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Eircom broadband wireless not visible in Windows 7

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  • 26-11-2010 7:17pm
    #1
    jod123
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭


    I have a weird problem with connecting to my eircom broadband netopia router.

    Yesterday, when I was in college, my dad moved the broadband router i.e. he plugged it out and then back in which shouldn't be a problem but ever since he did this it fails to work but only with Windows 7.

    I have a dual boot on my laptop with Windows Vista and it works perfectly in that still.

    I also can see other networks from Windows 7 and can connect to the Wifi in college for example. I just cannot see our wireless connection even when I am right beside it.

    I tried searching for solutions on the internet but could not find any similar problem to mine.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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    #2
    dub45
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 12,448 Mod ✭✭✭✭dub45


    jod123 wrote: »
    I have a weird problem with connecting to my eircom broadband netopia router.

    Yesterday, when I was in college, my dad moved the broadband router i.e. he plugged it out and then back in which shouldn't be a problem but ever since he did this it fails to work but only with Windows 7.

    I have a dual boot on my laptop with Windows Vista and it works perfectly in that still.

    I also can see other networks from Windows 7 and can connect to the Wifi in college for example. I just cannot see our wireless connection even when I am right beside it.

    I tried searching for solutions on the internet but could not find any similar problem to mine.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    Try adding in the network manually in the windows 7 Network and Sharing centre ---> Manage Wireless Networks.


    Alternatively you could try setting up the wireless network again in the Netopia.


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    #3
    bhickey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,340 ✭✭✭bhickey


    When you you say it's working for machihes other than Windows 7, do you mean that the others can see the SSID or just that the wireless is working? Would it be possible that you're just not broadcasting the SSID?


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    #4
    jod123
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭jod123


    dub45 wrote: »
    Try adding in the network manually in the windows 7 Network and Sharing centre ---> Manage Wireless Networks.


    Alternatively you could try setting up the wireless network again in the Netopia.

    The network is listed in the wireless networks in the network and sharing centre but and is set to connect automatically when it is within range but for some reason it never is in range now.

    I was going to try setting it up again in Netopia but unfortunately I cant find the disc.
    bhickey wrote: »
    When you you say it's working for machihes other than Windows 7, do you mean that the others can see the SSID or just that the wireless is working? Would it be possible that you're just not broadcasting the SSID?

    Its even working for my own laptop but only when I boot into Vista and not when I boot into 7. In 7 the SSID is just not visible in the available wireless networks.


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    #5
    Snowbat
    Registered Users Posts: 1,064 ✭✭✭Snowbat


    What channel is the Netopia on? If it's on 12 or 13, it may be that your W7 install is configured for US channels (1-11) but your Vista install for EU channels (1-13).


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    #6
    jod123
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭jod123


    It's on channel 7. I tried changing it to channel 6 a while ago to see if that would make any difference but it didn't.

    Just to reiterate that I had no problems with it before the router was unplugged on Thursday but I cannot see how that could have caused it.


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    #7
    bhickey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,340 ✭✭✭bhickey


    [QUOTE=jod123;692472
    67] In 7 the SSID is just not visible in the available wireless networks.[/QUOTE]

    Have you actually checked or not on the router that you are currently broadcasting the SSID


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    #8
    jod123
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭jod123


    Wireless is enabled and on the home page in the local network section the network has a wireless id with broadcast listed beside it. Is that what you mean?


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    #9
    bhickey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,340 ✭✭✭bhickey


    jod123 wrote: »
    Wireless is enabled and on the home page in the local network section the network has a wireless id with broadcast listed beside it. Is that what you mean?

    Yes. So, one more time - is the broadcasting of the SSID enabled or not?

    Of course wireless is enabled on the router but you can also choose to not broadcast the SSID so that others who don't know what it is can't see the SSID of your network when looking for available networks.


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    #10
    jod123
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭jod123


    Well I don't know what you mean then. On the home page of the router configuration it says:

    Wireless ID (SSID)
    eircomxxxx xxxx (broadcast)

    If that is not what you are asking can you tell me how I find out.

    Anyway it works from a different operating system on this laptop as I already said so I don't understand how it couldn't be broadcasting the SSID.


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    #11
    bhickey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,340 ✭✭✭bhickey


    jod123 wrote: »
    Well I don't know what you mean then.

    Wherever you changed the settings for your wireless, there should be a tickbox to enable/disable the broadcasting of the SSID
    Anyway it works from a different operating system on this laptop as I already said so I don't understand how it couldn't be broadcasting the SSID.

    What is it that is working though - the wireless (well that's clearly working) or the broadcasting of the SSID? If you connected successfully once with a computer, then the SSID & password are saved on that computer so even if you later disabled the broadcasting of the SSID on the router then everything would continue to work for those computers that had already successfully connected once because they've saved the details. Do you know what I mean?

    Your symptom sounds like exactly what would happen if the SSID is not being broadcasted anymore.


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    #12
    jod123
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭jod123


    bhickey wrote: »
    Wherever you changed the settings for your wireless, there should be a tickbox to enable/disable the broadcasting of the SSID



    What is it that is working though - the wireless (well that's clearly working) or the broadcasting of the SSID? If you connected successfully once with a computer, then the SSID & password are saved on that computer so even if you later disabled the broadcasting of the SSID on the router then everything would continue to work for those computers that had already successfully connected once because they've saved the details. Do you know what I mean?

    Your symptom sounds like exactly what would happen if the SSID is not being broadcasted anymore.

    Thanks for your help and yeah I understand you now.

    In the configuration there is a setting to "Enable Closed System Mode" and this is explained as hiding your wireless ID to clients scanning for wireless networks so I guess this is the setting for this. Anyway that is disabled.

    In Vista on this same laptop the SSID is broadcasted and I can connect like normal and everything works.

    In Windows 7 this network is stored in manage wireless networks, similar to Vista, with the correct SSID and security key and is set to both connect automatically and connect to it when it is not broadcasting.


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    #13
    dub45
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 12,448 Mod ✭✭✭✭dub45


    Try setting up a new network in the netopia and see if the w7 computer will pick it up.


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    #14
    jod123
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭jod123


    dub45 wrote: »
    Try setting up a new network in the netopia and see if the w7 computer will pick it up.

    I tried that now and again no luck.


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    #15
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,481 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    moving to wireless


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    #16
    jod123
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭jod123


    Just an update on this

    I reinstalled Windows 7 (not due to this but for other reasons) and it still was exactly the same. It was like this network just did not exist from Windows 7. I found the netopia installation CD and installed all the drivers and stuff and I still had no luck.

    Anyway, just now I was installing Windows Updates and I noticed one in the optional list for my wireless network adapter so I installed that with the other updates and restarted and the network shows up now which I obviously am delighted about.

    Anyway thanks to everyone who tried to help me.


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