Netgear router not initializing properly upon setup (two year old router)

Question

I have an old Netgear wifi router (model WNR834Bv2) which I am trying to reinitialize. A recent storm knocked out my internet, and when it came back on, the router was not functioning properly (I have a surge protector, it is in working condition). When following the instructions on the installation CD to try and set the router back up, it failed when I plugged the power source into the Netgear router. The power light was not on, all LAN lights were on, and the wifi light was blinking.

Since this router is two years old, is it just broken? Or is there some netgear-specific bug which can be fixed? If so, how? I need to get wifi back up and running ASAP. Does anyone have a suggestion for fixing this issue? Is there an alternate order of connection I should try than the one suggested in the installation CD? I also tried the "Restore factory settings" button on the router itself, with no luck.

My broadband modem is an RCA modem from Comcast, and is approximately four years old. The computer is running Windows XP (SP2).

Thanks very much for any assistance!

Answer 1

Sounds like it's been fried to me. If the "Restore Factory Settings" button doesn't work then you're likely to be stuck looking for a replacement.

One thing that is important to point out is that just pressing the button generally doesn't work - it has to be powered on, you have to keep it pressed for 10-15 seconds until you get a noticable response from the LEDS (this will vary by model) then release.

If the router isn't actually fried it should boot at this stage and you should be able to connect to the management interface using the factory default username\password (usually user:admin , password:password ). If that doesn't work there are recommendations to hold the reset button for even longer periods that may work - there's a good walk through of the steps to follow here.