295W WiFi question...

 

I just received my new 295W... I have been trying to logon to my home network, but it's just not seeing it... I have a D-link Extreme N wireless router... the security key is like 35 digits long... I've entered it twice, and especially the second time, I'm sure it's correct... when I push 'connect', I get a rotating 'busy' type icon, but it never connects... any ideas...?

I'll try it over at the local Dunkin Donuts tomorrow and see if it will connect over there...

any suggestions appreciated...

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no matter where you go, `dere you is...

I could be wrong but my

I could be wrong but my guess is your router is set to run 802.11n mode only. The 295W supports 802.11b and g wireless. Other possibilities are:
- MAC filtering is enabled on the router
- You're connecting to your neighbor's SSID that happens to be the same name

Does your router also support B and G or only N?

nucnsbubba wrote:

I just received my new 295W... I have been trying to logon to my home network, but it's just not seeing it... I have a D-link Extreme N wireless router...

Does your router also support B and G or only N?

The 295w supports support B and G.

We have never had trouble connecting to wifi with any of our 295w's on both secure and unsecured networks.

--
Garmin Drive Smart 55 - Samsung Note 10 Smartphone with Google Maps & HERE Apps

Probably the n setting

I recently set up one of those D-Link routers at a senior center and IIRC it's default setting was n.

These are the choices:

802.11g Only - Select if all of your wireless clients are 802.11g.
802.11n Only - Select only if all of your wireless clients are 802.11n.
Mixed 802.11n and 802.11g - Select if you are using a mix of 802.11n and 11g wireless clients.

I set it for n & g. and selected WPA-PSK[TKIP] security.

My 295W connected to it right away.

Write back if none of these work

Your router is the DIR-655, right? That's what I use (with WPA2 security and a passphrase around 20-char long) and my 295w connected right away.

So if your issue is something other than being set to n-only, let us know. We'll get you connected short of having to visit the police at Dunkin Donut each time you need to connect.

PS--my 295w also connects well to unsecured wifi networks.

thanks to all...

it's been so long since I set the router up, I'm not sure what the settings are... "N only" is feeling like the suspect...

I have a bust day today... I will let y`all know what I find and the results when I get there...

thanks again...

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no matter where you go, `dere you is...

still no WiFi at home...

though it works at Dunkin Donuts...

I've been through the router and it was set to combination N, G & B... so that's not the issue... (besides, I have two sister-in-laws that have logged on and used the router with their 'G' mode netbooks...)

now, the only other suggestion above is to disable "Mac filtering"... I'm going in to search for that now...

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no matter where you go, `dere you is...

next thing...

Mac filtering has been disabled the whole time by default...

should I shorten my password...? I would have to reconfigure a couple other household PCs if that's the case...

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no matter where you go, `dere you is...

If your sister-in-laws can

If your sister-in-laws can connect without you adding anything (ie. MAC addresses) on the router then there's a good chance MAC filtering isn't the culprit. Have you tried turning the router off then back on? If that still doesn't fix the problem, you might try newer firmware for either your Nuvi device or the router.

[EDIT - additional info]
Looks like we pulled the trigger at almost the same time. You might want to try without any security, just to rule out pass phrase issue. If it connects, try a shorter pass phrase. If that is still good, increase the length later.

It's worth a try

nucnsbubba wrote:

Mac filtering has been disabled the whole time by default...

should I shorten my password...? I would have to reconfigure a couple other household PCs if that's the case...

Since we share the same DIR-655 router (mine has the latest v1.21 firmware) and mine connects easily with my 295w, a shorter passphrase is worth a try. My passphrase is 19-characters, considerably shorter than yours. I use WPA-Personal Security mode, or more specifically: Mode WPA2 Only, Cipher AES. What security mode are you using?

Just to be sure, you are using the "Mixed n,b,g 802.11 mode," right?

thanks for the quick responses

my D-Link 655 DIR has firmware version 1.11... I'll give that a shot next... I can't right now, because the wife in online and upgrading the firmware resets the defaults and key... must be wise on this Valentines weekend...

and, yes... it is set to N, G & B combination... also, security is set to WPA...

