Wireless Router Help?

Question

I have this:

I have a:

-2wire modem with 4 Ethernet ports

- Linksys WRT54G router with another 4 ports

- Desktop connected by wire

- HP Pavilion ze5400 using a 2wire PC Card 802.11g

- Xbox 360 connected by wire

((each device(not 360) has Window XP))

The problem is that everything connects well, except the HP laptop.

I have deleted Network Magic from both as it seems to not be needed.

The laptop has the 2wire wireless manager, for the PC card.

Also, the Windows XP wireless manager is included.

The laptop doesn't seem to be able to find the network, or SSID.

I search for it , but it's not there.

The wireless seems to be the problem here.

This may be wrong, but the Ethernet wires from both wired desktop and Xbox 360 is connected to the modem, because the router doesn't work.

Is it possible to tell me over the reply where and how to connect the wires correctly, and also to tell me how to get the router working again?

I'll appreciate it very much.

The Internet may or may not be connected to the router and the wireless cannot be found.

All the lights are lit, including the power, Internet and the WLAN.

Thank for the future instruction.

Answer 1

Well, I'll try to help because I have that exact setup.

Here is the issue. The 2wire router by default is on 192.168.1.x and so is the linksys!  (That won't work - period end of statement) One of them has to move to another network address.

1. I simply changed the linksys (lan DHCP) to 192.168.10.x  then set it to a STATIC ip for the WAN input - used 192.168.1.10 (just for ease of setup) the subnet is 255.255.255.0 the gateway at least on my 2wire is 192.168.1.254 (check your computer to see, your 2wire may be at 192.168.1.1)  

2. Once that was set, I connected it to one of the lan ports on the 2wire (2wire lan out to WAN in on the linksys)  

3. Once that was done I logged into the 2wire and added 192.168.1.10 as the DMZ.   While there be sure the wireless is enabled. The default wpa security key is on the bottom of the unit you can change it , I would!

Now both routers work just fine. They do generate two separate networks and everything on either router will connect to the internet!

Dump the 2wire manager, Windows manager should work just fine and the two will fight with each other if both are enabled! (experience)

In your setup, I am not sure why you need the linksys.. the 2wire (at least mine) seems to be a much better router with much better area coverage on wireless than the linksys.. (I know that will cause a few arguments but that is what has been experienced and proven at least to me and my location!)  In fact I can use the 2wire inside the house, next door on either side and across the street! The linksys only covers inside the house.  

If you do use both, be sure they are set to different wireless channels like 1 and 11  (put one of them low and the other high!) Be sure to set the SSID's on each to something special don't use the defaults!