Help plse in reconfiguring laptop back to modem instead after installing router

Hi,

I have a problem ever since I tried to set my daughter's laptop up to a router. It's user error, but I don't know what to do about it. My daughter's laptop now has NOD32 up and running & all fine, so I said I would connect a router to it so that she could use it elsewhere in the house. Big mistake.

I bought a Belkin router from Argos that said I would be 'up and running to a wireless internet in 3 minutes. Yesterday, I spent 2 and a half hours trying to sort it out. I got through the installation process ok, set up security, then when I went to connect to the Internet, it wouldn't and a 'x' showed proving that I wasn't connected. In the end, I had to give up and I told my daughter that she would have to use it as it was (wired connection) until we found the problem (or what I had done wrong, more like).

But.....I now can't get it to connect to the Internet, even though I have switched 'wireless' off. I have been through Network Diagnostics and everything and something tells me there is probably a simple solution but of course I don't want to fiddle around and make things worse!

The error message I get is: The network adapter Local Area Connection does not have a valid IP configuration. Change the settings for the network adapter Local Area Connection.

I haven't a clue what to change the settings to or what my IP address is......or anything!

I feel really guilty, as it's not even my laptop and she wanted to use it in some shape or form connected to the Internet. Now I've b******d up the connection to Broadband on her laptop.

I even contacted Belkin through their Live Chat yesterday (to try and get wireless working) but although the man was advising me what to click on to try and find the problem, I couldn't because our cable modem wire is connected to this pc so of course I couldn't also connect it to the laptop.

I don't care about wireless now, I just want to get her reconnected to Broadband on her laptop.

Any help would be much appreciated, but please can you keep it simple as I'm not experienced at all in things like this!

Many thanks.

 

Hi,

I feel your pain, and your daughters !

I've been through a similar experience, having been sent a Router and trying it, then deciding to go back to a Modem.

So i can help you set it up step by step, but before i explain how, first of all try doing a System Restore which might very well get you back to how it was.

Go to -

1 - Start

2 - Programs

3 - Accessories

4 - Sytem Tools

5 - System Restore

Follow my screenies/screen shots, Pick a date from BEFORE you installed the Router.









Reboot and see if it's back to how it was before. Post back with your results

 

Hi Stevie,

Thankyou so much for going to the trouble of posting the screen shots and all the info. A few minutes before I read your post, I turned on the laptop again and it asked me if I wanted to configure it to my ISP (it hadn't asked me the day before) so I clicked 'yes' and it has set it up for me, so I am typing this wirelessly using the router! At last!

Many thanks again, I will know where to come next time I have a problem.

 

Hi,

Often when changing things, or installing software etc, a Reboot/Restart is needed. In this case it appears that's all that was required, but other times things arn't always so straightforward, as i know myself lol.

Anyway, glad you got it sorted, and you'll know in future.

Regards,

S

 

Thanks Steve, although the strange thing was that I had restarted the laptop a couple of times but it didn't do the trick. It obviously needed an overnight rest!

 

Very nice of you Stevie to take the time to post the screenies. I would like to add that even though I rely almost exclusively on imaging programs to backup my whole system for similar problems, I find that Windows System Restore is a terrific tool to use as a preliminary action to see if it solves the problem.

I turn it off for normal computer use, and turn it on if I'm about to install or change my configuration for any reasons. It's good to see that the OP sorted out the problem, a backup application would make life easier in the future.