Windows 7 wired network problem

[Steven_55]

I just installed Windows 7 to my computer, I have a Westell wireless router hooked up to a Time Warner cable box. The network and internet work fine on my laptop which is running Windows XP, but I cannot connect to the internet using the same wireless router and cable box. I am using cat5 wires, the wireless is too slow to be bothered with. I have tried switching cables around and the only way I can make a connection is with the cable from the Time Warner cable box.

The problem is I got it to work fine yesterday, but it took me unplugging the cable box wire from the Westell router, plugging it into the desktop, allowing it to connect to the internet, unplugging the cable box wire and plugging it back into the Westell, the plugging in the wire from the Westell into the desktop. After a few seconds it would establish a connection, but after I restarted the computer I would have to go through that whole process again. I thought if I reinstalled windows 7 I could avoid this problem, but now I can't connect to the internet through the Westell at all.

I have two computers set up at once. Both of them connected fine at the same time yesterday until I had to reinstall. The laptop running Windows XP has always worked and still does. But the desktop, Windows 7, will only connect through the cable box wire.

How can I get my desktop internet wired through the Westell router, connected to the Time Warner cable box, working again?

 

[Emerald]

what model router do you have?

 

[Steven_55]

Thanks for replying... it is a Westell Model: a90-750018-07

 

[Emerald]

Isn't this a ADSL router? doesn't it have a DSL port and four LAN ports?

 

[Steven_55]

Yes it does. I have been playing around with it, I updated the network driver software and I can now connect to the internet. The problem now is that when I restart my computer and Windows boots up, the internet connection is now gone. I have to plug the cable box wire into the computer, let it establish the internet connection, then plug the wire back into the router and plug back in the lan cord, and now I have a connection again. Its all very confusing.

 

[JDFan]

IF you go into the control panel - Network and Sharing Center after you boot what does it show there ? (are there perhaps 2 networks showing -1 public and 1 private ?) If so do you have an APPLE program installed like I-tunes or Photoshop CS ?


and if you run the troubleshoot problems does it find a problem ? If you click on the Change adapter settings in the left side - does it show a LAN connection (if so try right clicking and disable and then right click again and enable and see if it then connects.)

 

[Steven_55]

It shows just the one network. And I do not run any apple programs. Disabling and enabling the LAN connection doesn't do anything. I have to plug in the cable box wire directly to the computer first.

 

[Emerald]

my recommendation would be to get a regular router and connect its WAN port to the cable modem.

you are using your current router more or less as a network switch that has a DHCP server enabled which actually could be the root of the problem, too. See what happens when you disable the DHCP of the router.