Proof That No Good Deed Goes Unpunished - Router Problem

[BobH]

In trying to set up a guest account for my neighbor on my Cisco/Linksys E1000 router wifi network, I have managed to disrupt wifi access from my desktop located about 40 feet from the router. I don't know how to set up a guest account manually using the browser to access router settings; so I tried to use Cisco Support software on my wife's desktop which is cable connected to the router.

The Cisco Support software kept giving me a message saying that the router was not attached and giving me no options to fix the problem. At any rate, after trying this a couple of times, I directed the browser to the IP address but could not get past the username/password (CRS is an awful thing); so I reset the router to return its login to defaults. Using the login defaults, I verified that the router and PC are connected using the browser directed to the the router's IP address. I tried the Cisco Support software again. I got the same results saying that the router was not attached; so I gave up on Cisco Support software.

I used the browser and IP address and manually re-established my network name and SSID and re-entered the wireless passphrase on the Wireless|Wireless Security page. Since making these changes, I'm unable to connect to the wifi network from my other desktop which connects only wirelessly. I can see the network name, but I cannot login. I've disabled and re-enabled my wireless network adapter in Device Manager and I've verified that the pass-phrase in use by the other desktop is correct, but still nothing.

I suspect that I've looked at this too closely for too long and cannot see the forest for the trees. I am absolutely certain that this is my punishment for trying to do a good deed, but if anyone can help be break through the fog and get this fixed, I would be very grateful.

TIA

[Claude]

What operating system is on the recalcitrant laptop ? Have you got the correct security protocol selected on it, regardless of pass-phrase ?

[BobH]

What operating system is on the recalcitrant laptop ? Have you got the correct security protocol selected on it, regardless of pass-phrase ?

Howdy Claude!

The recalcitrant computer is a desktop running on an Core i5 CPU under Windows 7 HPE.

Since making the op, I've discovered that none of the computers connecting with wifi will connect and run. Also, the new wifi HP6700 printer is not working.

I've probably done something to the router settings that are incompatible with the various system settings, but I cannot discover what it might be. I've always used WPA-2 security and a very complex computer generated pass-phrase. Those are about the only things - other than naming my network and home group - that I've changed from the default settings. Of course, given my advancing senility, there is probably something simple that I'm not seeing.

Thank you for the response.

bh

[Claude]

I see, in that case, I'd do a factory reset on the router again and remove the wifi network connection on the laptop and start from scratch, one by one. Whenever I setup a wifi network, I copy the pass-phrase onto a USB flash drive so I can just copy and paste at each PC, eliminating the risk of typing errors.

In any case, good luck Bob.

[BobH]

I see, in that case, I'd do a factory reset on the router again and remove the wifi network connection on the laptop and start from scratch, one by one. Whenever I setup a wifi network, I copy the pass-phrase onto a USB flash drive so I can just copy and paste at each PC, eliminating the risk of typing errors.

In any case, good luck Bob.

Following your advice, Claude, I went back and reset the router again and set everything up again and IT WORKED!!!!

Although I cannot be certain, I think that I failed to copy the entire WPA2-PSK password completely when I reset the router before. This time I triple checked each change I made against a document I prepared and keep. Everything came up as it should.

Thank you for helping me out of this pickle.

I was standing too close to the problem to see it. Of course, a good night's sleep probably helped to clear some cobwebs, too.