I just got my new Dell PC connected (with Windows 7) and it is running just fine. I have loaded three games: Still Life 2, Nancy Drew Secrets Can Kill remasterd and they are both playin way better than they did on my older computer. I am having trounle with a BFG game (SH Hounds of the Baskerville) with a loose, floating cursor. Hopefully I won't have trounble with other BFG games.

However, my main problem with my new computer is the wireless card. I ordered it with a wireless card and was under the impression that I didn't need an external router if I have a wireless card. I was told by both Dell and Comcast that I was incorrect, so I ordered a new wireless router from Comcast. The wireless router is getting me online but none of my peripheral devices will work (Nintendo DS, Nook, printer). I just got the Nook as a Christmas present and have been anxious to set it up but I can't because I can't get online with other devices.

I have contacted both Dell and Comcast, numerous times, and they both have told me that my devices are working like they are supposed to with no problems that they can detect on their end. When taling to Comcast, she tried to set up my computer to work wirelessly from my card but when I disconnected the yellow cord to the router, I lost my Internet connection. The whole reason I added a wireless card to my computer was so that I could eliminate wires from underneath my desk.

My other PC had a Belkin router and all of my other devices ran fine off of it. I decided to re-connect it and give up on the wireless router but my cords don't seem to be compatible with this new computer and I couln't hook it up.

Comcast told me that I have to call back with a laptop ready so they can see if the laptop will connect and if it doesn't than the router they sent me is bad. I don't have a laptop. She also said that I should contact Nintendo to see what the pronlem is with my DS. I didn't have a problem before now. This has been going on for over a week and I am really frustrated.

At this poitn, I don't know who I should contact or what I should do. Any ideas?

Thanks!

I don't know about your other peripherals, but the old type Nintendo DS and DS Lite will only connect to wireless using WEP or an open connection. The newer Nintendo DSi and DSi XL can use WPA.

You can't use both WEP and WPA on the same router.

So which type of Nintendo DS do you have?

If all your old peripherals are set to use WEP, that's why they're not working with the new router. Some new wireless equipment doesn't even give the option to use WEP because WEP is next to useless these days and can be broken in less than 3 minutes (check Youtube for instructions).

I'm not sure what you mean when you say

Network cables should be pretty much the same. Something like ***this***.
A new Dell should have at least one Integrated 10/100/1000 (Gigabit) Ethernet LAN connection.
So unless you were using a USB connection before, you should be able to fit the old cables to the new computer.

Jenny,

I have been on the phone for the past four hours, first with Comcast and then with Dell. Everyone wants to pass the buck. Dell finally (after a long time) got me online without the yellow router cord. Everything seemed to be working, at least as far as my desktop, when I signed off. However, after I logged off, I couldn't get on the Internet and had to reconnect the cord.

Maybe I just didn't see the Integrated connection when I tried to hook up my other router. The plug didn't seem to fit and I didn't want to force it.

I have a Nintendo XL and I have WPA with this router. This has been a very frustrating experience. I called Comcast and told them that I wanted a Technician to come here and I wasn't paying for it. They are sending someone out on Tuesday. I am wondering why I paid extra for a wireless card to be put in my computer. My other computer didn't have one and I didn't have any trouble using my other devices (xbox etc.) online. I am anxious to get my Nookcolor set-up and working!

Can you think of anything that could be conflicting with your wireless signal? Are there any other wireless devices in your house that might be using the same 2.4 GHz frequency?

Your DSi XL and printer are probably still set up for the same connection they had before you got the new wireless router. You may need to enter the router's setup to get it to talk to your printer and DSi XL. That doesn't explain why your computer couldn't maintain its connection to the Internet though.

I guess the technician coming out to your house will be able to sort it out. It's kind of hard to figure out what's wrong when we're not there.

Okay, I'm a little confused by a couple of details, so here's hoping you can clear up some of them:

1. Did your DS work online when you were still using the Belkin router? How was it connected?

2. The Nook supposedly comes with a USB cable you can use to connect to your computer (and therefore to the internet, if the computer has an internet connection) if no wireless connection is available. Have you tried using that, at least as a temporary solution?

