I bought a linksys "wireless" router but it is not wireless? Im confused?

Question

I bought a linksys Wireless-G Broadband router but it has a blue cable it wants me to plug in, with something plugged into my computer it isnt wireless. Did i get the wrong one? I only have this one computer (laptop). Is this router for someone with two computers who wants to link them together and give both an internet connection. Plus when i tried to install it, it said it could not work with the modem and wanted me to power the modem off and back on. I did and it still didnt work. At my last apartment it was a complex and wireless was provided with us so i all have to do was enable the wireless on my laptop and it worked. But now im dealing with roadrunner, (bc time warner does not offer wirelss in my area) and the modem and router, so I am new with this.

Answer 1

Alright a router needs to connect to a modem to get a signal. This will have to be done with a cable. From there, you can use a wifi enabled computer to connect to the internet wirelessly. If it's saying that it cannot work with your modem, you might need a new modem

BTW, the service provider has nothing to do with whether your internet is wireless or wired. You make it wireless by using a wireless router

Answer 2

Okay, so you bought a 'router' and think that because you have to 'plug it into your computer' it's not 'wireless' ... but is there 'another wire' to 'connect to the internet through a 'modem'? NO ... the router is 'wireless' because it 'picks up the wireless signals' and connects them to your computer through that 'wire connection.'
You may have a 'modem problem' ... in many computers they aren't 'compatible' with EVERY TYPE OF ROUTER ... and since you've turned it off and then on, I suggest that you 'remove the modem entirely, reboot, and then see if you can't get a 'wireless signal.'
There's one more 'step' though ... and that is 'getting the signal' from 'someplace else' ... your 'router' will only 'work correctly' if there is another 'router' you can connect to 'wirelessly' that is also 'connected to the Internet' (usually through a 'cable' or DSL connection. So, once you know that the 'router' is working properly, go to the 'task bar' and look for an 'icon' that looks like a 'tiny black wheel' with 'small dots' around the outside ... or 'part of a wheel' with dots ... that is your 'wireless' sign. Click on it, and you will get a 'Wireless Network Connection' that should have EVERY WIRELESS CONNECTION IN YOUR AREA. Some of these will be 'open' and you can just 'connect through them' without ever having to even 'talk' to a person. Others are 'password only' and you MUST HAVE THE PROPER 'numbers' or you can't get onto the Internet. If possible, you should find a 'password only' connection and 'contact them' (meet them, mail them, or go onto another 'open Internet' and e-mail them) to find out how much it will 'cost' for you to get the 'numbers' ... pay the small amount, get the numbers, put them in when 'prompted' (it's the same 'line of numbers and spaces in 'both boxes' ) and you should be 'ready to go online.'
I hope this helps you to 'understand' and to get onto the Internet via 'wireless' where you live ... I'm guessing that you went to a 'cafe' or library to connect to the 'net' to ask your question ... but it's always 'more fun' to be at home, but able to 'talk to the whole world.

Answer 3

Most modems need the power unplugged and then the cable for the router connected to it's wan port. You then plug the power back in. Switching off only goes to standby, and does not make the modem autodetect it's connection. Also check that the router does not have an inbuilt modem. Then power the router. Connect the blue cable to the laptop and use this to configure the router. Use the Web interface, not the disk. After you have enabled wireless and set the encryption test the connection. If this works remove the cable and use the wireless utility of the laptop to find your network, set the encryption and connect.

Answer 4

My best idea to try is to do the following, in this order. 1. Unplug the power from both your modem and router. 2. Endure that you have your ethernet cable plugged into your modem, and into the proper port on your router. There is one designated specifically for the modem. If you're not sure, DOUBLE CHECK!!! 3. Power on your router first. 4. Power on your modem, and wait for the modem to start up completely. 5. Restart your computer just to reset everything on the computer side. If you are having troubles with getting on the internet still, then there is a reset button on the back of the router. You can totally clear out all of the previous settings by pressing and holding the reset button for 30 seconds. Then repeat step 1-5. I've used Linksys routers in the past (still have 1 now), and you do not need to use the setup cd to get these things going. They pretty much should be plug and play. Good luck, hope this helps.

Answer 5

Your linksys router can handle both wired (Ethernet) and wireless (802.11) connections at the same time. Yes, such a router is the way for more than one computer to use one Internet access account/line, and to network together.

To start, even if all of your PCs are wireless, you will still need at least one wire going into your router, and that's the connection to/from your DSL line/modem or cable modem. That wire will be an Ethernet cable, and it should go into the jack labeled "Internet."

Regarding the error message you got re your modem: what exactly did it say? If it asked you to power it down, then up -- that's the procedure you need to do:
1. Power off modem and router.
2. Wait a good 30secs, to make sure your connection is dropped, so that....
3. Power on Modem first, which resets your DSL/Cable connection to your service provider to get an external IP address assigned.
4. Then power on your router, which will then retrieve that renewed IP address/connection, and have the proper address to be able to route through your network traffic.

(I'm assuming the error message wasn't about your PC's internal dial-up modem; that shouldn't conflict and wouldn't be addressed by disabling it.)

If it's asking you to plug in a cable during setup other than the cable from your modem to your router, ie: from your PC to the router, it is most likely a one-time operation: you can only set up the administrative options on the router (including your wireless network settings) via your PC -- which means you need a connection. With just the cable to the router, you'll be able to access it (it will tell you to enter "192.168.1.x" into your web browser, which will then display an interface through which you can set up your wireless network.

Once you've got that set up, and have configured your wireless settings on your PC to access the network you've created, you'll be able to connect over your wireless connection, and you won't need a cable anymore.

(and keep that in mind for the future...if your wireless ever dies or burns out in the router, you can try to use an Ethernet cable connection to access the router administration interface to help figure out what's wrong. Happened to me once, that wireless died, but wired-routing was fine.)

Try that, keep trusting the instructions, and it should direct you as above.

[PS: connecting wirelessly at school or a cafe doesn't require a wire at any point, because some IT person has already connected their PC to the that school's/cafe's router and configured the wireless network connections for you. Now it's your turn!]

Answer 6

You only need a router if you have more than 1 computer. If you have a wireless laptop , then you still need a cable modem or a dsl modem. Roadrunner gave you a modem and that's all you need unless you get another computer. Then you will need a router.

Answer 7

The blue cable is to plug in your modem (i.e. Cable modem, or DSL box.)
Look for a "ethernet" or suck connection on the back of you modem, plug one end in. The other end goes into the "internet" port of your router. Restart the router it should work. You should then setup your router mainly change you password, and enable secure connections.

Good luck!!!

Answer 8

You need to plug in the cable to program the router and turn on the wireless.
Go here for their support

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_CASupport_C1&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1166859677881&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper

Answer 9

instead of all the guessing on what you have and what to do with what you have, why not do what the manual tells you to do, if your having problems.....

Use the Linksys 24/7 free telephone help line they will walk you through the wireless setup..... get the experts to help you

Answer 10

I have mine hooked up to another computer because I went thru the same thing. I don't know anything about computers though