Member Avatar for mcusentino

Hi, I'm new to these forums and I cannot connect to the internet via my Linksys WRT54G router to my laptop. Does anyone have any suggestions? Your help is much appreciated.

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Dani AI

Generated

Based on the thread details (Vista laptop, Linksys WRT54G, wireless shows "Local Area Connection Only" while wired works), the most likely areas to check are IP/DHCP behavior on the PC and a wireless/security mismatch or DHCP problem on the router. was right to suspect the router; 's reset suggestion can help but the checklist below narrows the fault and fixes many cases without a full factory reset.

Run these commands from an elevated Command Prompt and note the outcomes:

ipconfig /all
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset

Interpretation notes: an IPv4 address in the 169.254.x.x range means Windows self-assigned an APIPA address because no DHCP response arrived. If an RFC1918 address (e.g., 192.168.x.x) appears but there is no internet, try pinging the Default Gateway (shown in ipconfig) and an external IP (e.g., 8.8.8.8). Failure to reach the gateway points to the router; gateway reachable but external IP unreachable suggests upstream/modem or DNS issues.

Router- and wireless-specific checks that are often missed:

  • Confirm the router's DHCP server is enabled (verify via the router admin page at the Default Gateway address from ipconfig).
  • Verify wireless security type on both ends: mismatch (WEP/TKIP vs WPA2/AES) can leave a client "connected" but unusable. Try a temporary, brief change to a common supported mode or disable encryption only for testing (avoid leaving it open).
  • Check for MAC access control, SSID duplication, and conflicting IP reservations.
  • Disable any vendor wireless utility and let Vista's WLAN AutoConfig manage the connection, or vice versa if a vendor utility is required.
  • Update the laptop wireless driver and the WRT54G firmware (older WRT54G revisions have limited WPA2 support).

If the above fails, a factory reset of the router is a last resort (reconfigure DHCP/security afterwards) or consider replacing the aging WRT54G if it cannot support modern encryption or firmware fixes.

Recommended Answers

All 8 Replies

Member Avatar for Rik_

Are you trying to connect wired or wirelessly? What actually happens when you try to connect?

Member Avatar for mcusentino

I get a local area connection only and it does not allow me to connect to the internet wirelessly.

Edited by mcusentino because: n/a
Member Avatar for Rik_

You still haven't said if it's wired or wireless!

Member Avatar for mcusentino

Sorry I just edited my post, it's wireless.

Member Avatar for Rik_

Do you get the same thing happen if you connect wired?

Member Avatar for mcusentino

No, just wireless. And it only happens with this linksys router too.

Edited by mcusentino because: n/a
Member Avatar for Rik_

In that case, it's most likely to be a problem with the router rather than the computer. Do you have the manual for the router?

Member Avatar for jingda

Just reset the modem and router. Linksy have a reset button at the back, just take a pen go to the back hold down the button for 5 seconds, you will see the first 3 lights of the modem blinking or flashing. ( Both the same anyway )

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