Cannot Get Wifi to work

ndennis

SatelliteGuys Guru
Original poster
Jan 10, 2010
123
0
Southern US
Just got me AZBox Premium HD and scanned my first satellite okay. But I cannot get the wifi to work.

It sees my linksys (and the neighbors) but it just will not take. I'm using the same password I've used for the last year.

This box came setup for the European market. I had to go to Radio Shack to get a power adapter. Is it possible the wife is somehow set up to a European standard?

Thanks,

Dennis
 
Just got me AZBox Premium HD and scanned my first satellite okay. But I cannot get the wifi to work.

It sees my linksys (and the neighbors) but it just will not take. I'm using the same password I've used for the last year.

This box came setup for the European market. I had to go to Radio Shack to get a power adapter. Is it possible the wife is somehow set up to a European standard?

Thanks,

Dennis

Well, I don't know about whether your "wife" is set to the European standard, but I doubt that the WiFi is. :D
I don't have the Premium, so I'm using a wired network, not using WiFi, so I'm not familiar with setting it up on the Azbox, however I wonder if perhaps you have Static IP checked instead of DHCP. Seem like if you did this, then the Azbox would see the router, but it wouldn't be getting the proper gateway from the router, so it couldn't get out to the internet, and the router might also be on a different subnet than the Azbox, so it might not even be able to see the local network.
Anyway, I'd double check to make sure you either have the proper values filled in via the static IP option, or have the Dynamic checked, assuming that your router is set to give out IP#s.
But I also agree with the other response. When I first set up the network, I forgot to hit the setup button.
 
I've been pressing the setup button - it says connection failed, please try again.

I have a static IP address (Comcast) and I entered that instead of using the Dynamic IP. Neither work.

I have also tried running a cable to the AZBox but I'm not sure I know what I'm doing.
 
Try Static / Manual
Get the IP, SubNet Mask, and Gateway numbers from you computer
Manually enter them into the AZBox
Could be something like this
IP: 192.168.1.123 (for the AZ IP, add 1 to the last set: 192.168.1.124)
Mask: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.1.1
 
I've been pressing the setup button - it says connection failed, please try again.

I have a static IP address (Comcast) and I entered that instead of using the Dynamic IP. Neither work.

I have also tried running a cable to the AZBox but I'm not sure I know what I'm doing.

Are you using a wireless router connected to whatever box you get from Comcast?

You shouldn't be entering the static Comcast IP# anywhere on the Azbox.

I'm not sure how the Comcast thing is set up, but usually the box from your provider, be it Comcast or WildBlue or Hughesnet or whatever, will have an IP# assigned to IT, and then if you attach a router to it, it will then assign IP#s to your individual computers in a subnet reserved for LANs, like in the 192.168.x.x range or perhaps in the 10.x.x.x range. These aren't real addresses on the internet.

It may be that there is a wireless router built into the box from Comcast, and they may or may not give you real access to the static IP#. I can connect via WildBlue or Hughesnet, and the WB box assigns the "real" IP# to my router, and then the router gives the 192.x.x.x or 10.x.x.x block numbers to all the computers on my lan, but the Hughesnet box gives a 192.x.x.x number to my router, and then I have it give a 10.x.x.x block to the computers on my LAN. I use static IP#s for all my computers, but they are in the LAN blocks, and the real internet IP#s that either the WB or HN boxes have are NOT static. So it can be done all sorts of ways. But if you are using a router, none of the boxes on your LAN should ever have the "REAL" static internet IP# associated with them, but should only have one of the LAN reserved IP#s, and they should use the IP# of the router as a gateway. The only reason your computer would ever use the real internet IP# would be if you are hard wired to a provider box that gives out the real IP#, but then you wouldn't have a LAN, as it would only work for one computer, unless you then have a software router in your computer giving out LAN IP#s.

