Only one computer couldn't connect to the home network

We have three computers at home and all of them can connect the internet through a Linksys router without any problems.

1. Desktop running XP Media connects to the internet using a Linksys wireless-G adapter
2. Desktop running XP Home connects to the internet using a cable to the router
3. Laptop running XP Professional connects to the internet using the build-in wireless adapter

After I re-installed the Windows on the computer #1, it couldn't connect to our home network anymore. I've run the wizard to setup the home networking with correct workgroup a couple of times, but it still was not in the network.

One thing I noticed is the internet speed of the computer #1 is 1Mbps only (The computer #3 has 54Mbps). However, we didn't have any slow-speed when browsing websites. So I re-installed the adapter anyway on the computer #1, but the speed was still 1Mbps and still couldn't connect to the home network.

Thanks for anyone could tell if I've missed anything.

 

have you installed antivirus???
also if you use a cable on this computer can you go online?
are you using windows wireless setup or the wireless device software?

 

All computers have antivirus software. Trend Micro on this computer. Was it the antivirus software to refuse the home network setup on this computer? It used this software already even before re-installing the Windows though.

I didn't try using a cable to connect this computer, because it is too far away from the router.

I re-installed the windows media as its original OS.

I used the Linksys wireless software to setup the wirless internet. Use the windows home networking setup wizard to setup the home network.

 

Okay here is what you should do to find out where is the problem,
The easiest first.
Go to your antivirus program and configure it to allow wireless connection. if you don't know . Just disable the antivirus especially the firewall. and then try..

if this doesn't work. Move the computer closer and try the wire connection just to make sure that everything else is ok.

if you have connection with wire and you don't have it with wireless even with antivirus disabled ... then you need to check the wireless configuration from scratch .

does the computer see the wireless connection but doesn't connect. or it doesn't see anything?

 

Make sure you install the correct driver, MS a lot of times uses a generic.

 

All computers can access the internet without any problems, but only one couldn't connect the home network. Will check the antivirus software and let you know.

Which driver you meant?

 

XP Media is an odd animal. I have know several users who has had problems with it. Check to see what services are be loaded. It may have something interfearing with the network. You only need 3 services, TCP/IP protocol, File and printer sharing and client for MS net. Most all of the other services are not needed.

The driver would be for the port.

 

I have disabled the Personal Firewall from the Trend Micro antivirus software, ran the home networking wizard again, restarted all computers. Everything is working fine now.

But don't know why the speed is still 1Mbps although browsed internet very smoothly.

 

With some of the buggy firmware it may not be reporting correctly. Like a 56k Modem saying it connected at 56k, knowing that is impossiable do to the FCC restriction.

The best test for speed is to use ftp client software and download a large ISO image. The ftp sw will remove most of MS heavy overhead. Or install netstat to monitor network traffic, it will give you total speed including MS OH and cpu usage.