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[ScottHK]

My old router (different brand) died over the weekend.  Yesterday I got a DIR-615 HW E1 FW 5.00 NA and used the directions, a direct Ethernet connection, and the install CD to configure the router from my Windows 7 computer.  I then moved the cable modem and router to a central room so both ends of the house can get a good signal.  Now the Vista machine on one end of the house connects fine and the XP machine on the other end (right next to the Windows 7 machine) connect fine but the Windows 7 machine, which sees the network as well as a second one in the area, will not connect.  It fails pretty much immediately and when I let it do it's little troubleshooting routine it says it is resolving (unspecified) issues and tests afterward and still fails, saying "Windows was unable to connect to Xxxxx network" though of course giving me no details.

I notice when I try ipconfig I get "Media Disconnected" responses for everything so maybe it is a LAN card or configuration issue but I don't think I changed anything on the PC during the router setup.  Maybe the PC is still trying to use the ethernet connection, though it says it is disabled as there is a "cable disconnected"?  Could the LAN card have gotten semi-fried when the router failed (though we were out of town so I'm pretty sure the computer was off when the old router died)?  But if it is fried how is it seeing two wireless networks?  Any other ideas or things to check, please?

[ScottHK]

Since my last post I've tried disabling IPv6 per someone else's suggestion and then restarting the PC and then the router.  No good.

When I run the Network Troubleshooter it says:

Result of diagnosis:  Problem found
   
Root cause: 
Windows association failed to "kfeldnetwork" for unknown reason

Detailed root cause:
802.11 connection failed due to status code 1:  unknown failure

Again, this computer was working fine with the old router so I don't think it's a LAN card issue but maybe the install CD changed something that is preventing the wireless card from connecting properly?

[Trikein]

Your information is a little conflicting. So your network is

Modem> Router

PC 1 (Windows 7)
PC 2 (Vista)
PC 3 (XP)

Which of these are wired connections, and which are wireless? Also which are laptops, and which are desktops? I ask because your say LAN card (actually I think you mean NIC card, but whatever) but then you say the cause is a problem with 802.11. LAN is Local Area Connection, which is a wired connection, and 802.11 is a wireless standard. So is PC 1 wired or wireless?

[handyman454]

You might also consider accessing the "STATUS/LOGS" section of your router for additional info on what's happening when your PC asks for connection rights.

[ScottHK]

Thank you for the response and I apologize if I was vague.

All 3 PCs are desktops.  I used PC1 and an ethernet cable - per the instructios - to configure the D-Link router.  Once it was configured - and I could connect to the internet via the wired connection - I disconnected the router and moved it to a central room so everyone throughout the apartment could get a better signal.  No PC is currently connected directly to the router, just the cable modem.

Now PC 2 and PC3 connect fine to the router and internet.  PC 1 (Windows 7) is the one that fails.  I removed the ethernet cord from my LAN card and the connection shows as disabled but perhaps some part of Windows 7 still thinks this is the connection to use, or the preferred connection?  I use the set of wireless networks displayed in my status bar and use the Connect button there to try and connect so I'm hoping that is forcing it to try and connect.  However, it fails almost immediately and I get the errors listed before.

I did check the status log this last time, after setting the date and time properly, and after enabling debug.  Here is the recent log:

Oct 1 08:21:37     UDHCPD Received a SIGUSR1
Oct 1 08:17:10    ath0: STA 00:14:6c:31:be:b3 WPA: group key handsh
ake completed (WPA)
Oct 1 08:17:10    ath0: STA 00:26:5a:e7:1d:79 WPA: group key handsh
ake completed (WPA)
Oct 1 08:12:24    UDHCPD Received a SIGUSR1
Oct 1 08:12:08    UDHCPD Received a SIGUSR1
Oct 1 08:09:49    UDHCPD sending ACK to 192.168.0.101
Oct 1 08:09:40    UDHCPD sending ACK to 192.168.0.101
Oct 1 08:09:35    UDHCPD sending ACK to 192.168.0.101
Oct 1 08:09:35    UDHCPD sending OFFER of 192.168.0.101
Oct 1 08:09:35    UDHCPD sendOffer : client is in lease/offered tab

My last attempt to connect was about 8:14 so there appears to be no or little record of the attempt.  I just tried to connect again and got this additional entry:

Oct 1 08:21:37     UDHCPD Received a SIGUSR1

but noticed the time was off (it's 8:27) so I tried to connect and refresh once more and there was no additional entry, so I think that last entry was from one of the other computers?

The lack of entries makes me worried that the D-Link install has changed something with my PC's wireless card or configuration.  Thoughts, suggestions, ideas?

[Trikein]

Ok, so PC 1 is a wireless desktop. What kind of wireless adapter? Also, how is your wireless network setup? Try turning off the security and see if the devices can connect. If they do, try changing the security type from WPA to WPA2 with AES. If it doesnt connect with security off, try changing the channel width and radio type (b/g/n to b/g or G only). If it cant even see the network, try changing the channel or turning on auto scan.

[handyman454]

Here's another place to look for clues...
STATUS/DEVICE INFO
On the bottom, under LAN Computers you will find a list of all sucessfully connected devices. If your PC does not show up there, start by checking on why the router won't accept it.
More often than not, it's an IP address or MAC issue.

[ScottHK]

So this morning I configured the router for WEP authentication and all three PCs are willing to talk to the router that way.  When I installed the new router I set it up with the same encryption and passcode as the old router and I don't understand why 2 machines were fine with the new router but one (the Windows 7 machine) wasn't - and it was the one that set it up - but there you go.  So the original issue isn't really resolved but I found a workaround and now I'm so far behind in work done from the W7 machine that I don't really have time to mess with it anymore, I just need to move on start catching up, I assume you know how that goes.  I will check back in to see if you have further thoughts or comments but for now I'm basically closing or at least shelving the core issue.  Thanks very much for all your help.

[Trikein]

Hmm, probably when you had it set to WPA it was trying to use TKIP while Windows 7 favors AES. But if your satisfied with your work-around, then cool. ::thumbs up::

By the way...we need more emoticons. ::grin::

[ScottHK]

I don't recall where I found it but it actually wanted TKIP and I tried the other one and the error messages that resulted indicated that I needed to go back and did, but that did not help.

Things are working okay now, though it is not auto-connecting with the new router, I have to manually tell it to connect to the network each bootup.  I've tried deselecting the "auto-connect" option, saving, and then re-selecting it again and saving, but that hasn't helped.  Again, I can live with it but it is a bit puzzling and annoying.  Maybe I should ask the Realtek wireless card people about that but as far as I know they never responsded to my question from last week.