3. How was the printer originally connected up? Was it connected to the Belkin router with an ethernet cable or USB cable? Or was it connected to your computer? And how is it connected now?

4. You say "when I disconnected the yellow cord to the router, I lost my Internet connection." That implies that the ethernet cable from your computer is plugged into the new wireless router. But you also said "I decided to re-connect it and give up on the wireless router but my cords don't seem to be compatible with this new computer and I couln't hook it up." It sounds like you couldn't find the ethernet connector on your computer because the yellow cord from the wireless router was still plugged into it. Is that possible?

gatsby the integrated connection jenny speaks of would be on your computer; back, front, just depends on maker. The cord that plugs in there has two ends that look exactly like those in the picture jenny posted.

If you can't get the other end to plug into your router then make sure you aren't trying to plug it into a phone port. It looks the same as the plugs on your cord, but much smaller.

Also, years ago our computer was on a Linksys wireless router in order to shear an internet connection with our son. I seem to remember I had to have software on our computer and the router had to be placed so our computer could get the best possible signal.

What it sounds like dell did was get you online wirelessly but didn't save the configuration. So when you logged off the settings were lost.

Another thing, perhaps the wireless card in your computer doesn't like Comcast's router. Perhaps they aren't speaking the same language--some setting isn't correct. If you haven't done so, pull up the help screen on your new system and search for wireless settings. It may be able to tell you how to check setting on the wireless card and router.

Have you set your peripherals up to recognize the SSID and the password?

Demosthenes,

I will try to answer your questions.

1). Yes my wireless printer and DSXL worked when I had the Belkin router. I am not sure how it was configured because me son set it up, However, I went into the settings to try and see if something needed to be done to make it work. My Internet connection to it is on and beyond that I couldn't see anything else that I could do to change of fix the settings on it.

2). No, I haven't tried using the cable that came with my Nook. DUH! I didn't even think of that because I have been so frustrated with this whole mess. I will try that tonight when I get home from work.

3). The printer was initially installed and set up with the cord that came with it. After that we unplugged the cord and the wireless worked on it. I am not sure what kind of cable it was. I was wondering if I need to run the install disc again to make it compatible with the new router. Maybe that will make it work.

4). When I was "chatting" with the Dell help and later talked to them, they did all kinds of configuring to try and get my card to work. I hooked the yellow router cable into both the computer and the router. He then told me that the wireless connection was set and I could unplug the cord from the PC and router. I did that and it seemed to be working wirelessly. However, I no sooner hung up the phone after doing this when I lost my wireless Internet connection so I had to reconnect the PC to the router.

At this point, I am so confused I don't know what to do. Some of the problem is probably because I am inexperienced in dealing with PC hardware issues. My so and his friend both worked on the router and couldn't figure out the problem. My son hooked up the old Belkin router so he does know a little bit about it.

After being transferred around and being placed on hold with Comcast and dealing with Dell and their overseas help (difficult for me to understand what they were saying), I was about at my wit's end. When I installed the router I wrote down every password and serial number that was either on there or that I entered. I got a message that the router was installed correctly. I kept getting asked (by both Dell and Comcast) to log-in with my password but a message kept sayng that my password was incorrect. I put in the password and I wrote it down so I know it was correct!

Comcast told me that the router was working and I needed to try using a laptop wirelessly to see if it would connect. If it wouldn't they said that they would know that the router was bad and they would send a replacement. I told them that I don't have a laptop and isn't it good enough that my other devices won't work. They said no it had to be a laptop or they wouldn't send me a replacement. At this point I told them that it was ridiculous and they had to send out a tech to see why it isn't working.


What a pain this had been! Hopefully the Comcast tech will know what he is doing. I have had one or two who didn't. But on a good note, the games I have tried to play have been playing great on Windows 7!

Thanks to all of you for your help.

