Unable to access WRT54G setup

Question

I need to change some settings on my WRT54G router (I believe it's v8 and I'm using Vista). When I first set the router up I was able to access the setup (192.168.1.1) just fine. Lately, however, I have been unable to reach it. Every time I try to connect to the router's address the connection times out. I'm not sure why this is happening, as the internet connection itself is working fine. Why can't I access my router?

Answer 1

The 132 address is an Intenet (public) address.  I was able to ping it.  I assume that it likely belongs to your ISP.
I cannot ping the 10 address.  It apparently belongs to the wireless router that you are connecting to.  This might be your own wireless router, or perhaps your neighbor's, or a router that belongs to your school.
Since you cannot find the router's setup pages at either of these addresses, I see no way to sort this problem out without resetting the router to factory defaults, and then setting up the router again from scratch.   Since you are at college, I assume that other students have had similar setup issues.  Perhaps one of your friends could help you with this.
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, go ahead and try to setup the router manually, and see if you can get your router setup and working.  You said you have a complicated setup there at college, so I doubt that the setup disk that came with the router will work (unless it worked for you the first time).
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 router's version, 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.