Little help please - connecting Win XP to wireless

[lafinfil]

Hi Guys

Trying to get my friends HP laptop (new) to connect to my wireless network (unsecured)

XP connection utility sees open my network but when I tell it to connect it goes through the motions
but never makes a connection

Connects fine via Enet

any ideas ?

TIA

'fil

[elmo3]

Is it entirely unsecured?

Do you have MAC address restrictions installed on the router?

[tortoise]

Check the basics, the HP notebooks have a on/off switch for wireless, make sure it is turned on, you will see a little blue symbol for it light up. Also HP, IBM and others often have their own propietary software for managing wireless connections that will take control of the connection process disabling the Windows wireless connection manager. Try reading the instructions?

[lafinfil]

Thanks

Network id entirely unsecured - no restrictions

Wireless switch on network card is on (blue light shows)

Win XP recognizes wireless as unsecured (saw my neighbors secured one)


I'll look for HP manager and see if that is it


> Try reading the instructions?


Awww - that's just some other guys opinion : -D

[Filliam H. Muffman]

There might be an EXE for the WiFi from the company that made the card. I found the Intel connection program was easier to use than the M$ one.

[lafinfil]

We never did get it to connect and had other updates and software to load so we moved along.

Anyway, I did my good deed and got it all buttoned up and running best I could in the time allotted
It's gone now and I am happily back at my mac

Thanks again for the help

[N-OS X-tasy!]

[quote tortoise]Check the basics, the HP notebooks have a on/off switch for wireless, make sure it is turned on, you will see a little blue symbol for it light up. Also HP, IBM and others often have their own propietary software for managing wireless connections that will take control of the connection process disabling the Windows wireless connection manager.
I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE that so many PC manufacturers use proprietary software to manage wireless connections. Shit, it's hard enough to figure out how to get the job done in Windows -- it becomes an order of magnitude more difficult when you have various PC manufacturers disabling wireless configuration in Windows in favor of their own solution! Each of which differs from the others, BTW! I HATE that shit!

[Monster]

I hear that....

[lafinfil]

Agreed ! I spent way too much time screwing with that. I never did find any additional
software for the wireless - just the Windows network set up.

The frustrating thing was that the XP networking utility saw my open network at full power
and a neighbors very weak (one bar) secured network,


When we "tried" to access the neighbors secured network it came up with a dialog box
telling us it was a locked network and asked for a key #

When we tried to access my open network it went through the motions (green advancing bar)
that went on for about two minutes and then stopped. No indication of success (none)
and no dialog about a failure to connect.

We had a lot of other stuff to set up so I plugged it it to the Enet and it was recognized immediately -
dare I say almost mac like

I guess we will look at that next time.

Thanks again for all the help

[Filliam H. Muffman]

[quote N-OS X-tasy!]
I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE that so many PC manufacturers use proprietary software to manage wireless connections.
They made their own software because Windows sucks so bad. I started using the Intel one just because it had better features and worked better with Network Stumbler.