AlphaSquared
asked on
Can't identify home wireless network
Background: I have a ThinkPad Z series laptop with built-in Intel 11a/b/g/n Wireless LAN adapter. The machine runs Windows XP Home edition. It has both a Windows firewall and a Symantec firewall, which I have disabled so the machine can access my home network's printers. I have a Hawking Wireless router model H2WRG54 supporting: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
Problem: The machine does not identify my wireless network (or any other). I have other machines which successfully identify my home network as well as other wireless networks in the vicinity. I frequently have friends who bring their computers to my house, readily find my network and when given the password easily connect to it.
Please advise,
A^2
Problem: The machine does not identify my wireless network (or any other). I have other machines which successfully identify my home network as well as other wireless networks in the vicinity. I frequently have friends who bring their computers to my house, readily find my network and when given the password easily connect to it.
Please advise,
A^2
DMTechGrooup
I have seen in the past that the N card will sometimes not see an older router and wont connect. Do you have a USB or PCMCIA card to test with?
ASKER
I've purchased the router only about a year ago and it Hawkins still lists it as a current product. I can take a PCMCIA card from one of my other laptops. Do you mean to test whether the internal card has malfunctioned?
I dont think it has malfunctioned unless it wont see any wireless. It is just a much newer card with the 802.11n stuff. Try the pcmcia which doesn't have 802.11n and see if it will connect.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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SOLUTION
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ASKER
II re-setup a Preferred networks connection under the wireless networks tab of the Wireless Connecion Properties window. I entered the appropriate network authentication (WPA-PSK), Data encryption (AES) and Network key. I don't think the problem resides in this.
The card/machine doesn't identify ANY wireless networks. I can turn on any other laptop in the house and typically see a half dozen networks.
The card/machine doesn't identify ANY wireless networks. I can turn on any other laptop in the house and typically see a half dozen networks.
ASKER
I also confirmed the the wireless card is turned "On"
ASKER
I plugged in a Hawking Wireless network card. XP home edition easily identified and configured it. It identifies several networks and easily logs on to my home network.
I also checked for any new drivers on the Intel card, I have the latest.
I also checked for any new drivers on the Intel card, I have the latest.
SOLUTION
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You might wish to install netstumbler which will help you verify whether the problem is with your card or with the way windows is managing your card. If you can't see any wireless networks in netstumbler then it's likely that your card cannot detect any and has a problem. If you can see networks with 'stumbler then it's more likely to be a installation/configuration
Read about it here: http://www.netstumbler.com/about/
Get netstumbler here: http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads/
Read about it here: http://www.netstumbler.com/about/
Get netstumbler here: http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads/
So, AS how did you get on?
ASKER
All,
No resolution with the internal card, so I just used a plug in Hawking. Not the most elegant solution ;-(
No comments led to a solution. Any suggestions for how or if I should split up the points?
A^2
No resolution with the internal card, so I just used a plug in Hawking. Not the most elegant solution ;-(
No comments led to a solution. Any suggestions for how or if I should split up the points?
A^2
If you don't feel we helped, then you could ask for a refund. If you want to split the points then you could give everyone a piece.
Did you come to the conclusion that the card was fubar?
Did you come to the conclusion that the card was fubar?
ASKER
Honestly, I think the card probably works fine. I have some serious questions about whether Windows XP communicates effectively with the card. Curiously, I got my wife an almost identical computer with the same wireless card but it has Vista on it instead of XP. Worked like a charm. Go figure? Everything else about Vista seems cumbersome and ill conceived, but it sure hooks up to the wireless network.
I spread around some points. Thanks for the effort.
A
I spread around some points. Thanks for the effort.
A
Thanks. As a general rule, I always use the card manufacturers management utility rather than windows xp wirelss config, it's proper pants.