Main Cisco Connect problems solution

I am posting all the possible FAQs regarding Cisco Connect.The New series of routers from Linksys or Cisco are just amazing, in regards of both, connectivity and range.1.       What is Cisco Connect?

Cisco Connect is a software program that allows you to access Valet settings and its unique features. Using Cisco Connect, you can view and change the Valet or Linksys E-Series name and password and set up parental controls where you can restrict Internet access to computer users in your home. You can also update and create an Easy Setup Key and turn on Safe Web Surfing.
NOTE:  Cisco Valet is currently available only in North America. The Linksys E2100L router is only available in the US.
To learn how to open Cisco Connect on your computer, click here.

2.       What computer operating systems does Cisco Connect support?

Cisco Connect supports these operating systems:
- Microsoft Windows XP SP3
- Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 and above
- Microsoft Windows 7
- Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.9
- Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.11
- Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.8
- Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.1

3.       What wireless adapter requirements need to be met when using Cisco Connect?

To work with Cisco Connect, wireless adapters must support WPA and WPA2 encryption.

4.       Why can’t I use Cisco Connect when I’m away from home?

Cisco Connect can only be opened when you are connected to your Valet or Linksys E-Series. When you are at a coffee shop or at school, you are connected to a different network, so Cisco Connect will not work. 
NOTE: Cisco Valet is currently available only in North America. The Linksys E2100L router is only available in the US.

5.       What’s the difference between Safe web surfing and parental controls?

When Safe web surfing is turned ON as you’re surfing the Internet and are about to open a potentially harmful site, an alert displays in your browser telling you that the site may be harmful to your computer or to your personal data. There are certain sites on the Internet that are “flagged” as potentially harmful, meaning they may contain viruses, install malware on your computer, or attempt to access your personal data. You can continue on to the site, or decide not to open it. When Safe web surfing is turned on, it applies to all computers connected to the Valet or Valet Plus.
Parental controls allows you to restrict the Internet on specific computers in your home. You can restrict access to the Internet for specific days and times, or allow Internet access but restrict access to specific Web content.
NOTE:  Cisco Valet is currently available only in North America. The Linksys E2100L router is only available in the US.
Parental controls in Cisco Connect can be set up for up to 10 computers or devices.

6.       Why do I see duplicate names for computers and devices when setting up parental controls?

When setting up parental controls, you decide which computers and devices the Internet restrictions apply to. In the Set up parental controls for dialog box sometimes a computer or device name might be listed more than once. This can happen if:

• A computer has connected to the Valet or Linksys E-Series both wirelessly and with a wired connection.

• You have two of the same kinds of devices, such as phones, and both are listed with the same manufacturer name.

• You’ve given the same name to more than one computer or device. If you want to set parental controls for an item that is listed
more than once, select all instances of the name in the Set up parental controls for dialog box. This ensures that the Internet
restrictions you set will apply to that computer or device. 

NOTE:  Cisco Valet is currently available only in North America. The Linksys E2100L router is only available in the US.Parental controls in Cisco Connect can be set up for up to 10 computers or devices. 7.       I forgot my parental controls password and the answer to my secret question. What should I do?
In a scenario like this, we suggest that you perform the following steps:Step 1:
Reset your Valet or Linksys E-Series by holding down the reset button for 10-15 seconds.

Step 2:
Uninstall Cisco Connect.

Step 3:
Insert your updated Easy Setup Key to restore your Valet or Linksys E-Series settings. You will need to reconfigure Parental controls. If you do not have an updated Easy Setup Key, you will need to run your Valet or Linksys E-Series installation again.

NOTE: Cisco Valet is currently available only in North America. The Linksys E2100L router is only available in the US.8.       What happens if I uninstall Cisco Connect?

When you uninstall Cisco Connect, all Valet or Linksys E-Series settings remain unchanged. These settings include the Valet or Linksys E-Series, password, guest access, and parental controls. For example, if you have parental controls set to block Internet access for school nights, those settings remain in effect after you uninstall Cisco Connect. To remove or change Valet or Linksys E-Series settings after you uninstall Cisco Connect, you need to reset the Valet or Linksys E-Series to its original settings, and then use the Valet or Linksys E-Series Web-based utility. Refer to the Valet or Linksys E-Series User Guide for details about using the Web-based utility.

NOTE: Cisco Valet is currently available only in North America. The Linksys E2100L router is only available in the US.

