Previous available wireless connection gone!

Question

Hi, I have a wrt54gs router and 2 comps with wmp54gs adapters that were sharing broadband wireless connection.  The connection is no longer available.  Nothing was changed by me - it simply became unavailable.  At the same time, i cannot connect to 192.168.1.1 any longer. 
When checking for available connection the one we were using does not exist - however, sometimes linksys shows up but without a signal.  ?? Any help is appreciated.  Thanks in advance for your help.

Answer 1

First, let's make sure of your router's address.
Use a computer that is wired to the router.  Turn off the computer's wireless card.
Click on "Start" > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt
A black DOS box will appear.
Type in "ipconfig"  (with no quotes), then hit the enter key.
Check the "Default Gateway".  Is it 192.168.1.1 ?   Point your browser to the Default Gateway address, and try again to enter your router.
If you get into your router, check out the settings and try to fix it.
If you still cannot get into your router, then you need to reset the router to factory defaults.
To reset your router to factory defaults, use the following procedure:
1)  Power down all computers, the router, and the modem, and unplug them from the wall.
2)  Disconnect all wires from the router.
3)  Power up the router and allow it to fully boot (1-2 minutes).
4)  Press and hold the reset button for 30 seconds, then release it, then let the router reset and reboot (2-3 minutes).
5)  Power down the router.
6)  Connect one computer by wire to port 1 on the router (NOT to the internet port).
7)  Power up the router and allow it to fully boot (1-2 minutes).
8)  Power up the computer (if the computer has a wireless card, make sure it is off).
9)  Try to ping the router.  To do this, click the "Start" button > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt.  A black DOS box will appear.  Enter the following:  "ping 192.168.1.1"  (no quotes), and hit the Enter key.  You will see 3 or 4 lines that start either with "Reply from ... " or "Request timed out."   If you see "Reply from ...", your computer has found your router.
10)  Open your browser and point it to 192.168.1.1.  This will take you to your router's login page.  Leave the user name blank, and in the password field, enter "admin"  (with no quotes).   This will take you to your router setup page.  Note the version number of your firmware (usually listed near upper right corner of screen).  Exit your browser.
If you get this far without problems, try the setup disk (or setup the router manually, if you prefer), and see if you can get your router setup and working.
If you cannot get "Reply from ..." in step 9 above, your router is dead.
If you get a reply in step 9, but cannot complete step 10, then either your router is dead or the firmware is corrupt.  In this case, use the Linksys tftp.exe program to try to reload your router with the latest firmware.  After reloading the firmware, repeat the above procedure starting with step 1.
If you need additional help, please state your ISP, the make and model of your modem, the version of your router, your router's firmware version, and the results of steps 9 and 10.  Also, if you get any error messages, copy them exactly and report back.
Please let me know how things turn out for you.