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Forum Discussion
WNCE3001: Can't Access Setup GUI Page & Can't Reset Device
Initially, I was able to set up the WNCE3001 OK except that it would only allow me to select WPA network security for the 5 GHz band. It did not let me select WPA2 even though I set up my router for WPA2 only.
In case the problem might be that I was using the same network SSID name for both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands (as prompted by my ASUS router configuration wizard), I changed the 5 GHz band SSID name on my router configuration page and then tried to reconfigure my WNCE3001 so it could connect to the 5 GHz band after the SSID name change. It has been all down hill since then. :(
I have spent many hours researching and trying everything I read about in FAQs, forums and the user manual and everything else I could think of many times since then but I have not been able to get the WNCE3001 to do anything but show a steady amber light. I even tried changing the SSID back to what it was originally but that didn't help (it might have been after I pressed the reset button although reset didn't seem to work).
Of course I followed all the instructions and tips I could find to attempt to reach the setup GUI page for the WNCE3001 but nothing worked. Finally, I tried resetting the WNCE3001 by pushing a paper clip into the reset opening for 5+ seconds, several times, but nothing happened -- no blinking amber light or anyting -- just a continuation of a steady amber light.
One thing left unsaid and therefore ambiguous in the instructions in the manual related to re-configuring the WNCE3001 was wether you are supposed to turn your computer's wireless adapter off (as instructed for the initial set up) or leave it on when trying to reach the setup GUI page while the WNCE3001 is connected to your computer. I tried it both ways; neither approach allowed me to reach the desired page.
I would appreciate your help. Do you think my WNCE3001 is dead?:confused: Most of the instructions I found don't seem to apply to my situation. They all make simplifying assumptions like "make sure it is blinking green" -- well how do I do that if it just stays solid amber for hours? Or it says, just reset it; but it won't reset. So I would appreciate any suggestions you have, especially any that aren't already in the manual or FAQs.
Thank you in advance for any assistance you might provide.
I am using Windows 7 on an HP laptop computer and an Asus RT-N53 Dual band N600 wireless router. I want to use the 5GHz band to provide a steady, interference-free, wireless Internet connection through the WNCE3001 for an Ooma VOIP telephone device.
In case the problem might be that I was using the same network SSID name for both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands (as prompted by my ASUS router configuration wizard), I changed the 5 GHz band SSID name on my router configuration page and then tried to reconfigure my WNCE3001 so it could connect to the 5 GHz band after the SSID name change. It has been all down hill since then. :(
I have spent many hours researching and trying everything I read about in FAQs, forums and the user manual and everything else I could think of many times since then but I have not been able to get the WNCE3001 to do anything but show a steady amber light. I even tried changing the SSID back to what it was originally but that didn't help (it might have been after I pressed the reset button although reset didn't seem to work).
Of course I followed all the instructions and tips I could find to attempt to reach the setup GUI page for the WNCE3001 but nothing worked. Finally, I tried resetting the WNCE3001 by pushing a paper clip into the reset opening for 5+ seconds, several times, but nothing happened -- no blinking amber light or anyting -- just a continuation of a steady amber light.
One thing left unsaid and therefore ambiguous in the instructions in the manual related to re-configuring the WNCE3001 was wether you are supposed to turn your computer's wireless adapter off (as instructed for the initial set up) or leave it on when trying to reach the setup GUI page while the WNCE3001 is connected to your computer. I tried it both ways; neither approach allowed me to reach the desired page.
I would appreciate your help. Do you think my WNCE3001 is dead?:confused: Most of the instructions I found don't seem to apply to my situation. They all make simplifying assumptions like "make sure it is blinking green" -- well how do I do that if it just stays solid amber for hours? Or it says, just reset it; but it won't reset. So I would appreciate any suggestions you have, especially any that aren't already in the manual or FAQs.
Thank you in advance for any assistance you might provide.
I am using Windows 7 on an HP laptop computer and an Asus RT-N53 Dual band N600 wireless router. I want to use the 5GHz band to provide a steady, interference-free, wireless Internet connection through the WNCE3001 for an Ooma VOIP telephone device.
1 Reply
- It appears I stumbled upon a solution :) -- however unlikely it seems. Shortly after I wrote the original post it occurred to me to try one more thing even though it was already 7AM after working on this much of the day and all night.
Even though the WNCE3001 was obviously getting power (because it exhibited a constant yellow light) and even though I was supplying power to it through the exact same laptop USB port at the same distance from the router as when I successfully set up the WNCE3001 for the first time -- I thought why not put the adapter on and plug the WNCE3001 USB cable directly into an electrical outlet? Keep in mind that the Adapter LED Activity chart in the FAQ portion of the setup instruction sheet indicates that a solid amber light means "Link quality is fair, based on the link rate."; it doesn't give any hint that electrical power could be an issue. It might be a good idea to update that chart.
It turns out that not only did plugging the WNCE3001's USB cord (with adapter) directly into an electrical outlet allow me to finally get a blinking green light and reach the setup page, for some mysterious reason, I was also able to select the network security setting that I could not get the first time: WPA2. How this happened is a complete mystery to me because I had changed the SSID back to its original name in the router setup page -- so one would think I would have encountered the same problem I did the first time.
In summary, both the inability to reach the setup page and the inability to select WPA2 security were solved but, in my mind, the apparent "solution" seems more mysterious than logical. One could say it's not a huge surprise that a bigger power supply might have helped the WNCE3001 connect to the router, but then, why did it connect so easily the first time when I used the same laptop USB port for power at the same (location and) distance from the router? :confused: Well, after staying up all night, I guess my most appropriate response should be "hooray! the problems are solved" and "who cares why!"
Now, I must decide whether to try to go to sleep or just stay awake the rest of the day and wait till tonight to sleep. The techie bug can really mess you up, can't it? It's hard to quit when just gotta get that tech problem solved. Maybe some of you have this nasty bug too?;)
Thanks for reading. I hope I didn't bore you all to death.