9.       What is a Valet or Linksys E-Series name and password?

Your Valet or Linksys E-Series provides a private network for the computers and devices (phones, gaming systems, PDAs) in your home. Using the Valet or Linksys E-Series, those computers and devices can share one Internet connection and communicate with each other to share files, photos, printers, etc. The Valet or Linksys E-Series name and password are required for any computer or device you connect to your Valet or Linksys E-Series. This prevents neighbors (or strangers) from accessing your network, and potentially your personal information. You can use the pre-defined name and password that comes with your Valet or Linksys E-Series, or you can change them to something you prefer. To change the name or password, open Cisco Connect and choose Valet settings for Valets or Router settings for Routers. Be sure to update the Easy Setup Key when you do this.

Important: You will need to manually reconnect your computers or devices using the new name and password to your wireless network should you change the Valet or Linksys E-Series name or password. You may also use and insert the updated Easy Setup Key into that computer to automatically reconnect to your wireless network. To know how to update your Easy Setup Key, click here.

NOTE: Cisco Valet is currently available only in North America. The Linksys E2100L router is only available in the US.

10.      I changed my Valet or Linksys E-Series name and password. How can I connect my other computers?

If you used Cisco Connect to change the Valet or Linksys E-Series name or password, you will be prompted to update the Easy Setup Key during that process.
If you updated the key, take that key to the other computers you want to connect to the Valet or Linksys E-Series and insert it into any available USB port. The Cisco Connect software will then update the computer’s settings with the new name and password you have made. This will reconnect the computer to the wireless network.
If the Easy Setup Key was not updated when you changed the name or password, open Cisco Connect, click Valet settings for Valets or Router settings for Routers, and then click Update or create Key to update your Key. Then, insert the updated Key into the computer you’re trying to connect. This will update the name and password settings and connect the computer to the Valet or Linksys E-Series.
NOTE: When changing your Valet or Linksys E-Series Name and Password, we recommend that you always do so using the Change option in Cisco Connect. Changing the Name and Password via the Advanced settings option or Web-based utility will prevent you from using Cisco Connect.

To learn how to change your Valet or Linksys E-Series Name or Password, please click here.

To learn how to find out the Wireless name or the Password, of your Valet or E-Series router please click here.

11.      I want to update my Valet or Linksys E-Series settings on my computer, but I don’t have a free USB port to insert the Easy Setup Key into. What can I do?

If you’re using a USB wireless adapter, you can remove the wireless adapter temporarily and insert your Easy Setup Key to update the settings on your computer. When the Valet or Linksys E-Series settings are updated, remove the Key and re-insert your wireless adapter.

NOTE: Cisco Valet is currently available only in North America. The Linksys E2100L router is only available in the US.

12.     What are the Advanced Settings?

This is a Web-based utility used for setting advanced Valet or Linksys E-Series features, such as wireless encryption, SSID, and others. You should not use this utility unless you have configured routers in the past. It’s best to use Cisco Connect’s Valet settings or Router settings to make any changes. To access the utility, use the Valet password.
Important: If you change the Valet or Linksys E-Series password using the Valet settings or Router settings option in Cisco Connect, the change is also applied to the Web-based utility. To access the utility, you have to use the new password.

NOTE: Cisco Valet is currently available only in North America. The Linksys E2100L router is only available in the US.

13.     My Advanced Settings have been changed and now I can’t use Cisco Connect. What can I do?

If you or someone else used the Advanced Settings to make changes to the Valet or Linksys E-Series settings, those settings were applied directly to the Valet or Linksys E-Series and you can no longer use Cisco Connect. You can either continue to use the Valet or Linksys E-Series Advanced Settings to view and change Valet or Linksys E-Series settings, or you can reset your Valet or Linksys E-Series. If you reset your Valet or Linksys E-Series, the name, password, and other settings return to the default settings – the way they were when you first installed the Valet or Linksys E-Series. You can then use Cisco Connect to manage settings.

How to Repair a Dead Linksys Wireless Router Page 2

It’s Dead, Jim!




Despite best — or not-so-best — efforts, accidents happen. Maybe your flash upgrade failed, or your router’s memory became corrupted. You may have made a mistake somewhere in the process. It could have been buggy firmware itself. After all, these open source replacements come with no guarantees. The time for blame has passed.



You’ll know your router has been bricked because, well, it no longer works. More specifically, you will probably see the power light blinking steadily. You may see most of its other lights lit solid.



If your router has a “DMZ” (define) light, note whether it is lit at power on or whether it lights a few seconds later, or never at all. This information could be useful soon.



Sometimes you can breathe new life into your bricked router. It is difficult to say exactly how often bricked routers are successfully revived, but it happens often enough that a number of resurrection techniques have emerged. There is no guarantee, of course, that any of these will work.



