cannot connect using the installed NIC card (3COM mini combo).
Make sure the drivers you are using match the OS you've installed -. Drivers for the 3COM card are here. You can use the device manager to replace your existing drivers in W2K and XP. I'm not sure how you do this in Win9X though.

I've already loaded XP PRO drivers in the system to no avail. It is beginning to look more and more like a motherboard problem.

#6 Post by **Harryc** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 3:17 pm

Try rebuilding your TCPIP stack. Run the following from a command prompt in XP;

Code: Select all

netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt

Reboot.

If it were me I'd boot up a Linux live disc and see if networking works there.

HydePark · #7 Post by **HydePark** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 9:26 pm

Harryc wrote:Try rebuilding your TCPIP stack. Run the following from a command prompt in XP;
Code: Select all
netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt
Reboot.

If it were me I'd boot up a Linux live disc and see if networking works there.

Thanks for the suggestions. I tried them,and found that re-building the stack does no good and the Linux OS won't find the card either. Ran some diagnostics from 3COM. Tried re-flashing the Boot ROM and was told there was none or it's memory was empty. Run their SCANROM program and found that all options EXCEPT that it could not find the BootWare ROM. Does anyone know if this is a part of the system board? I tried removing the internal NIC card and use only the wireless and still cannot connect.

ajkula66 · #8 Post by **ajkula66** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 9:33 pm

Does your BIOS page show a MAC address?

HydePark · #9 Post by **HydePark** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 11:49 am

ajkula66 wrote:Does your BIOS page show a MAC address?

I checked and there is a MAC address shown but the card isn't receiving any IP address (it's set for auto). My wireless card shows no MAC address or IP address. The memory allocations and IRQ settings are not conflicting with each other or other components.

#10 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 1:55 pm

Have you got another PC or laptop, that DOES connect?
Perhaps your router is at fault.
See if there is a Reset button, or there may be an opening to put a paperclip in for resetting.
If you use a Cat-5 cable between laptop and raouter, can you then connect?

tim S · #11 Post by **tim S** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:07 pm

While there maybe more to this situation than meets the eye; here are my 2 cents. Whether the internal wireless works or not, a PCMCIA or a USB wireless card should work at all times. That they don't can only mean there is a software conflict somewhere, especially since other types of cards apparently work in these slots.
I'd uninstall any and all previous wireless software, then insert the wirless card and install its software when asked. Sometimes you have to install the software first, make sure to get it right. Look in the task bar after the installation and make sure there is no conflict between Windows and the card's software as to which one is handling the connection etc.
Good luck.
Tim S

HydePark · #12 Post by **HydePark** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:28 pm

RealBlackStuff wrote:Have you got another PC or laptop, that DOES connect?
Perhaps your router is at fault.
See if there is a Reset button, or there may be an opening to put a paperclip in for resetting.
If you use a Cat-5 cable between laptop and raouter, can you then connect?

I have two other computers on wireless and one connected directly to the router that work fine. I am still looking towards a communication chip on the motherboard that has failed. Neither the wireless or Cat-5 work. The phone modem (both internal and PCMCIA) work with no problems as well as the USB port (in and out). When I try a USB connect to the cable modem I still get no connection.

HydePark · #13 Post by **HydePark** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 2:30 pm

tim S wrote:While there maybe more to this situation than meets the eye; here are my 2 cents. Whether the internal wireless works or not, a PCMCIA or a USB wireless card should work at all times. That they don't can only mean there is a software conflict somewhere, especially since other types of cards apparently work in these slots.
I'd uninstall any and all previous wireless software, then insert the wirless card and install its software when asked. Sometimes you have to install the software first, make sure to get it right. Look in the task bar after the installation and make sure there is no conflict between Windows and the card's software as to which one is handling the connection etc.
Good luck.
Tim S

I have tried a fresh install of the OS and loaded only the NIC card drivers with the same results. I will however try removing all communication drivers and try one at a time. Thanks for the input.

Dan

tim S · #14 Post by **tim S** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 4:55 pm

It occurs to me that you should disable the internal wireless in BIOS. If the internal card is broken in some way then external cards probably won't work until this has been done.
Tim S.

HydePark · #15 Post by **HydePark** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:10 pm

tim S wrote:It occurs to me that you should disable the internal wireless in BIOS. If the internal card is broken in some way then external cards probably won't work until this has been done.
Tim S.

I've done that and even completely removed the internal card.

Dan

A21e 2628 with no internet connection

A21e 2628 with no internet connection

Who is online