Demosthenes, Homer, Inland, Jenny and just about anybody else here are your best sources for help. But I will add my 2 cents worth as I just finished setting up a new wireless router. It's a Linksys WRT model with a USB adapter.

The software that came with it was utterly useless and actually knocked out my internet connection. I went to the internet setup (check your documentation or try typing 192.168.1.1 into your browser location bar). From there I followed the documentation to change my SSID and password (default password is usually admin) and set up my WPA2 security. When I was done, of course, my wireless printer wouldn't work as I hadn't told it about the new settings. So I went into the printer setup and told it the new settings so it could "talk" to the new wireless network setup. Voila! Everything works. Last night, my grandson wanted to connect to my wireless network. His new laptop found the SSID and when I gave him the new password, he connected immediately.

EDIT: I forgot to mention something. In the internet setup, I had to change a setting to allow all 802.11 protocols. The default setting was set to 802.11n. I had to change it to "mixed" to allow other wireless protocols to connect, such as my son's older 802.11g laptop.

I am running the set-up disc for the printer and everything was moving along until it said that the printer cannot be detected and I need to connect the printer to the computer using the Wireless Lan set-up cable. I have a bunch of loose cables and don't know which one to use. I tried to look online for a picture of it but no luck.

I started over because when I went into My Computer, my printer didn't seem to be there. I am not sure how you make the printer "talk" to the wireless network. this is too confusing for me and it has taken all of the fun out of having a new computer. How can they expect the average person, who has some computer knowledge but isn't a techie, to ever know how to do this. I am so discouraged.

I have an HP and the setup was in the printer software that I installed on the computer. At one point, it asked me to connect the printer to the computer with the USB cable. Once I did that, the printer setup software transmitted the wireless net work information from the computer to the printer and that was it. I powered down, unplugged the USB cable from the printer and the computer and powered back up. The printer found the network and "knew" the SSID and the password.

So, when it asks for this wireless LAN setup cable, try plugging the USB cable into the computer and the printer and see what happens.

I don't know which, of all of my cables, is the USB cable.

Do you have anything that has two ends like this? USB Printer Cable The smaller squarish end would go into the back of the printer and the normal USB end would go into your computer.

I found a USB cable, not sure if it is the one that came with it but another one. When I connected it, nothing happened. I unhooked and reconnected it, as the instructions said to do, but still no luck. I also tried hooking up my Nook using the cable provided but it didn't work either. Guess I will have to wait for the Comcast tech to come tomorrow and hope that he can straighten up this mess.

Thanks for your help.

Good luck, gatsbygirl. Network issues can be very tricky and are my least favorite to solve.

Given the complexity of your setup, it sounds like your best bet is definitely to cross your fingers and hope the Comcast tech can get everything set up for you.

If not, we can probably get you through it eventually. It'll take a bit of patience, though. Networking's tricky, especially when you need to learn which cords are which.

Fingers crossed, here.

The Comcast Tech was here for quite awhile. He got everything running wirelessly. Seems like when I contacted Dell, they made changes to my system that made everything more difficult. The only thing I haven't tried yet is the printer. It should recognize the router now but if it doesn't I can always use it plugged-in. The Tech set up my DS XL, Wii and Nook. Looks like I am back in business!

Thanks to everyone for their help.

That is just the best news! I can't say I'm surprised at the changes made by the techs that made things more difficult. I recently received a call for help from a friend and found and the AT&T techs (from another country) took over his computer to work on it. They uninstalled his anti-virus software and didn't reinstall. I was livid when he called me for help a few weeks later. He's almost 80 years old and had no idea what they had done.

So, three cheers for the Comcast tech!!

That's great to hear, gatsby. There's nothing better than a real, live, person when a problem is encountered. They are actually looking at your system, reading logs, files, etc., doing what a phone tech may ask you to do. Something you may not be familiar with.

I've dealt with phone tech support, and it's not a joy. Especially when they're hard to understand. Let them help reestablish something that's gone haywire in a working system, but not troubleshoot hardware/software problems.