Unable to connect to router using cable, but wireless okay

[rabbit08]

This is my first post ever here, I'm stumped with this problem. A neighbor called me to help him out with his new computer, because he couldn't transfer files from the old to the new. His old is an XP Pro Machine, his new is an HP Vista 64 Premium machine.

Anyway, he tried the new Windows easy transfer, using a switch between the two computers and it kept crashing. But I guess all of this is beside the point, since the problem that's stumping me is the fact that when I got there, I needed to look up a setting on the internet, and plugged the new computer into his Belkin F5D8236-4 Wireless N router, and it wouldn't connect. He has the same wireless internet provider as me, and it's a static address, so I attempted to just log into the router to check the settings, using the IP of the router. No good, couldn't connect. Then I tried with his old computer, and it connected to the router just fine. I connected the network cable directly to the modem, and put all the network addresses into his new computer, and it connected to the internet without a problem, went back to a wired connection with the router, and it still couldn't find it. I then hooked up a wireless USB adapter to the new computer, and I had no problem logging into the router, and all settings were fine.

Why would you be able to connect to a router wirelessly, not be able to connect to it with a wire, if you know that the router is working fine, the network card on the computer is working fine (being able to connect directly to the modem, and being able to connect to his other comp through a switch?)

I had thought maybe he transfered something from the old computer that he shouldn't have, but his network card still works fine, it just absolutely refuses to connect to the router. (type in the IP of the router and it just says you're not connected to the internet.)

Sorry this is long for a first post, but I like to be thorough.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Fardringle]

With the new computer connected to a LAN port on the router with a good ethernet cable, what do you get when you type ipconfig /all in a Command Prompt window?

 

[rabbit08]

I've tried 2different cables (all known to be good since they work fine for me,along with his 2 cables,) and all I've tried to do is ping the address of the router, or just log into the router. The ping times out, (it's fine with his other computer,) and just typing in the address to IE says it's not connected to the internet (limited connectivity on the network connection.) I have't tried ipconfig/all, but I can give it a try tomorrow night.

Thanks

 

[rabbit08]

Clarification, if I connect to his other computer through a switch, the ping is fine. If I connect his other computer to the router, the ping is fine, and I did this with two of my own cables and two of his.

 

[JackMDS]

Maybe this can Help, http://www.ezlan.net/debug.html

 

[rabbit08]

Thanks JackMDS, but I've already tried all of that. It just seems like his network card (built in nVidia in an HP desktop,) doesn't like the router. It does connect to the router, but it says "limited connectivity," (Windows say's it's connected to a network) but I would think that if I typed in the router's IP, it should be able to find it?

New computer to router IP: Sorry, you're not connected to the internet, can't even find the router. Nothing if I even try to ping the router.

Old computer to router IP with the same cable: Login screen for router and internet as usual. Also, full internet capability.

New computer with static IP address in network settings, connected directly to broadband modem, through the NIC, with the same cable: Internet with no problems

Old connected the same way: Internet with no problems

New connected to old, through a switch, no problems.

New computer connected to router through the USB wireless adapter: No problems with internet, and no problems logging into the router.

Apparently, the NIC is working fine, we know the router is working fine, Could it just be something from the 32bit XP that got into his 64 bit Vista that's causing the problem? My next step is to have him do a reinstall of Vista on the new one, and transfer the files through the network, so no settings are transferred.

Thanks again

 

[Fardringle]

My first guess would be that the computer is not getting (possibly not requesting) valid IP address information from the router. That's why I asked for the results of IPCONFIG /ALL.

 

[rabbit08]

My first guess would be that the computer is not getting (possibly not requesting) valid IP address information from the router. That's why I asked for the results of IPCONFIG /ALL.

Thanks again Fardringle, my schedule and his didn't match tonight, so I never got to give it a try. I'll let you know as soon as I do, which should hopefully be tomorrow.