Wireless network doesn't work when my computer is wired to the router?

Question

When my wireless router is connected by wire to my desktop, my laptop cannot access the internet through my wireless connection.

If I unplug the desktop and reset the router and modem, my laptop can access the internet through the wireless connection, but if I plug my desktop back into the router, it can't connect to the internet.

I just purchased a high end NIC card for my desktop that doesn't support wireless, so making my desktop wireless isn't an option (plus I like the greater speed that a wired connection provides.)

Any suggestions?

Answer 1

make sure
1. that the router has a DHCP scope that is bigger than one address.
2. That you are connecting the desktop to the router and not the other way around.

Answer 2

No, you need to configure your computer to connect to your wireless network. On Windows, normally when you start it up a popup will say you are not connected to a wireless network or you can Click Start> Connect To> Wireless Network, find your network on the list (if you have AT&T it should be called 2WIREXXX, the x's being the last 3 numbers of your router serial number on the bottom.) Then when you select it and click connect it'll ask you to type in the password (on AT&T the number in brackets under your router) then you can go to Internet Explorer and you should be online If this doesn't work, sorry I tried...

Answer 3

check your router settings: Have your desktop computer connected as you were talking about before. Then open your browser and type in the IP address of your router (check the documentation for it but usually it's something like http://192.168.1.1) You should get a login screen. Again, check your documentation to find out what the default login name and password though in linksys it's admin and then leave the password blank. Once in there, you need to look around and make sure that the range of dynamic IP addresses that the router is using is more than one. This may be your problem. Make sure to check your router's documentation for additional steps on securing the router and using encryption for your wireless connection.
Also, your desktop and laptop should both be configured for dynamic IP address assignment. If your ISP gave you a static IP address, this is the one that needs to be in the router and the router will assign dynamic IP addresses to your computers, this way your computers share the connection with the router figuring out where the traffic needs to go.

Answer 4

Sounds like they are trying to use the same IP address. Try setting a static ip for each outside the normal DCHP pool*.
Instructions at www.portforward.com

**If your router usually throws 192.168.1.2 set the IP static over 100 (192.168.1.100 and .101)
if it usually throws 192.168.100 ( or higher) set the static IP 192.168.2 and .3

Answer 5

shot in the dark but if you connect with a wire are you then grabbing a different IP address e.g. the one that the laptop usually has ?

Answer 6

your lan network and your wireless lan, both ahve two different network congifurations, when the system, plugs into the lan, it automatiaclly disabels the lan line, you see these two can not work together at the same time, without causing a networking conflict, so in order for one to work, if does,nt need the support of the other, one had to work at a time, you can use one while attempting to use the other.

Answer 7

buy a new router yours is hosed