Windows 7: Only 1 wireless connection?

Glad I discovered this forum, hope someone can help. Take your time though

So In my house my wife and I had two older XP machines hardwired into a Netgear WGR614v7 wireless router, a laptop connected wirelessly downstairs primarily for media streaming and a PS3 wirelessly connected in the living room. All was well.

We decide 5 years is enough so I build us each new Windows 7 64bit machines in place of the old XPs. Again, hardwired into the network, nothing else in the configuration has changed.

After several attempts at resetting passwords, wireless network names, restoring factory defaults on the router, etc., I seem to be allowed only one simultaneous wireless connection. The hardwired side is fine. It would seem that just having Windows 7 present in the network has caused this. So to use my PS3 I've gotta go downstairs and turn off the laptop, come back up, do my thing, then once it's off go back down and reconnect the laptop. Attempting to connect it while the PS3 has an established connection gives me an Incorrect Passkey error.

I've since run a rather permanent Ethernet connection and rather enjoy the hardwired speed on the PS3 and can still use the laptop fine, so like I said, no rush. But knowing that I'm not allowed any additional wireless devices is rather irritating.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

Hi.

I'd try a combination or setting the router to default factory settings along with actually updating the firmware if one is available.

Done and done. No affect.

Then it's most likely because the devices connecting to the router are not of the same type.

In the router is a setting for wireless network type. Make sure it's set to be compatible for all device types (N, G etc..)

With the correct choice, all wireless devices may work at the same time. However, speed may be lessened due to the fact.

Many routers auto-compensate. Maybe that one doesn't.

I have the same setup and the same problem, and I found the answer... Go to the Netgear site and it lists its compatible routers with Win 7, and the Netgear WGR614v7 is not on the list, but at the bottom it says "all other routers are supported by latest firmware." Then, below that, it notes that all of these drivers are for 32-bit versions.

So then go to the Microsoft Windows 7 compatibility site, and under the 32-bit version, Netgear WGR614, listed as compatible. Click the 64-bit button, though, and it says the Netgear WGR614 is NOT yet compatible, but says Microsoft is working with the manufacturer on the drivers. It says that about a lot of hardware, too, with the 64 version.

If you google around for this router and 64-bit Windows, you'll see that it also was compatible with 32-bit Vista, but not 64-bit. Given that Netgear never fixed this issue, I'm going to install the 32-bit version so I can share my connection with my wife's computer in Windows 7.

All devices used in the scenario are either hardwired (the two Windows 7 PCs) or wireless G (Laptop, PS3, my sisters netbook for testing purposes). The router is configured to accept both B and G. As I said this exact configuration worked fine literally moments before replacing the old XP machines with Windows 7.

AHH you posted this as I was responding, so now I feel double the fool for not googling that deep. I had done some minor fact-checking but never would I have thought 32/64bit enviornments would matter with a router. I guess I just figured a router is doing it's own thing independently of the connected machines; what is Windows doing with it that would cause our problems?