Question What a dumbbell! I went to change the name of my wife's wireless router and it's all broke now

sonoferu

Senior member
Jun 6, 2010
286
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Several years ago I had to get a new wireless router for my wife's laptop (Lenovo, Windows 10). I got a NetGear and it was white. I felt silly at that time, and named it "Whitey". Made me think of Whitey Ford, the great Yankee pitcher when I was a kid.

So last night she mentioned to me that she never did like that name. So I thought I would rename it when she was done for the night. I don't know a lot (which is why I'm asking for help) but I have logged into routers before, and set various things, so I went to 192.168.1.1 in my Firefox, and did the admin/password login and I was in. And right there I saw "Whitey" in the textbox at the top. Piece of cake, right? Just change it and hit Save (or was it Apply? I don't remember) and log out.

I sure wish I could remember everything I might have done, but I dont think I did more than that. Anyway, now it wouldn't connect for me. And still won't.

And I can't log in to the router any more, either. If I try 192.168.1.1, the firefox browser puts https:// in front of it and says it cannot connect to that. If I try ipconfig it doesn't even show. Alas!

So I don't know where to begin. How would you advise me to go at it?
 

CropDuster

Senior member
Jan 2, 2014
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If you changed the Wifi SSID, you'll need to connect to the new SSID with whatever you changed it to - your PC isn't going to automatically connect to a different SSID. Same goes for every other device that was connected to "Whitey".

Or, hold the reset button on the router and login with whatever the default logins are and start over from scratch. Preferably do all this with an ethernet cable connected to the LAN port on the router.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,225
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You may have to go into Windows' "Saved Networks" (for wifi), and "forget" Whitey. Then reboot, and try to connect to the router's new SSID fresh, and RE-ENTER the password? (Did you change that as well?)
 

sonoferu

Senior member
Jun 6, 2010
286
5
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I've blundered around a bit and learned some and cussed some. Some of it is simple ignorance, like I didnt know that Network security Key is just the password for connecting, so house guests can get on the internet. i wish it was just "password". And thankfully, I didn't change that.

And at some point I discovered that the router had been turned off. Is that because I changed the SSID name and hit APPLY? Anyway, I bumbled around and evidently turned it on, because all of a sudden I could log into the router,and I could connect to it.

Now I just have to get the printer set up again. no doubt the name change got it confused.
 
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sonoferu

Senior member
Jun 6, 2010
286
5
81
OK, all seems to be working now. I managed to find where the new name of the wireless router needed to be entered in the printer's settings. And then they found each other and happily started spilling out the contents of the queue.

I'm not stupid but I am ignorant. So, most of the struggle was simply not knowing where to look for things. Sigh ....

And I do want to thank y'all for the help. You were both right on, and when I got to where the fixes were needed, your advice confirmed that I was going in the right direction at last.
 
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