Very strange home network issue - I'm stumped

[Jack Burton]

I have a netgear dsl modem and a separate netgear wireless router. When I got home last week the wifi wasn't working so I power cycled the modem and the router. The dsl modem has green lights across the board as does the wireless router. Now, here's where it get's weird...the computer can't connect (I'm running an ethernet cable to a usb/ethernet adapter on my computer). The usb/ethernet adapter has a green link light. I've tried replacing the cables, switching usb ports, switching ports on the router, running directly from the dsl modem to the computer, etc... and it still won't connect. I also have two smart tv's in the house which run on wifi so I can watch netflix streaming. Neither tv will connect, but they can see the router. I tried re-entering the password and still nothing. My ps4 also is set for wireless and it won't connect. It can see the router, it just won't connect. Now, here is where it gets even more bizarre. My wife and I each have an iphone and a ipad. The apple devices connect to the router no problem. I even turned off the cell data usage so I could verify that it was connecting via wifi only.

I'm honestly puzzled by this. The only thing I haven't done is reset the router back to factory specs and reconfigure. Not sure if that would do any good since everything can see the router. I'm stumped.

Thanks for any help.

 

[SVTORANGE]

I would power cycle everything in the house and turn each device on one at a time once both routers are up and connected then turn on the TV's one at a time and see if they connect.

If not, and you can't connect with the first TV I would reset the router back to factory specs and add your devices again.

Hope that helps

 

[paluka21]

I would power cycle everything in the house and turn each device on one at a time once both routers are up and connected then turn on the TV's one at a time and see if they connect.

If not, and you can't connect with the first TV I would reset the router back to factory specs and add your devices again.

Hope that helps

That's some good points.. Also, can you "ping" the IP address of your wireless AP/router from any of your devices? When you log into your wireless AP/router can you see any logs which could point to any issues, such as duplicate IP addresses being handed out, ARP issue, etc?
Does it have a command line or troubleshooting/diagnostics section which would allow you to see if you can ping outbound to the internet? IE: ping www.yahoo.com.

Just a few troubleshooting measures.

 

[SVTORANGE]

:beer:

 

[BLOWN PONY]

I just had to call my provider for a similar problem. I had to replace my modem/router and my laptop would recognize there was my wireless network, but it wouldn't connect.

What I ended up having to do was go into my "Network Sharing Center" and delete the network from the list of profiles, then refresh it so it would pick it up again. After that everything worked fine. I'm not sure if it was because I had named my "New" network the same as the "Old" one, which might have messed with it.


I'm about as computer savy as a 4th grader, so I may be way off, but it worked for me.

 

[Satyr]

Log into your router and look at the device log on it. See which devices are connected. See how the DHCP handout is being done and make sure everyone has an individual IP. You can release each connection manually (most of the time, at least), and then it should refresh/reconnect on its own. Prior to your saying the Apple products could connect, I would have said your modem was bad (because that would still allow you to see/connect to your router/network but would prevent internet connection. Are the Apple products working continuously? Meaning, were they working at the exact same time that another wireless device was not?

When you reset the router, make sure the SSID of the unit didn't change and that your PS3/non-working systems aren't retaining the old SSID. I had that happen on my laptop a few weeks ago when I was setting up a second router as an AP.

EDIT: In case you don't know what the SSID is, it will be listed in your wireless settings under your router login page, or you can find it on the Apple devices. It's the actual "name" of the network.

 

[Outlaw99]

all your router belong to us!

 

[MovingZen]

When you say can't connect, do you mean to the router or to the internet? I usually just let windows network trouble shooter do it's thing and go from there.
If you've gone through what was said in the posts above, I'd go in the router and change the SSID and password and see if your wireless devices can connect. If not, factory reset the router, dump the network information from all your devices, and start from scratch. It's easier to do than spend hours troubleshooting the issue. If that doesn't work, consult a shaman.

 

[SonicDTR]

Simplest way will be to cut the router out of the equation.

Run ethernet cable from PC to DSL Modem and get that working, then move from there. Do not troubleshoot the router at all until you get connectivity from the modem to another device.

