No; if I put an ethernet cord in the extra wireless router ports and connect it to my computer, I get the same thing as if I connect it with my wireless card--an IP address, but no real connection.

Service provider is Bell South.

ETA: The other problem is that I can't get the setup program to install on my computer; it keeps asking for a password in the install utility, which should be the default "admin" but every time I enter admin, it asks me to re-enter a password.

I think this thing may be going back to the store.

SA, there should be manual instructions on how to setup the router on the internet. I know exactly the problem you had. The older routers are A LOT better than the newer Linksys ones.

BTW, one thing that really made a difference for my router setup is changing the wireless channel. I was having pervasive problems with the signal dropping and changing the wireless channel helped. Our cellphones were fucking with the wireless connection.

Well, I found another setup assistant on the linksys website; but that one too is cockblocking me for a password. I do not have a password, as I just bought this ridiculous little machine. I've told the support techs this twice, and they still sent me to the setup utility. Rargh.

Have you unplugged the cable modem completely for a minute or two and then reconected everything? I've needed to do that whenever I've gotten a new router.

No; I'll try that next. Though I just reset the wireless router, and now the little program can't detect it at all (through my computer). I suspect that doing all this shouldn't actually be this difficult.

Some early morning thoughts.

Hmmm. I'm assuming you can get into the router itself, right?

Try setting the local IP for the router to 192.168.2.1, it may be going craxy between it and the DSL/Cable modem box.

Have you tried the setup assistant on more than one computer?

Is parental blocking on?

SA -- Now that I'm more awake, here's some more detailed thoughts.

It's very likely you don't need the setup program at all. Power down and disconnect everything (power cords, cable modem cable and ethernet cables). Wait a minute and then reconnect and power up. Make sure you can connect with a wire before you try wireless. Open a browser window and see if you get anything. Try to connect to IP address 192.168.0.1. This should get you into the router's setup utility. From there, you can change the userid and password to the router and also set up the wireless network name and encryption.

Right. I guess I was assuming that SA could get in there. My bad.

Some computer geek I turn out to be.

Okay, pontificating on the world of acting in the Firefly thread, and then coming in here? Dissonence.

I'ma take some time and make breakfast before I do any more damage to myself.

Everything's connected, and my wireless card is picking it up and getting an IP; however, nothing is actually connecting. I can't get anything on the web to ping, and I've reset the router a couple times. There's nothing wrong with the internet service, and I can't get fucking linksys on the phone. My battery died waiting for someone to pick up. And the chat people are useless. Help?

If you figure it out, let me know because my sister and her roommate have been having the exact same problem. The roommate can connect through the router's ethernet port, but my sister (who has a laptop) can't. According to every diagnostic in the damned thing, she's connected, except she can't, you know, get to the internet. She's been through every help program on the internet, and has gotten more free geek advice than we have here, and nobody can figure out what's going on. (The consensus so far is "your router really sucks.")

The roommate can connect through the router's ethernet port, but my sister (who has a laptop) can't.

Has your sister tried pinging an internet IP address? Is the laptop getting IP addresses of DNS servers (and also, gateway IP address and netmask) from DHCP on the router?