Forum Discussion

Charlie_D_'s avatar
Charlie_D_
Explorer
Jul 21, 2014

Internet Access..trouble at stick & brick

Recently went to AT & T for my internet access. After some issues getting it up and running it had worked well on two computers for several weeks.

One computer has started dropping off line and I am having difficulty logging back on. After repeated attempts it will log back on. Sometimes it will connect automatically. Other times I get "Cannot connect to the network" Yesterday it was unable to find the router but after several attempts I was able to log on without issue. Suddenly this morning it dropped off line and I am unable to connect.

I have tried all the troubleshooting tips I can find including looking for network adapters , etc. Results say that everything is O.K. and that I have no internet connection. When I click on the bottom to open the connection screen I see three connections available that are signals from neighbors and my router. When I click on any of them they immediately open and ask for password. I also have a Verizon Mi-Fi that when on shows as a connection point and automatically logs on.

AT&T shipped me the router and installation instructions. I was unable to get internet access so they sent out a service rep. He swapped some wires down the road and help install everything but I was unable to connect to the router at the beginning, He used his IPad and also had difficulty connecting. After checking several things both of us were able to connect and every thing seemed to be O.K. for several weeks and then this problem cropped up.

When going through the Network Adapter troubleshooting I come to the point of the following message " problem with wireless adapter or access point" and "a network cable is not properly plugged in or may be broken. I have attempted bypassing the router and hooking the Ethernet cable directly to the laptop but that does not help. I have also repeatedly disconnected power from the router but that does not help.

A second lap top does not have this problem. I assume it is a computer problem but why does the lap top connect to my MiFi and attempt to connect to secured neighborhood connections?
  • amandasgramma's avatar
    amandasgramma
    Explorer
    Jul 21, 2014
    Please clarify --- are you using the ATT MiFi????? We have that and had a devil of a time this weekend. I was ready to take it back to them today when DH pulled the battery out for about 30 seconds. Haven't had a lick of problems since. Hope you get it fixed.......
  • MitchF150's avatar
    MitchF150
    Explorer III
    Jul 21, 2014
    I don't have an answer for you, but I had a similar experience with MiFi's connecting to laptops in my office. Using Windows 7 as well.

    2 laptops would not connect to any MiFi with any consistency. When it did connect, it was so slow, it wasn't even worth connecting.

    Other WiFi sources, those same laptops would connect just fine.

    Talked to Verizon Support and he had me change the security settings on the MiFi and that seemed to help, but I didn't want to lower the security settings just for those 2 laptops..

    Since the MiFi's worked on the other laptops just fine, I just didn't use those laptops when they needed to connect to a MiFi..

    I've since replaced those laptops, so it fixed itself... ;)

    I think some computers just have a hard time with the various security setups out there.. Even changing them, didn't really 'solve' the issue, as it was still spotty connecting, but when it did connect, it was a tad faster speed, but still not usable faster..

    Good luck!

    Mitch
  • WyoTraveler's avatar
    WyoTraveler
    Explorer
    Jul 21, 2014
    Have you gone into networks and managing wireless networks? I dumped them all, then connected the Sierra unit and re-set it up. I find that connecting to the internet manually through their mifi unit seems to work better. Sometimes I use it wireless and other times I connect the USB cable so it will charge. The Sierra seems to want to have a separate connection and tries to do it on its own. Setting up manually prevents that.
  • Charlie_D_'s avatar
    Charlie_D_
    Explorer
    Jul 21, 2014
    Perhaps I didn't explain well enough. My Verizon MiFi works just fine. It is through the AT&T wireless router that I am having trouble with. I looked a few minutes ago and it had connected without me doing anything. Opened a browser and it dropped the connection and will not connect.