 

[venom_inc]

I have a netgear dsl modem and a separate netgear wireless router. When I got home last week the wifi wasn't working so I power cycled the modem and the router. The dsl modem has green lights across the board as does the wireless router. Now, here's where it get's weird...the computer can't connect (I'm running an ethernet cable to a usb/ethernet adapter on my computer). The usb/ethernet adapter has a green link light. I've tried replacing the cables, switching usb ports, switching ports on the router, running directly from the dsl modem to the computer, etc... and it still won't connect. I also have two smart tv's in the house which run on wifi so I can watch netflix streaming. Neither tv will connect, but they can see the router. I tried re-entering the password and still nothing. My ps4 also is set for wireless and it won't connect. It can see the router, it just won't connect. Now, here is where it gets even more bizarre. My wife and I each have an iphone and a ipad. The apple devices connect to the router no problem. I even turned off the cell data usage so I could verify that it was connecting via wifi only.

I'm honestly puzzled by this. The only thing I haven't done is reset the router back to factory specs and reconfigure. Not sure if that would do any good since everything can see the router. I'm stumped.

Thanks for any help.

I wish I wasn't terrible with networking. I have no clue as to what to do besides go into your router settings.

all your router belong to us!

If you're going to try to be funny, at least get the phrase correct.

 

[SVTORANGE]

Have not heard from Jack Burton?

Did you get the issue resolved?

 

[Machdup1]

Sounds like you have sequencing problem. Try turning on the edge device first, wait a couple of minutes and then turn on the AP. If that doesn't work reverse the order of the power up.

 

[CobraBob]

Simplest way will be to cut the router out of the equation.

Run ethernet cable from PC to DSL Modem and get that working, then move from there. Do not troubleshoot the router at all until you get connectivity from the modem to another device.

That is the first thing I'd do (and have done in the past when I've had similar issues of non-connectivity). That is also what your cable provider would tell you if you had service from a cable provider. If you can connect when bypassing the router, then the issue should be your router. My next step would then be to do a router factory reset and start from scratch.

 

[04SVT_COBRA]

I have the same stupid problem. I delete the network from my computer then I add it again, and 95% of the time it magically works again. Its awesome when it happens in the middle of a trading session....

 

[Jack Burton]

I would power cycle everything in the house and turn each device on one at a time once both routers are up and connected then turn on the TV's one at a time and see if they connect.

If not, and you can't connect with the first TV I would reset the router back to factory specs and add your devices again.

Hope that helps

Tried all of that with the exceptions of reseting back to factory specs. Will try that tonight if I have time.

When you say can't connect, do you mean to the router or to the internet? I usually just let windows network trouble shooter do it's thing and go from there.
If you've gone through what was said in the posts above, I'd go in the router and change the SSID and password and see if your wireless devices can connect. If not, factory reset the router, dump the network information from all your devices, and start from scratch. It's easier to do than spend hours troubleshooting the issue. If that doesn't work, consult a shaman.

Can't connect at all on the tv, computer, and ps4. The apple devices hop on the wifi just fine. It's odd.

Simplest way will be to cut the router out of the equation.

Run ethernet cable from PC to DSL Modem and get that working, then move from there. Do not troubleshoot the router at all until you get connectivity from the modem to another device.

Tried that on the first go round. Even tried three cables. Still no dice.

Have not heard from Jack Burton?

Did you get the issue resolved?

Didn't get a chance to mess with it last night. Hopefully I'll have time tonight.

Sounds like you have sequencing problem. Try turning on the edge device first, wait a couple of minutes and then turn on the AP. If that doesn't work reverse the order of the power up.

I've tried it in the normal sequence but I haven't tried it in the reverse sequence.

Just odd that the computer, tv's, and ps4 can't connect (but see the connection) and the Apple devices have no problem.

 

[2000gt4.6]

Is it the typical $50 net gear WiFi? If so I had a ton of little bs issues with those, switched to an expensive Asus and never looked back.

Try doing a static IP on the ps4. You will have to set it up on your router homepage and the ps4. If this makes it work you have a IP assignment problem. For the ps4 at least its better to do this anyway because you can open specific ports to it.

 

[svt 500]

Simplest way will be to cut the router out of the equation.

Run ethernet cable from PC to DSL Modem and get that working, then move from there. Do not troubleshoot the router at all until you get connectivity from the modem to another device.

+1 This is a good starting point. It could be a bad port from your carrier and even though it shows connectivity it may not be receiving the correct info.