Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
GarveyPatrickD
Enthusiast - Level 3

Is anyone else having problems establishing a connection to a Westell VersaLink Gateway model A90-327W15-06 from a machine running Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit?

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Re: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
dslr595148
Community Leader
Community Leader

While I do not have that modem combo OR for that matter Windows 7, I can try to help you,

#1 How are you connected to this modem combo?

I am not sure, but I believe the possible answers to my question are: USB, Ethernet, and Wireless.

#2 If USB or Wireless: What is the brand and model of the NIC in/for the computer?

Re: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
GarveyPatrickD
Enthusiast - Level 3

You're telling me you have no way to recreate the problem and, yet, you're going to try to help me anyway.

How very interesting.

Just to make sure I haven't missed anything as I tried to fix the problem, I will answer your questions:

#1 Ethernet

#2 Not relevant.

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Re: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
jmw1950
Specialist - Level 2

Let's start with the basics. Have you ever connected this computer to the internet anywhere via the Ethernet?

This is a somewhat roundabout way of asking if the Ethernet device and driver on your computer are known to be good. If not, make sure you have a current driver for the  Ethernet device, and make sure you can connect to the router/modem  (http://192.168.1.1). If you cannot do that, then there is something very basic that is wrong.

If you can, then it is time to look at some other things. In general both the modem/router, and the Ethernet connection on a Windows Vista or Windows 7 machine should be plug and play.

The first place to check if you cannot connect to anything is your network configuration. Have you done something, or is the setup from a previous connection preventing your connection.

Is the IP address and DNS set to automatic, or did you fill something in? You need to let your modem/router provide the IP address, and if you have provided a DNS IP address, it needs to be valid, otherwise you can never get name resolution, and without name resolution, you might as well not have a connection.

Re: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
GarveyPatrickD
Enthusiast - Level 3

Now, can you think of a way a sort of working configuration would deteriorate to full failure?

That is why I am looking for someone who has the same Westell Gateway I have (there are B90, C90, and D90 models also, but they may be sufficiently different to affect the answer) and the same Window OS.  I would like to nail down a pattern that gives us some better understanding of the problem.  Do you have such a machine that is experiencing a similar problem?

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Re: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
somegirl
Champion - Level 3

Have you tried switching ethernet cables? If HP says the card is good, but you're not connecting to the router at all, that would be my next step. If you haven't already tried another port on the router, that would be a good thing to test also.

As for collecting data for a pattern... Those with that exact router/OS combo will be along eventually, I'm sure. Until then, the rest of us are trying to help figure out the problem. It's what we do on this forum. 😉

Re: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
GarveyPatrickD
Enthusiast - Level 3

I have three CAT5 cables.  I bought one of them just recently to assure the least expensive item was not the cause of the problem.  I have used all three successfully with my two existing Windows XP Service Pack 2 computers in each and every one of the four ports on the Westell.  All three cables fail in any of the ports when connected to the new Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit computer.

I have also tried one of the cables to connect the HP Win 7 computer with one of the Win XP computers.  Both the Win 7 computer display the existence of the Win XP computer and the Win XP computer displayed the existence of the Win 7 computer.  It is only the Win 7 computer and the Westell Gateway that cannot get their act together.  But, remember, at one point the Win 7 computer and the Westell Gateway DID connect and I was able to do anything I wanted to do on the Internet.  It was just difficult for the connection to be made.

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Re: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
jmw1950
Specialist - Level 2

"Your suggestion, "and make sure you can connect to the router/modem  (http://192.168.1.1)."

My response, Windows network diagnostics indicates the cable (usable on the XP computer) is broken.  So, NO we can NOT currently connect to the Westell router/modem with the HP computer although we did for a time."

 

The fact that you are getting an indication that the  cable is broken says that the hardware connection between your Ethernet adapter and the Ethernet port on the modem/router is not being successfully negotiated.  That may point to a bad connection on your Ethernet port of the Vista PC (This may be inside the adapter), or firmware issue within the adapter.

 

The negotiation of the initial connection is usually done by  firmware within the adapters. If it fails, you get an indication that the cable either isn't plugged in, or is broken.

 

 Most Ethernet ports have a couple of status lights on them. One for active connection, and the other for 10/100mbps. Check to see if either or both are actually one at either or both ends.

  

Since you have established that all 4 ports on the router/modem work with XP, the problem is probably with the Ethernet adapter on your Windows Vista computer. Every once and a while you run across situations where the two good devices will refuse to talk to each other.

 

 My suggestion is buy a different Ethernet adapter for your Vista Computer, install it, and see if that works. The cost of a PCI Ethernet adapter isn't very high. You can have more than one Ethernet adapter on a computer (you can also usually disable the one on the motherboards from the Setup utility). Whether you use a PCI adapter or a PC Card adapter (if you have a PC card socket), shouldn't make much difference. You just need a path that doesn't utilized the existing Ethernet hardware on the Vista PC.

