| ok, so the dsl modem has a cat5 cable (fat telephone type wire) that goes into the linksys. From the linksys, you had another cat5 cable connected to your desktop via the ethernet port. You had your laptop using wireless to hit the linksys.
All of a sudden, you can't access the internet via the laptop. Eventually, you disconnect the cat5 from the desktop and connect it to the laptop. Now the laptop can connect to the internet and the desktop can't.
There's several possibilities. One, I think you were WHACKed. (Wireless Hack). Can you get into the linksys admin console (198.162.1.1). Did you ever change the password? If you can't get in with your password, chances are, someone got on your router, and changed the access control rights for the wireless. At this point, you need to reset the router.
Another possibility is that sometimes (rare, but happens), you need to power cycle your linksys router. I would try powering down the linksys (pull the plug), wait 10 seconds, plug it back in, plug the cat5 cable back into your desktop, and try to connect via wireless on the laptop.
Not sure if you're near any schools, but you have to be dilligent on the wireless security. It's possible that not only was your wireless hacked, but you may have gotten a virus on the laptop. Windows and Internet Explorer security is soooo unbelievably weak! Firefox, and you'll never go back! |