Anyway, I'm guessing that since you aren't sure what the arrangement is, that your computer is probably set up for DHCP (or DCHP? I always get this backward?). Assuming you're using XP or something similar, I'd do a right click on My Network Places, and click "properties", which will bring up a list of your network connections. One of these will be wireless. If you right click on that, and again choose properties, it will bring up another window. Select the bottom item, which is Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and again click on properties. This will show you whether you are using a static IP# or if you are "Obtaining an IP# automatically". If your computer is getting IP#s automatically, then you might be better off letting the Azbox get them automatically too, although if you find out what subnet it's assigning, you can set up a static IP# like Lak described, however I think this runs the risk of your wireless router not knowing that it was there, and it might accidently assign another computer to use that IP#. I have MY router set up to assign IP#s in a narrow band of IP#s, and I set up all my static IP# below or above this range so that there won't be a conflict.
One thing you can do, is go into the DOS command prompt (usually in start/programs/accessories ) and type "route print" or "ipconfig" . These will usually tell you what your specific LAN based IP# is, and your gateway's IP# too. Your Azbox should be set up in the same subnet (first 3 numbers the same, but the last number different), but you should use the same gateway that is listed there. Usually, if you set up the Azbox with a last number that is significantly different by 10 or 20 from that of your computer, you'll be safe relative to not having 2 devices with the same IP#, but that's why I have my devices using static IP#s, so that I KNOW what everything on my LAN is.

But anyway, I'll bet your router is doing DHCP, in which case, the easiest thing to do is have the Azbox just get it's IP# automatically, and there won't be any problem. The router will just automatically assign a number above the other numbers in your system.
 
Thank you for the lengthy reply.

Are you using a wireless router connected to whatever box you get from Comcast?
Yes.

I'm guessing that since you aren't sure what the arrangement is, that your computer is probably set up for DHCP
Yes, Automatic Configuration - DHCP

I can plug in directly from the wireless extender box to the AZBox. I've tried the wireless and plugged in.

This is what I have in the Linksys Basic Setup.

IP Address 192-168-1-1
Subnet Mask: 255-255-255-0
Start IP Address 192-168-1-100

IP Address Range 192-168-1- 100 to 149

I've tried many combinations, but it cannot connect.

Thank you.
 
Thank you for the lengthy reply.

Yes.

Yes, Automatic Configuration - DHCP

I can plug in directly from the wireless extender box to the AZBox. I've tried the wireless and plugged in.

This is what I have in the Linksys Basic Setup.

IP Address 192-168-1-1
Subnet Mask: 255-255-255-0
Start IP Address 192-168-1-100

IP Address Range 192-168-1- 100 to 149

I've tried many combinations, but it cannot connect.

Thank you.

OK.
I STILL think it would work if you set the Azbox for Wired and Dynamic.
It looks like your router is probably giving your computer numbers like 100, 101, etc, and should give the Azbox the next available number, and should also give it a gateway. This should be the easiest way out, except that you may need to know what actual number it gave it for editor programs, ftp, etc.

If you want to use the STATIC setting, I would set the following

IP Address = 192.168.1.10 (ie something above 1 and below 100, or something above 149)
SUBNET 255.255.255.0
GATEWAY = 192.168.1.1 (this is the address of your router on your LAN)
DNS1 = 192.168.1.1 (usually the gateway will forward the name server requests for you).


If this doesn't work, you might try re-booting either the router, the Azbox or both, just in case the router already has some other idea of what IP# your Azbox is. Rebooting usually starts either the Azbox or the Router sending out requests that sort of ask who is out there, so all the computers identify themselves. Although, when you hit the SETUP button, that SHOULD start the Azbox sending out those requests, so rebooting shouldn't be necessary.

EDIT: One thing I'm not sure about, is what happens if you're router is using passwords, etc. I don't use passwords on MY router, since I live in the woods, and my wireless doesn't even make it out to my driveway, let alone out to the road where someone could intercept it, so I'm not very knowledgeable relative to what happens when your system uses passwords.
 
