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Problem connecting to wireless network

I have a wireless network since many years at home.
Router SpeedTouch, ADSL, wireless
Two days ago, I powered on my desktop as usual.
I could not go to the internet and discovered that the IP address of the wireless card was not the one daily assigned by the DHCP Router, but the default Windows one, when there is no address assigned.
I have also a portable so I started it and it worked fine to get ip address etc...
I could access also via the portable the router admin menu with http on its address and looked to see that everything
For the desktop, via control panel etc... I can see that the wireless card is functioning and that it gets the signal (strong) from the router box
There is no firewall running on the desktop
What shell I investigate now to find what the problem is
Replaced the Delphi Zone with the WLAN Zone.

rindi,
EE ZA Storage

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rindi
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What OS are you using? Are you running the Wireless Adapter's software utility or that of the OS? Is the WPA2 passphrase correct?
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Rindi,
I run Windows Vista since 4-5 years
I use the Windows utility since the beginnning
The wireless network has never beens not secured
First of all add security, at least WPA-PSK of some sort with a very long passphrase that uses both lower and uppercase characters and numbers, and which can't be found in any dictionary. Using no security is dangerously careless. Also change the channel used by your Access Point, as sometimes interference of other AP's or electric devices can cause interference. Then try connecting again. Also reboot the AP.
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Hello Rindi
I am not gonna change all these things as it is not the purpose of my question/problem !
The AP has been reboot already
Then I won't be able to help.
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My network is working like this since the existence of wireless connections
I do not understand how making it "secure" will fix my problem !
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I had this : I share my network with people around my house and they have no problem now
What is the "danger" with people I have 100 % confidence in ?
Others you don't know from outside the house can also connect to the system and misuse your wireless connection to do unlawful actions anonymously. Some countries like germany have laws in place that can apprehend people who don't secure their wireless AP's.

Apart from that hackers can easily monitor yours and your house member's transactions with the Internet and gain personal data, mail accounts and passwords, banking accounts etc., and then they can use that info for their advantage.
I agree with rindi in the importance of securing your wireless network, for your own security. If you want to share it with people of your entire confidence just share your password with them.

And in order of seeking a solution for your problem... I supose that your problem could have come from the DHCP server.
Does your connection works fine if you assign an ip and a gateway manually?
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No neither via DHCP nor fixing it manually
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ps : for info, I live in the country and there is, except those nice neighbors close to my house, no other house around. So I wonder who would damage something on my network and what he would damage ?
You probably don't know all the owners of cars close by, and even though the range of wlan signals is pretty low if you want to use the system for networking and surfing, you can still catch the signal at far enough distances so you don't know anyone is close by, if he has the right equipment.
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I understand all that but what can these people do ?
I have a firewall on my machine.
Use my bandwith : I do not care, I have unlimited access at my ISP
There is no law in Belgium which forbid to share things with others, even if these others are unknown.
Anyway this is not going to help fixing my problem...
The firewall is useless if they can monitor your activity from within the LAN, which would be the case here. A firewall doesn't do any encryption, so data passing between the connected devices and the AP is readable. They can gain access to bank accounts if you do electronic banking, they can gain access to other accounts like I mentioned earlier, get private info no one would want to have leaked. They can get your passwords etc.
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Thanks for the info, will secure it then
What about ideas fixing my problem
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For your info, in Belgium we have a security system for banking that can't be break like that
I have a special external device that provides my with one-time-password for each transaction and that needs my PIN. The password is based on the amount and destinator bank account so even if "somebody" sees all that traffic, I can't tamper it
I work in that kind of security development and really nobody can do something with these transient data
But okay, I will secure so that they even can't read messages that I send in clear to all my girlfriends  ;-)
Let's try something...

Get the connection data (ip, subnet mask and gateway) from your portable, which is working fine. Turn it off and use those ip configuration on your desktop.

If your desktop connects with those configuration, then probably is something wrong with the configuration you tried before, maybe an ip conflict with another device or some misplacement on the data.

If you can't connect from the desktop with the same configuration you use without problems on your portable I'd say that probably the problem is on the wireless card.
Have you tried changing the AP's channel?

Also look for updated drivers for the wireless card.
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You will not believe me
I booted my home PC right now
It works !
Nothing changed ... except the "time"
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Well, problem reoccurred again !
I changed the wireless card with another one : same problem
I guess there is an intermittent problem on the mother board
So i installed a wire to the router as interim solution and it works fine now
I also secured the wireless part
Windows Vista has some problems getting IP adress through DHCP because is broadcast.
Take a look here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928233
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Hardware problem found