I'll post when I can...

thanks again...

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no matter where you go, `dere you is...

Ethernet, please

nucnsbubba wrote:

my D-Link 655 DIR has firmware version 1.11... I'll give that a shot next...

Just be sure to update the router firmware from a computer wired to the router, not a computer connected via wireless.

And back up the current router settings to easily restore your non-default items after the upgrade.

I read that...

thanks...

--
no matter where you go, `dere you is...

More info

nucnsbubba wrote:

thanks...

Here's a bit more on our D-Link DIR-655 router. Ours can be either hardware version A or B. I believe yours is an "A" like mine. A and B use different firmware.

Darn, I've been believing my router when it said it'd check automatically for updates and that 1.21 was the current version. I see now from the D-L website that my current version is 1.35NA so yours may be, too.

I've just upgraded to 1.35NA and all went well. My wireless computers and my nuvi 295w connect to my router with the WPA2 security as before.

Note: after the upgrade, your router reverts to the default settings for everything, including password. Keep in mind that the default password is nothing. So after the upgrade log in with User Name admin and leave the password field blank. Once logged in, go to Tools, System, and restore your previously saved configuation including password, security passphrase, etc., etc.

Good luck keeping everything online--and with luck, adding your 295w to your network!

latest update...

I upgraded the firmware to v 1.35NA... everything went well... all of my wireless PCs are up and running...

the 295W will still not log in to my D Link... I am at a loss... I guess an email to Garmin is the next step...

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no matter where you go, `dere you is...

.

Is your SSID unique? You could be trying to log into your neighbors network.

Also, does your router have security logs? If so they might help pinpoint the issue.

Did you try a shorter

Did you try a shorter passphrase? Perhaps your 295W WiFi has a limit of less than the length of your current passphrase. You may still be able to input the whole passphrase but anything longer than the limit is ignored. Just a wild guess.

oops

ignore

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1490LMT 1450LMT 295w

back at `cha...

I definitely have a unique SSID... I'm the only one on my block that actually 'named' my SSID... oops, except for a guy that named his 'bazinga'...

didn't see any security settings that might affect the 295W... shortening the security phrase maybe should be the next endeavor... if that works, I'd just have to update about 4 PCs, but not a big deal... I want to work with the browser without being at Dunkin Donuts...

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no matter where you go, `dere you is...

i'm new to networkin

i'm new to networking field, i want to buy a router and can't really make a choice, I read an article but it doesn't cover all categories.
looking for some help
Mellissia

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spammer

almost any

melissiagoodwin wrote:

i'm new to networking field, i want to buy a router and can't really make a choice, I read an article but it doesn't cover all categories.
looking for some help
Mellissia

Almost any of the name brands will work exceedingly well. You don't need to over buy which is quite common.

The main limiting factor in speed is the speed of the service you buy from your supplier. For most home systems 802.11G is plenty fast enough unless you are trading a lot of VERY large files between computers constantly. You also don't need a dual band unless your computers already have it built in.

Do take the time to secure your network though. You don't want someone "sniffing" your unsecured router for passwords and the like.

--
Illiterate? Write for free help.

Power cycling your router AND your Garmin?

As painful as it may be -- you may have to power cycle both of your router and your 295w. BTW, is your router broadcasting its SSID?

New router

melissiagoodwin wrote:

i'm new to networking field, i want to buy a router and can't really make a choice, I read an article but it doesn't cover all categories.
looking for some help
Mellissia

If you're new to networking and routers then DD-WRT may be overkill at first, but it won't take long to get to the stage where it comes in useful. I haven't used anything else on a router for the better part of the last 10 years and I've found some of the capabilities very useful.

So I'd recommend a dual band router that is DD-WRT compatible. The main site is at:

http://dd-wrt.com/site/index

and the forums are at:

http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/index.php?sid=f8dfea0635da2c7d6...