 

I also assume you have tried a hard reset on the modem/router (press the rest button).

Good luck

Re: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
dslr595148
Community Leader
Community Leader

@GarveyPatrickD wrote:

 

What happened to dslr595148?



I have a life off line. In my case, I had to go to work.

Re: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
GarveyPatrickD
Enthusiast - Level 3

From mattheww:

"The fact that you are getting an indication that the  cable is broken says that the hardware connection between your Ethernet adapter and the Ethernet port on the modem/router is not being successfully negotiated.  That may point to a bad connection on your Ethernet port of the Vista PC (This may be inside the adapter), or firmware issue within the adapter."

Except for the fact this is a computer running Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit, I agree with this statement.

From mattheww:

"The negotiation of the initial connection is usually done by  firmware within the adapters. If it fails, you get an indication that the cable either isn't plugged in, or is broken."

That's what I thought might be happening, although it doesn't explain why it initially sort of worked and now fails consistently.  Perhaps you could address that aspect of this situation?

From mattheww:

"Most Ethernet ports have a couple of status lights on them. One for active connection, and the other for 10/100mbps."

This Hewlett-Packard TouchSmart 600-1005xt computer has two lights visible on either side of the Ethernet socket.  I have been unable to locate the documentation that fully documents the uses of those lights.  That port is identified by the Windows Device Manager as an nVidia 10/100/1000 interface.  Since my other, working machines are manufactured by Dell and use Intel interface chips which support only 10/100, I don't think it is safe to say the lights definitely indicate the same conditions on the HP and the Dells.  If anyone knows where I can find the HP or nVidia documentation, I would find it most helpful.  I'm still looking around.

From mattheww:

"Check to see if either or both are actually one at either or both ends."

I'm sorry I can't seem to parse that sentence.  What I have seen the lights on the socket do is the following:

Just after I switch on the power, the lights both come on.  I suspect this is a test of the lights to confirm they are working.

After that, the lights blink a couple of times.  It's hard to see the lights and the screen at the same time, but I think the bios or the boot process is testing the interface in some way because the Windows loading screen is not yet visible.

Once Windows puts up its splash screen, the lights turn off and stay off until Windows is fully booted, as indicated by the login screen displayed.  At this point, the green light on top of the socket (the other displays yellowish orange when lit) occasionally blinks twice, which I interpret as a poll seeking the attached router/modem, Westell in this case.  By occasionally, I mean about once every minute.  Waiting for those blinks takes concentration to keep my eyes focused and open so as not to miss the blinks.  This blinking pattern will continue overnight (at least I assume it does, because it blinks before I go to sleep and still blinks when I look after awaking).

From mattheww:

"Since you have established that all 4 ports on the router/modem work with XP, the problem is probably with the Ethernet adapter on your Windows Vista computer. Every once and a while you run across situations where the two good devices will refuse to talk to each other."

That's sort of correct.  What actually is the case is that one or both of the devices have implemented an interface that does not share sufficient compatibility with the other.  The device that disagrees with a third device is usually the one to improve.  My fear is that the move from a 32-bit based OS to a 64-bit based OS has failed in some manner in the area of the Internet interface.  It will be a hard task to get the developer of that software to go back and find and fix the incompatibility.  Granted there may be a physical manufacturing flaw also, but I've sent this computer back to HP twice and they didn't find a problem.  Again, It will probably take the type of time to find such a flaw that HP is not motivated to pursue such an investigation.

From mattheww:

"My suggestion is buy a different Ethernet adapter for your Vista Computer, install it, and see if that works."

Two points here:

1) The computer is still under warranty and I'm not yet at the level of understanding this problem that I want to void warranty to solve the problem this way.  If I document this well enough others may benefit, also.

2) If you look at the Upgrading and Servicing Guide, pages 12-19, you'll see this is a very compact All-In-One configuration.  I don't know that this interface IS implemented as a PCI daughterboard.  Again, I seek the documentation on this.  And the warranty issue applies to third-party hardware.

I may come to moving off DSL to FiOS, which will change the provided router/modem and may solve the problem since the FiOS interface may be of more recent vintage and be 10/100/1000.  (Of course, that may mean my Dells won't work anymore.)

From mattheww:

"I also assume you have tried a hard reset on the modem/router (press the rest button)."

No, I haven't because I have two working machines that would be disconnected at that point.  Yes, I could restore the settings, but I not ready to take that route, yet.

Convince me it has some probability of providing new, useful information in the search for a solution.

Thank you for staying with this mattheww.  I look forward to your further comments.

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