SB problem: Can't connect to wireless network

Dave G · « **on:** 19 Feb 2006, 08:40 pm »

This is NOT an intitial set up issue. I've had my SB3 up and running for 2 months using a wireless connection. I use it every day and had no connection problems during this period, but then Friday it wouldn't connect to the network when I turned it on. I have no idea why.

I've tried rebooting the router and the SB. I reset the SB to the factory default settings and tried to set up the network connection from scratch. I used System Restore to put my PC back where it had been a few days before. I brought the SB up to where my computer is and it still won't connect wireless, although it connects right away if I use an ethernet cable.

I've run out of ideas. Anyone have advice on other things I might try or what the problem(s) might be?

Someone is sure to ask this: I have a Linksys WRT54G v. 5 router.

Thanks for all your help.

Dave

Tweaker · « **Reply #1 on:** 19 Feb 2006, 09:07 pm »

Which firmware version are you using? The older ver 15 that is poplular to roll back to, because it's felt to sound better, has a bug that can spontaneously change the squeezebox MAC address resulting in the problem you are describing.

Dave G · « **Reply #2 on:** 19 Feb 2006, 10:37 pm »

Tweaker,

Thanks for the idea, but I'm using version 28 and have never tried version 15.

Dave

gbeard · « **Reply #3 on:** 19 Feb 2006, 10:42 pm »

Check and make sure the IP address of the SB3 is the same one listed in the Slim Server infomation. For some unknow (to me) reason, the number will get changed--power outage maybe-- may not be the problem but won't hurt to check.

Val · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 Feb 2006, 12:42 pm »

Reset both router and SB, change the SSID.

duff138 · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 Feb 2006, 01:36 pm »

Quote from: Tweaker

Which firmware version are you using? The older ver 15 that is poplular to roll back to, because it's felt to sound better, has a bug that can spontaneously change the squeezebox MAC address resulting in the problem you are describing.

Is there a fix for this bug? One that'll alllow you to continue using version 15?

jakepunk · « **Reply #6 on:** 20 Feb 2006, 05:15 pm »

There is a workaround where you reprogram the ethernet mac address of the SB. I have never had this problem happen to me in 6 months of using firmware 15.

Dave G · « **Reply #7 on:** 20 Feb 2006, 06:18 pm »

Thanks for all the responses.

Tweaker and jakepunk: I did check and the MAC address in my player's current settings matches the one on the bottom of the player.

Val: Why would I want to change the SSID? I'm not averse to trying different things (especially since what I've done so far sure hasn't worked!), but I don't understand the basis for your suggestion. Thanks.

Dave

Val · « **Reply #8 on:** 20 Feb 2006, 07:31 pm »

I read that sometimes the SB acquires and then "remembers" the wrong settings, therefore it's better to start from zero.

Dave G · « **Reply #9 on:** 20 Feb 2006, 09:26 pm »

Val wrote:

Quote

I read that sometimes the SB acquires and then "remembers" the wrong settings, therefore it's better to start from zero.

I've read that, too, but I did reset the SB to the factory default settings and then went through the network setup from scratch, which included inserting the name of my network. It didn't solve the problem. Is that what you meant? Sorry if I'm missing your point -- I'm new enough to all this that sometimes I find I don't know enough even to understand helpful advice.

Dave

Tweaker · « **Reply #10 on:** 20 Feb 2006, 09:44 pm »

Quote

Tweaker wrote:
Which firmware version are you using? The older ver 15 that is poplular to roll back to, because it's felt to sound better, has a bug that can spontaneously change the squeezebox MAC address resulting in the problem you are describing.

Is there a fix for this bug? One that'll alllow you to continue using version 15?

This actually happened to me some time ago in the middle of a song. I just changed the MAC address back to the correct one, (after Slimdevices tech support solved the problem for me) and have not had a problem since, and I'm still using ver 15. I don't worry about it happening again because it seems like a rare occurance and I know what to do if it does.

Val · « **Reply #11 on:** 21 Feb 2006, 12:10 pm »

Quote from: Dave G

which included inserting the name of my network. It didn't solve the problem. Is that what you meant?

I meant giving the network a new name (SSID) as part of the resetting and starting over. Try it, you can always go back to the old name.

Dave G · « **Reply #12 on:** 23 Feb 2006, 02:34 pm »

Thanks for all the help and advice.

I finally got in touch with Slim Devices tech support last night. They were closed during the long weekend and I was busy Tuesday evening -- one thing I learned from all this is not to have Sqeezebox problems on the Friday night of a long weekend. It took the tech no more than 5 minutes to get me back up and running. I asked him if it was always that easy, and he said, "Yup."

The problems were that the router had burped for some unknown reason and lost most of my settings and that I had then screwed up in my solo attempts to fix things. My final hangup was that, when my Squeezebox would ask for my network password, I kept trying to use the local network password rather than the password I used to reestablish WPA Personal encryption. In my defense, the former is called a "password" in the Linksys set up site, while the latter is called a "key."

Anyhow, it's great to have the SB back. Mine is a Red Wine Audio modded SB3 and its sound is sooo much better than my decent, but not great CD player (NAD C542).

Thanks again.

Dave