Is anyone else having problems establishing a connection to a Westell VersaLink Gateway model A90-327W15-06 from a machine running Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit?
While I do not have that modem combo OR for that matter Windows 7, I can try to help you,
#1 How are you connected to this modem combo?
I am not sure, but I believe the possible answers to my question are: USB, Ethernet, and Wireless.
#2 If USB or Wireless: What is the brand and model of the NIC in/for the computer?
You're telling me you have no way to recreate the problem and, yet, you're going to try to help me anyway.
How very interesting.
Just to make sure I haven't missed anything as I tried to fix the problem, I will answer your questions:
#1 Ethernet
#2 Not relevant.
Let's start with the basics. Have you ever connected this computer to the internet anywhere via the Ethernet?
This is a somewhat roundabout way of asking if the Ethernet device and driver on your computer are known to be good. If not, make sure you have a current driver for the Ethernet device, and make sure you can connect to the router/modem (http://192.168.1.1). If you cannot do that, then there is something very basic that is wrong.
If you can, then it is time to look at some other things. In general both the modem/router, and the Ethernet connection on a Windows Vista or Windows 7 machine should be plug and play.
The first place to check if you cannot connect to anything is your network configuration. Have you done something, or is the setup from a previous connection preventing your connection.
Is the IP address and DNS set to automatic, or did you fill something in? You need to let your modem/router provide the IP address, and if you have provided a DNS IP address, it needs to be valid, otherwise you can never get name resolution, and without name resolution, you might as well not have a connection.
mattheww?
What happened to dslr595148?
Again, I will answer your questions just to make sure I haven't missed anything as I've tried to fix the problem. I probably should have pointed out earlier, I asked a question seeking people who are experiencing this problem with a particular Westell product because I have already spent six weeks working with folks to narrow it down to something that can be stated with that level of specificity.
Your question, "Have you ever connected this computer to the internet anywhere via the Ethernet?"
Answer, Yes. When we first connected our new Hewlett-Packard TouchSmart 600-1005xt running Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit operating system and using the the Windows 7 TCP/IP stack through an nVidia 10/100/1000 network interface, it found the Westell VersaLink Gateway model A90-327W15-06 and connected to the Internet. It never did connect with the immediacy of our two other machines running Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2, but it did connect. Over the first few months we had the machine, though, it took longer and longer to connect. Now it will not connect. It just occasionally blinks the HP's link light like it is polling to find the Westell. THE HP'S LINK LIGHT WILL NOT COME TO A STEADY "LINK ESTABLISHED" STATE.
Your statement, "This is a somewhat roundabout way of asking if the Ethernet device and driver on your computer are known to be good."
My comment, I think the foregoing indicates if the Ethernet interface and driver ever were good, they have somehow gone bad in the process of normal usage. Namely, turn on the Westell, wait for it to be steadily connected to the Internet, turn on HP, wait for it to be steadily connected, use the Internet, complete usage, turn off the HP, turn off the Westell. Repeat until full failure occurs.
Your suggestion, "... make sure you have a current driver for the Ethernet device"
My response, done at the first contact with HP support. They took it back for service and found nothing wrong. They wanted me to work with my Internet Service Provider (ISP), Verizon Online. In parallel with this posting, I am working with Verizon.
Your suggestion, "and make sure you can connect to the router/modem (http://192.168.1.1)."
My response, Windows network diagnostics indicates the cable (usable on the XP computer) is broken. So, NO we can NOT currently connect to the Westell router/modem with the HP computer although we did for a time.
Your question, "Have you done something, or is the setup from a previous connection preventing your connection."
Short answer, No.
Long answer, see above explanation of how we came to this state.
Your question, "Is the IP address and DNS set to automatic"
My answer, Yes, the Westell supplies dhcp, DNS, and NAT and the HP was successfully using them. I have made no changes to that.
Now, can you think of a way a sort of working configuration would deteriorate to full failure?
That is why I am looking for someone who has the same Westell Gateway I have (there are B90, C90, and D90 models also, but they may be sufficiently different to affect the answer) and the same Window OS. I would like to nail down a pattern that gives us some better understanding of the problem. Do you have such a machine that is experiencing a similar problem?
Hello. I was reading your post and I believe I am having the same issue. I just installed Windows 7 on my Dell PC and I get messages that I need to update the drivers for my modem which it seems are impossible to find. I have the Westell 6100 and have had this modem for several years with my internet service. I am not having any trouble connecting but this lack of updated drivers is making my system sluggish. I have searched but haven't been able to find them. Westell's site just directs you back to Verizon. So here I am. In a quandry and at a loss. I hope I can get a resolution. Thank you.
Verizon takes care of the modem updates themselves, so there shouldn't be any need to go searching for the firmware for the Westell. Verizon's website has them in the Self Help section., which is located here: http://www22.verizon.com/ResidentialHelp/HighSpeed/Troubleshooting/Network/FirmwareUpgrade/123451.htm
Even then, you should not need to update the firmware as it's done automatically.
What you are probably looking for though would be your NIC drivers. Open the Start Menu and type in Device Manager. Locate the Network Adapters section of the Device Mananger and find out what NIC you have. That should get you onto the right path to getting an updated driver from the device manufacturer's website. If your PC is sluggish though, I doubt NIC drivers will help. I would point more towards either a lack of system resources or perhaps missing/non-native Video Drivers being loaded.