The methods devised by the networking community basically fall into two categories: gentle and desperate.



The more popular gentle recovery techniques involve establishing basic network communications with your router through software, followed by reflashing back to known, good firmware.



The desperate recovery techniques involve opening your router and attempting to physically reset its circuitry.



Gentle Recoveries



If you could simply reflash your seemingly dead router with an official Linksys firmware, you could, like Cher, turn back time. Not surprisingly, this is Linksys’ approved recovery method for Windows users, and the only one that won’t void your warranty – if it works.



To test if your router is only “a little bit dead,” you need to see if it responds to pings. First, reset your router to its factory default settings. Do this by powering it on and depressing the reset button for at least 30 seconds. You need the tip of a pen, or better yet, the pointy end of a pen cap to keep the recessed button depressed. The router’s lights will cycle off and back on after it reboots itself.



Using a computer with a wired Ethernet connection to one of the router’s LAN ports, open a command prompt in Windows (go to the Run command in the Windows Start menu, type "cmd" and then hit Enter). Use the ping command to see if the router responds at its factory default IP address, 192.168.1.1.



>ping 192.168.1.1

Pinging 192.168.1.1 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128

Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128



If you see something like the above, your router is not really dead. You may now dance a happy jig.



If, instead of “Reply from” you see “Request Timed Out” or “Hardware Error” or “Destination host unreachable,” your router is not responding. Do not dance a happy jig, and don’t bother with the rest of this Linksys-approved recovery, because you’ll just be wasting your time. Jump to the next section.



To proceed with the Linksys recovery, visit their Web site to download the latest official firmware. Select your router model from the drop-down list. Be sure to choose the exact model number marked on the underside label of your router – the WRT54G, for example, comes in versions from V1 to V6 (if unmarked, you have a V1).



Click the “Firmware” icon and proceed to download the firmware executable (.exe) file (define).



Force your network adapter into 10Mbps half-duplex mode. Because the procedure varies on different Windows versions, consult this Linksys support page for step-by-step instructions.



Launch the executable file you downloaded. Click “Next” on the splash screen. Set the “Router’s IP Address” to 192.168.1.1 and the “Router’s Password” to admin. Click “Next” again, and the firmware upload process begins.



About two minutes later, the update will complete, the router will reboot, and you’re back in business. At this point, you may revisit upgrading the firmware to an open-source replacement, but be sure to consider what may have gone wrong before, so as not to simply repeat your router’s near-death experience.



The Ping, Dear God, I Beg Of You Technique



If you router did not respond to pings at 192.168.1.1, it isn’t in great shape. But all hope is not yet lost.



Earlier, did you notice if the “DMZ” light on the front panel glows a few seconds after applying power? If yes, you may be able to reset the router to a failsafe mode. Cycle the power to your router and, as soon as DMZ lights up, depress the reset button for two seconds. It may take some coordination to pull this off accurately. Try again to ping the router.



If your firmware is truly hosed, your router may only respond to pings at 192.168.1.1 for a very brief window upon power-up. The moment power is applied, the router hasn’t yet loaded its firmware and is operating on a kind of BIOS. It is during this fleeting moment that you may be able to “catch” the router while still momentarily conscious, just before its brain-dead firmware is loaded.



You need to test whether your router is indeed responsive, even if just for a second, because that is all that's needed to breathe new life into it.



First, connect both your computer and your router to a hub (define) or switch (obviously, the switch built into the router doesn't count). If your computer is wired directly to your router, your Ethernet link may drop when the router is non-responsive, and you could miss the brief moment when it blinks its eyes awake. The hub/switch will keep your link up.



Second, manually configure your wired network settings. Assign your computer the IP address 192.168.1.10 (the last digit should be any number greater than 1), with subnet mask 255.255.255.0, and gateway 192.168.1.1.



Third, open a command prompt in Windows, or a terminal in MacOS X or Linux. Windows users should type:



ping –t 192.168.1.1



The “-t” switch in Windows will keep the ping running indefinitely.



MacOS X or Linux users should type:



ping 192.168.1.1



Your computer will continuously lob pings at the router. Now, cycle power to the router. You’re looking for any sign of life at all – does the router respond to any ping? Depending on your ping command, a successful reply may say “Reply from…” or “XYZ bytes from…” along with information like “time” and “TTL”.



If you do see even one or two replies, you’re set! This verifies that your router experiences a moment of consciousness.



If your router does not respond to a ping within a few seconds of powering up, it isn’t going to happen.

                      Page1         Page2           Page3