There's always one. Wireless network fun anybody?

As of today Sky are taking my money instead of Pipex. This afternoon I
noticed a lack of broadband and went to replace the old router with the
shiny new one.

The main PC is wired into the router so it worked immediately, the laptop
had a wireless look around, found the new connection, asked for the WAP-SPK
key, got it, and is happy.

Daughter's PC though... I put a new wireless PCI card in it and it seems
happy but the wireless network connection icon has a red cross through it
and doesn't even look for a network. Right-clicking it brings up "View
available connections" but there aren't any and the box is greyed out. Using
the Network Setup Wizard brings up a box which says "Connections listed
below are disconnected, plug the cunts in" or something similar. One of the
connections is, of course, the wireless card.

The PCI card came with a bit of software that supposedly searches for
networks and indeed it does - I've given it the SSID and network key, it
finds and names the router, says things to it, then ignores it and goes off
to search for others. Endlessly. It says the signal's poor even though the
router is but 15' away.

Hair = pulled out.

Help.

 

And... all running XP Home or Pro.

And II... when I ran the wireless wizard it asked for a WEP key but I
couldn't see any way of telling it that it's a WAP key so it kept rejecting
it. Can't remember what I did after that coz it started to drive me insane.

 

Yes. The laptop accepted it immediately but daughter's PC kept arguing that
it was the wrong number of characters - it was expecting a WEP key for some
reason. I think that was when I ran the wireless card's software, where
there was a box for the WAP key Sky gave me.

 

Yes. The laptop accepted it immediately but daughter's PC kept arguing
that

Sounds a lot like the wireless drivers/card don't support anything but WEP,
what card & software is it running?
Can you manually enter the connection settings rather than running through
the setup wizard?

 

It supports WPA/WPA2, IEEE802.1X, TKIP, AES (not WAP, like what I keep
bloody typing!)

I've been going round in circles for so long now I'm not entirely sure what
I've tried. I'll have another play later. Or tomorrow perhaps.

 

Oh FFS.

<Mumbled> Bought PC, PC was restored to original, SP1... *ESS PEE ONE??*

Got SP2 on it now. Still keeps losing the network and won't connect to it
but I feel we made progress.

Cunting computers. Now I don't know if the wireless card is just shite or
there's something ELSE I haven't noticed.

 

It finds the network... sometimes. When it does It asks for the key and
tries to connect but says it's waiting for the network and never actually
connects. It is mostly pissing me off.

 

Access list?

 

Any special characters in the WAP key that may be in a different
location on a US keyboard? Not that something like that would've ever
happened to me, oh no...

 

Heh! No, just capitals and it can be unmasked anyway.

 

Will be checked, ta.

 

In communiqué <fuanp5$93q$>, "Mungo \"Two

I can only guess it might be a clash between wireless zero configuration
and the card's own utility.

Now it is on SP2 have a look at this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/870702



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I think I've discovered the problem - a shite wireless card. I used the
restore CD to get it back to pre-wireless network wizard state, added SP2
straight away and everything was a lot easier. Problem is, I have to show
the wireless card's aerial to the router before it will connect, i.e. point
it at it - "There it is, you ****! Over there!!". If I shut the door it says
"'Ere, it's all gone dark! Where did the router go??". It's bollocks. It
will be replaced. What's the opinion of USB wireless jobbies?

 

Dunno. SP2 helped a great deal though!

 

Thanks, Nige.

 

<Light dawns> Of course! Doesn't have to actually be plugged into the pc,
does it? Much better idea. I just assumed (yes, I know) that a wireless card
was a wireless card. Cheers, Rob.

 

If you're going to run a wire from the PC, you could just continue it
all the way to the router

On a more serious note, check the wireless card is broadcasting at
full strength. It'll be in the hardware properties somewhere.

My wife's Dell laptop always thinks it's being helpful in dropping to
broadcast strength in order to save power. In reality it just means
it drops the connection all the time.

And don't forget there could be a lot of metal in the wall/door
between the laptop and the router. It may not be the fault of the
hardware, but the building.

 

Heh! Could do but I didn't intend to run it that far and even if it needed
to be closer it would be very easy to run a USB extension up into the loft,
over a bit, and leave the adapter sitting in the loft right above the
router.

I'll certainly have a look but it was fluctuating between 2 and 56Mbps and
dropped off completely if my daughter just stood directly between it and the
router!

I'm sure it should be able to manage one standard door in 15 feet of open
space, but point taken.

 

Indeed. I only got as 'advanced' as CB twiggery though, and that was just
silly. It's ok for Merkins to say ten-four good buddy but in Fannit it
sounded wierd. I used to ask people what it meant and they'd say "...yes",
to which I'd reply "Well just fuckin' say yes then!".

Anyway, even the little tiny hairyhole on this wireless card shouldn't find
a few yards of open space too much of a challenge.

I've come to accept that very few things work first time for me so
consequently I nearly died of excitement this morning when I got a REFUND
cheque from BT because I've finished with their services and had paid too
much. Didn't even know I was due one and it turned up! That does *not*
happen.

On the downside I also got a script rejection letter from (another) tv
company. What do they know?