No, still will not connect.

My son just tried it (he knows a lot more about this stuff than I do) and he thinks there could be something wrong with the AZbox.

The wireless should work fairly easily. I never have any problems with other hardware.
 
...
My son just tried it (he knows a lot more about this stuff than I do) ..
...

I can relate to that. I've been programming since back in the early 60s, but not only do I have to always email my son for help now, but after complaining about my aging computer, I recently got an offer for a hand-me-down motherboard from my GRANDSON! Ie even my grandson has a better computer than I do. Although at least I THINK I still understand them better than he does, but my son is WAY beyond me, particularly with respect to networking.

Anyway, I'm not sure what your problem might be, but you might try hooking it up via wired network instead of wifi. Since I have an elete, I'm not very familiar with the wifi stuff on the Azbox.
 
I've been programming since back in the early 60s

Wow, that's a long time ago. I'm 66 and still program for a living (C#). I started in 1984.

My son helped with the AZBox Linix stuff. I think I will figure this out.

I want to find wild feeds like the old days when I first got my BUD. It was a lot of fun back then.
 
Wow, that's a long time ago. I'm 66 and still program for a living (C#). I started in 1984.

My son helped with the AZBox Linix stuff. I think I will figure this out.

I want to find wild feeds like the old days when I first got my BUD. It was a lot of fun back then.

Well, we're about the same age (I'll be 67 in a month or two), but I started programming I think about 1964, when the Univ I attended bought a new mainframe computer. It was so big, that they had to take the roof off the building to get it in, and yet it had about the same power as the first PCs that came out ~25 years later. It's always been pretty much just a hobby for me, mostly fortran, basic & visual basic. At work, I just did a few small programs to process data for projects we were working on. But I think a couple of my little programs are still in use where I used to work before I retired. One was a communications program that took DDE data from an excel spreadsheet, and sent rs232 commands to an X-10 switch that dispensed nerve gas to a test chamber. I retired before they actually used it though. :)
 
Okay, we did a factory reset and now it works. Thanks for helping.

Dennis,

Glad to hear that you have resolved the WiFi issue.

I would like to add a few tips for WiFi.

If your modem is set up with encrypted access protection, I find that sometimes when updating software or especially if you format the application area, the encryption code for the WiFi connection seems to be erased or forgotten.

You cannot re-enter the pass code like you can with a laptop when it locates a WiFi signal. You have to completely reset the Wifi connection from the start.

I find that the easiest way to do this is to set the AZBox to "wired" and run a hard cable to my modem and obtain the connection this way first. Then I disconnect the cable and switch the AZBox to WiFi and it will search for my connection and prompt me to enter the pass code.

A person may not actually need to connect the hard wired connection to do this, it may only be necessary to switch from WiFi to WIRED and back to WiFi again. However, I personally connect the wired network because I feel more comfortable knowing that it does establish a connection.

Also, if the WiFi does not seem to properly connect after following the "SETUP" and "CHECK SPEED", it helps to simply "REBOOT" and then try it again. Usually, it will connect then.

I have read that using WEP or WPA can also make a difference in how well the WiFi operates. I cannot recall which system I am using, but it happens to be the system that was least recommended and I find that it works just perfectly for me.

In the beginning (I mean when I started out with my AZBox), I also read that it was recommended to use STATIC IP opposed to DHCP. I therefore have my AZBox and my router and all PCs set up with STATIC IP addresses and modes. It seems that others were reporting that the AZBox didn't like to or didn't know how to accept DHCP address changes and would lose connection when the router reassigned it a new IP. You might investigate this if you seem to lose your connection every so many days.

Along the same line, all the FTP programs like FileZilla and MaZEdit and others all seem to be geared towards using the same IP address. Therefore it is a benefit to use STATIC IPs for these programs.

RADAR
 
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