    I will try to delete the connection under network connections and see it that will help. Looking at the network connection I click on it and opened a trouble shooting link (again). I just turned around and it opened the wireless network property box and has the following:

    Security Type: WPA2-personal
    Encryption Type: AES
    Network Security Key: ......
    Don't know what the above means except for the security key. The number of hidden digits is less that my security key and I deleted that before checking the "show characters" box. First time I have seen that since going to AT&T. I have entered my correct security key and will see how that works. Perhaps the security key was wrong all the time???I did have to use the SSID and security key to access this computer when setting up AT&T.

    The above didn't work.
  • lryrob9301's avatar
    lryrob9301
    Explorer
    Jul 22, 2014
    Go into your ATT router setup and change the channel setting if possible. Sometimes cordless phones or CFL lights or other wireless appliances can cause interference on certain channels.
  • 1492's avatar
    1492
    Moderator
    Jul 22, 2014
    Charlie D. wrote:

    Security Type: WPA2-personal
    Encryption Type: AES
    Network Security Key: ......

    How old is the computer that you're experiencing an unstable WiFi connection? Some older WiFi adapters have trouble with WPA-2 AES encryption.

    Try changing the Encryption Type to Mixed or TKIP/AES. Make sure to save the settings if necessary. Then re-boot(power off/on) the MiFi device(?). It may also help to re-boot your computer.
  • Charlie_D_'s avatar
    Charlie_D_
    Explorer
    Jul 22, 2014
    Appears to be a router problem. AT&T provided a modem to which I hookup my router. When the AT&T rep. was here he gave me a router/modem. I disconnected all that and installed the modem AT&T provided and hooked my old router to it. Everything appears to be O.K. except I must use an Ethernet cable between router and modem.
  • wcjeep's avatar
    wcjeep
    Explorer
    Jul 23, 2014
    Charlie D. wrote:
    Everything appears to be O.K. except I must use an Ethernet cable between router and modem.


    What were you using before? Was it a wireless connection modem to router? USB? Ethernet is stable.
  • 1492's avatar
    1492
    Moderator
    Jul 23, 2014
    Most broadband home modems today incorporate a wireless AP router. You need to have an Ethernet cable connected from the AT&T modem/router to another router if you want Net access without loss of bandwidth speeds. It's called cascading routers. But just be aware that this is not just simply plugging an Ethernet cable into another router's LAN or WAN port. It often requires going into the router's Admin setup and setting specific parameters, depending on whether your using a LAN to LAN or LAN to WAN setup? Not doing so can cause net connection issues to crop up.
  • Charlie_D_'s avatar
    Charlie_D_
    Explorer
    Jul 23, 2014
    Before going to AT&T I was with Time Warner and used a Netgear router, It came from the connection at the wall to a Time Warner Modem and from there a data cable to the Netgear and then wireless to 2 lap tops.

    AT&T instructions said to go from a wall jack to the modem and from the modem a Ethernet cable to one of the lap tops. That made no sense to me because I wanted and had internet service that was wireless from my Netgear router when with Time Warner. Because I had AT&T phone I also had to install filters to all the phone jacks.

    I had trouble with connecting without the Ethernet so I called and they sent out a tech. He swapped some lines down the street and at the box outside the house, He didn't like the modem AT&T sent me so he provided another modem (router ?) that was wired from the wall jack to the modem (router? ), From there I connected wireless. I had a problem with connecting the lap top that I am asking help for. The other lap top worked without issue. He also had problem connecting his IPad. He finally replaced the new modem (router?) with another that was the same. Everything worked well for a couple of weeks then one lap top would drop off like, fail to connect and sometimes my lap top could not find a connection although it did find neighbor connections. I would reset the modem, unplug and plug back in. Set up new connections on my computer but still could not get one lap top to work. Finally I installed the original modem from AT&T and no connection on either computer. Installed the Ethernet cable between modem and my original Netgear router and both lap tops are now working wireless from router to lap tops.

    The modem (router?) the tech gave me is a Pace 411 with power light, wireless light, broadband light and service light. Has an Ethernet light but it did not light because the Ethernet cable was not used. I can't remember it I tried an Ethernet cable with this router but I think it did.

    Hopefully my comments make sense to you.

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