So Very Frustrated...HELP!

[isaacgreycat]

I just got my A500 today at Staples and I am now so upset I'm about to burst into tears!! (I'm a girl). I can't get on the web. It says I am connected to my wireless and I have 4 bars (I'm practically on top of the router), the green checkmark is showing in the wireless settings area....and yet it will not connect!!! I went to Acer chat and they were useless and could only tell me to pay money so that I could get an answer. At the moment I am sooo regretting this. Please, if anyone can help...is it me or is it the unit. Thanks

 

[urdaddi]

What happens when you try to connect to the internet?

Have you tried connecting to the market or email?

 

[isaacgreycat]

I'm just trying to get onto Google or any browser and it keeps saying webpage unavailable...check my connection, reload later and check address.

 

[robdroid]

When I first (attempted) to connect my A500, it saw my linksys router but wouldn't take a DHCP address handout from the router. So I had to go into the router setup and manually reserve a DHCP address for the A500's MAC ID. As soon as I did that- it accepted the address from the router and has been fine since. I brought the A500 to work with me today, and it had no problem seeing the el-cheapo netgear wireless access point I have setup for repair clients. So it seems some routers need special setup procedures, or more likely a firmware update to work with the A500.

I'd try to update my routers firmware as a first step.

Failing that, try to reserve a DHCP address (AKA: Static Lease) for the A500's MAC address in your router- see below...
To see the A500's MAC address, go into "settings" then "about tablet" then "status"- there you'll see Wi-Fi MAC Address. Should be six sets of two digit hex pairs- record this info. Then go into your router (usually found under "services" in the router setup) and reserve a DHCP address that's not being used for the A500's MAC address.

 

[isaacgreycat]

I do have a linksys router. I will try to try your suggestions tomorrow as I am way too frustrated at the moment. I am not computer illiterate but am far from expert so if I have any problems tomorrow can I get back with you? I could take it into the library tomorrow to see if it connects. If it is having trouble with my router...would this not mean that it would be hit or miss as I drag it around to various WiFi settings?

 

[Raven312]

Don't worry, we'll find a way to get you sorted out.

 

[robdroid]

I do have a linksys router. I will try to try your suggestions tomorrow as I am way too frustrated at the moment. I am not computer illiterate but am far from expert so if I have any problems tomorrow can I get back with you? I could take it into the library tomorrow to see if it connects. If it is having trouble with my router...would this not mean that it would be hit or miss as I drag it around to various WiFi settings?

Yeah, bring it to a local hotspot, even a McDonalds, Starbucks, etc. If it works there then it certainly points to your router.
What's your router's model #, and hardware version- it's all on the label usually on the underside of the router.
I'll be here tomorrow BTW if you need help.

 

[Icebike]

What kind of security is on your router?

Some people put mac address filtering in routers, and then forget that they did that, and new devices can't connect.

Some people don't configure their routers to supply DNS services. (always a mistake).
Some people use WEP, which is being deprecated (but should still work). The problem with wep is that newer implementations no longer support Shared Key under Wep (because its insecure). So if your router expects shared key WEP you should move to OPEN, (which inspite of its name is more secure).

But I agree with the others... Its time for a trip to McDonalds, Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, Best Western, or your public library to test it with some other router.

 

[spexwood]

One thing to try is recycling (unplugging, waiting about 10 seconds, plug back in, and wait until fully started) your router. This would be the first thing you should try before tampering with settings.
Believe it or not, but doing this can sometimes solve so many problems.

(I have a Linksys and this works for me depending on the issue)

 

[isaacgreycat]

You all have been great! This morning I tried to update the Lynksis 'firmware' and downloaded the update, Windows said I did not have any way to open a BIN file and suggested 'Free File Opener" so I downloaded it and then it said it could not open that kind of file (guess it wanted me to buy the pay version). Blew that off and went off to the library where the device worked perfectly! This morning at home it still would not connect, tried unplugging the router to reboot...nada. Just got back from the library, tried it again, and now it is connecting to the internet just fine??????? Weird! Glad you guys like solving problems...I just want things to work! Thanks again...hopefully I won't need any more problem solving from you all but now I know where to go!!

 

[robdroid]

Glad you got it working!
I'd still update the routers FW.
When you find the update bin file on the linksys website- save it to your desktop- don't try to have Windows open it. Then log into your router (using IE or Firefox) and go to the admin page, then firmware update option- it will let you browse to where the update .bin file is- choose it then run the update.
Once you download the bin file to the desktop- you have to log into your router to perform the actual update. Hope that helps....

 

[isaacgreycat]

I think it got itself working (me having very little to do with it) unless when I rebooted the router this morning I did not wait long enough? That would be my guess. This router has had previous little hiccups when it won't connect and I have to unplug and replug but this time my computer was connecting fine. If I needed a new router, what would you recommend?

 

[robdroid]

... If I needed a new router, what would you recommend?

I like to run custom firmware on my router (DD-WRT) so I just make sure the router I choose is compatible with their firmware (Supported Devices - DD-WRT Wiki).

 

[AarOOn]

If you had full bars and the tablet said you were connected you were probably getting an address from your router, thus your router was working fine. The problem probably was with your modem or your service provider. Think of your router as internal and your modem as external. I agree, rebooting the router does solve this problem most times as it will request another address from your service provider and refresh your connection to the internet. If this doesn't work confirm the modem is plugged into the WAN port on your router and power cycle your modem as well. If you still aren't getting connection I'd contact your service provider.

Good test going to free WiFi though. Glad it's working.