ThinkPad R51: Wireless=Good / No internet!

Hello!
My Old Thinkpad works 100% with an Ethernet cable: Google Chrome works fine. I just started using a "tp-link A1200" wireless router, and although the R51 sees the A1200 and shows a good signal, I receive a 'no internet connection' when I call up Google / Internet Explorer.
The R51 is 'new' to me...I bought it just a few weeks ago, and have not used XP for many years.
Although I am not planning to use the ThinkPad on a regular basis (!), It would be neat to get it up & running with a snazzy new wireless router...!

Thanks for taking a look. Michael.

 

Don't connect XP to the internet.

 

Thanks for the sage advice, Alex.
Now: would someone else be willing to assist me?
Thanks!

 

Can you connect to the router to begin with? Default IP is probably 192.168.1.1
What happens if you type that as web address in IE?

 

downloads...Hello!

Well: I've been using the AC1200 for about a week, and it connects 100% OK with my other PC's, and I have access to the Internet. When I connect it to the R51, the computer 'sees' it, and shows a strong signal. At the same time, however, if I go to Google and try to access, say, my Outlook account, the Dinosaur (!) appears and tells me 'No Internet" .

If I run an Ethernet cable into the R51, everything is 100%...Google / Outlook / etc.

I've heard that the R51 may not recognize the newer technology that the AC1200 uses, and that I might want to try to re-configure the AC1200 to an older 'format'...I'm looking into it now, and will get in touch with "tp-link".

Thanks again: I apprerciate your help.

Sincerely, Michael.

 

You did not answer my question though. Can you connect to the router's own configuration page from that notebook?

 

I wanted to take just a minute and let you know where I am...I thought it a good idea to give you as much info as I have right now.

So: at this moment, I'm on another PC, and it will be an hour or so until I move to the R51.

When I go to the R51, and see that it sees a signal from the AC1200, what do I do next? With my other PC's, everything's 'done for me', so I've not had to manually enter anything, save for the routers SN.

Thanks again.

 

You need to click on the network name, click connect and enter your WiFi password.

Then, try to access you router page to ensure that there is in fact a connection established.

And yes, a XP machine connected to the internet is not safe at all, and can compromise all your systems, not only that laptop running XP.

 

Thanks, senso: I'm learning all the time!

And: ( not to start another conversation--one that I assume has been dealt with in CONSIDERABLE depth! ) just what is it, precisely, about XP that renders it 'not safe'?

Although I have not looked into the topic--and going only on what ( little?! ) I've heard--is not XP vulnerable in a way that newer OS's still are i.e., to opening contaminated emails, and operating without 'good' virus protection?

In other words: this old ThinkPad will never be used to pay a credit card / buy on-line / transfer bank balances / contribute to a Charity / etc. Never!

It may be used for Internet surfing...going to a newspaper's site for stock marker reports / playing chess from a USA-based company ( ICC CHESS ), etc.

So: am I hearing you note that just BEING on the Internet with an XP machine=dangerous exposure?

Please don't get me wrong: I try to learn stuff all the time, and know that every day's different than the day before...so, if I learn that using my poor, old R51 is asking for trouble, so be it: I'll install a few stand-alone games / never connect to the Internet / call it Good!

And: to save yourself time & worn-down fingers (!), perhaps a link to an Article discussing just why XP='Bad', would be a good idea.

Once again: I'm an easy Convert to Objective Reality...really!

Sincerely, Michael.

 

Thanks, everyone: it was neat to see how many folks responded--and, how quickly!

I've learned a few things, and appreciate the experience.

Michael.

 

It hasn't been updated in ages, and is riddled with unpatched vulnerabilities that are easy to exploit. Look at the newer ones here.

It is vulnerable to the core, antivirus won't save you.

Yes.