If you post your likely uses on the forum there will be plenty of people willing to suggest appropriate routers. I use a Linksys WRT610N V2, with a Linksys WRT-54G v4 hard wired in as an access point for G devices, and they've both given me good service.

Caution...

gpsaccount wrote:
melissiagoodwin wrote:

i'm new to networking field, i want to buy a router and can't really make a choice, I read an article but it doesn't cover all categories.
looking for some help
Mellissia

If you're new to networking and routers then DD-WRT may be overkill at first, but it won't take long to get to the stage where it comes in useful. I haven't used anything else on a router for the better part of the last 10 years and I've found some of the capabilities very useful.

So I'd recommend a dual band router that is DD-WRT compatible. The main site is at:

http://dd-wrt.com/site/index

and the forums are at:

http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/index.php?sid=f8dfea0635da2c7d6...

If you post your likely uses on the forum there will be plenty of people willing to suggest appropriate routers. I use a Linksys WRT610N V2, with a Linksys WRT-54G v4 hard wired in as an access point for G devices, and they've both given me good service.

DD-WRT maybe overkill for most people especially people who knows enough to be dangerous. Use with caution, you may kill your new router if you don't know what you're doing...

SSID Hidden?

nucnsbubba wrote:

I definitely have a unique SSID... I'm the only one on my block that actually 'named' my SSID... oops, except for a guy that named his 'bazinga'...

didn't see any security settings that might affect the 295W... shortening the security phrase maybe should be the next endeavor... if that works, I'd just have to update about 4 PCs, but not a big deal... I want to work with the browser without being at Dunkin Donuts...

Is it hidden?

can't be done

LongAce wrote:

Is it hidden?

You can disable the feature in a router that broadcasts a repeating beacon that contains the SSID. Some ignorant people think this changes the security of the system but it really doesn't and may actually make getting a connection a little slower. But you can't hide the SSID, it is broadcast out in the open in plain text in every packet. So if your wifi system is in use and someone monitors the radio signals in the vicinity, they will see the SSID of the network, even if it is using encryption such as WEP or WPA.

Ignorant ?

Frovingslosh wrote:
LongAce wrote:

Is it hidden?

You can disable the feature in a router that broadcasts a repeating beacon that contains the SSID. Some ignorant people think this changes the security of the system but it really doesn't and may actually make getting a connection a little slower. But you can't hide the SSID, it is broadcast out in the open in plain text in every packet. So if your wifi system is in use and someone monitors the radio signals in the vicinity, they will see the SSID of the network, even if it is using encryption such as WEP or WPA.

I don't think these people are ignorant, just not understanding security. In some cases, devices trying to connect to a hidden SSID does not do too well.

reason for word choice

LongAce wrote:

I don't think these people are ignorant, just not understanding security. In some cases, devices trying to connect to a hidden SSID does not do too well.

I chose that word because I've seen many people pass along bad advice to disable the SSID beacon as a "security" measure. Giving others a false sense of security in making this ineffective change seems to me to be either ignorance or outright malice, and I prefer to think it it more often just ignorance. I haven't seen anyone here advocate disabling the SSID broadcast, but when I saw the question about the SSID being "hidden" without other context I wanted to be sure that no one was given the impression that the SSID beacon should be disabled.

Or to put it another way, it isn't necessarily ignorant to not understand wifi security or any other part of technology. But I feel it is ignorant to advise others on how to configure their equipment if you don't really understand it properly yourself. So you are correct, one is not ignorant if they simply misunderstand how the SSID is transmitted and used, as long as they don't advise others to configure their systems based on that misunderstanding.

...

...

DD-WRT warning beware

I actually have DD-WRT for my Buffalo router and it works great... Alot of security features found in more higher end wireless routers.

But please be advised that DD-WRT is not something you want to do until you fully understand what you are doing. The result is that you could totally BRICK your router (rendering it totally useless). You are in effect, imaging your router with DD-WRT's operating system on top of your factory installed vendor specific OS. So, if you got support on your router, that will pretty much be void (until you restore back to the stock image -- and to do that can vary in terms of method and complexity).