Pretty much this. Your R51 has not only vulnerable software - which can be replaced by a modern lightweight Linux distribution - but also vulnerable hardware: many Intel CPU flaws going decades back, unpatched since your CPU was ancient when they were discovered. These hardware vulnerabilities are harder to exploit than software, but they are still there. And your R51 being online actually puts other machines on the same network in danger.

 

Thanks Starlight5...I went to the site you suggested, and gave it a long look.

Looks like the R51 will become a stand-alone ' Relic of an Earlier Time '...which is OK with me.

Still: is it not sad that something like this cannot be used owing to the likelihood that it will be attacked i.e., The Animal calling itself "Human".: Destroys just because it can...right?

Geez.

 

Its more because its ancient tech, from 2004, with a basic single core CPU, its not a mater of destroying, its a matter of being outdated hardware running outdated software.
If you want to keep old software running, you can, just dont connect it to the internet, because it will struggle just to keep up with a now basic website running over https with a basic layout in HMTL5.

 

senso...thanks for your kind comments & reply: I appreciate it.

A note here: I also enjoy acquiring and working on / restoring old timepieces--especially, pocket watches from around 1860 to 1950, and wrist watches from 1920 ( their beginning! ) until today, and a large part of the experience is simply taking an old mechanism that's intact, cleaning away a few decades of dust and old oil, applying a bit of lubricant, and getting it to work again.

And, thus, my interest in this Old R51: I'm really just looking to keep it around and active, and enjoy seeing the ThinkPad up & running from time to time; rather like an old Waltham pocket watch from, say, 1880...it will never run to within a split-second per day like most of the new watches, but it WILL run, and do so to the best of its' ability...

...and that's about the best that any of us can do, is it not?

Sincerely, Michael.

 

First of all it was probably just a bad DNS setting for the WIFI card preventing access or someone potentially configured an old proxy under internet options. The AX routers will provide legacy support for older WIFI connections.

XP = bad for a multitude of reasons other than no longer being supported / updated and it runs slow in comparison to W10 or even W8.1.

Regardless of using it for sensitive transactions it's vulnerable to issues that can spread within your network to other devices. I would check into putting linux on it for the sake of security to other devices and be happier with the performance boost you'll see with a newer OS. Ubuntu is simple and friendly but there are a ton of different linux flavors to choose from for the GUI feel you like most.

 

Tech Junky...Hello. & thanks for the comment.

I've never dealt with Linux or Ubuntu, and I need to learn about them...where's a good place to do so?

The thing about the R51 is, that it looks about New, and seems to have been really well-taken care of, and I just like its' presence...and, consequently, would like to actually USE it! Everyone and their cat says NO INTERNET WITH XP, and I assume that they know what they're talking about.

So: what's a good place to go & learn about what CAN be installed on the Old R51...?!

Thanks.

Michael.

 

Linux = OS
mint/debian/suse/Ubuntu = Flavors of Linux
MACOS = Linux variant as it's based upon the same coding

https://www.google.com/search?q=flavors+of+linux&oq=flavors+of+linux

The easiest to get into for someone not used to dealing with it is Ubuntu as it's very straight forward to get up and running from a bootable USB image and has a very wide audience of support.

If you're not tweaking things much a fresh install is easy and you get update prompts like you would with any other OS. Linux in general can be installed on very old devices up to something that was MFG today an hour ago. It has the ability to run on robust or minimal resources with as small of an image of 200MB.

If something pops up during install that's incompatible it's alright because there's usually a work around once you're up and running and connected to the internet.

Once you're done installing / updating just google "10 things to do after installing ubuntu" and you'll get tips on additional software you might be interested in adding.

 

Tech Junky...Here's an "A" for your Quick Answer...THANKS!

Once again: these old ThinkPads are SO well made & finished, that it's simply foolish not to re-purpose them away from an undated OS, into something New & Snazzy: sure, the 1965 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 has been around awhile, yet folks seem to still enjoy using them...!

Michael.

 

Until they have to put them in the shop!