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From: Lem on 17 Jan 2010 01:40
Clueless in Seattle wrote:
> Thanks, Lem, for those detailed instructions. I certainly appreciate all the
> effort you put into your message to help me out.
>
> Yes, I'm running Windows XP Home Edition, Version 5.1, Service Pack 3
>
> My start menu doesn't have any item named "Connect to..." I received this
> secon hand laptop with the operating system and all the software already
> installed, so the previous owner may have monkeyed with the Start menu.
>
> So I tried Start>Settings>Network Connections>Wireless Connection 3 and then
> right clicked. And that got got me to the menu with "Disable" at the top.
>
> So I clicked "Properties" and that seemed to get me to the right place.
>
> Everything is set the way you described. (Previous to posting my query here
> I did go in and try to set what I could on my own)
>
> But I cant seem to find the settings for:
>
> * Encryption or WEP = disable WEP encryption
> * Mode or Network Type = Infrastructure Mode or Access Point (not ad-hoc)
>
> Do I need to worry about find where to set them? Or will Windows take care
> of them for me automatically?
>
> I'm disabled, don't have a car, and this is a rather large and heavy
> laptop, So I'd like to try to make sure that I've got it set up correctly
> before I make the trek over to the library to test out the Wi-Fi card.
>
> The reason I want to be able to use the library's Wi-Fi is that I'm planning
> to reformat the HD and reinstall the XP operating system. And I figure I'm
> going to have to download a lot of updates. At home I use a free dial-up
> ISP, and it would probably tie up my phone line for days trying to download
> them all.
>
> So I want to make sure I know how to properly set up the network card,
> because after the reformatting and re-installation of XP, I'm going to have
> to do this all over again.
>
> Thanks again for putting together that detailed set of instructions!

Yes, Windows should take care of the encryption setting and the network
type (infrastructure) by default.

If you're curious, go back to "Wireless Networks" tab (the place where
you saw the box to "Use Windows to configure my wireless network
settings." On the lower part of that screen is a list of "Preferred
networks." Once you connect to any wireless network, its name will
appear in this list. Names are added to the top of the list as you
connect to new networks. Select a network name in the list and click the
"Properties" button. This will take you to this screen:
http://screenshots.modemhelp.net/screenshots/Windows_XP/Network_Connections/Wireless_Network_Connection/Properties/Wireless_Networks/Properties/Association/%28Auth-Open%29--%28Encryp-Disabled%29.shtml

The settings on this "Association" tab are where the encryption is set.
The settings shown in the screenshot (Network Authentication = Open and
Data encryption = disabled) are what the library wants. Because Windows
normally will detect that the library's router uses these settings, they
normally will be set this way automatically when you first connect using
the "View available wireless networks" screen. You *could* have come to
the Wireless Network tab first and clicked the "Add" button under the
list of Preferred network. This would have taken you to the
"Association" tab where you would have filled in spl-public in the box
labelled "Network name (SSID)" and would have set the Network
Authentication and Data encryption values manually using the drop down
boxes.

As for the "Mode or Network Type," that too is set by default. Again,
if you go back to the "Wireless Networks" tab and click the "Advanced"
button (not the "Advanced" tab at the top), you'll get to this little
screen:
http://screenshots.modemhelp.net/screenshots/Windows_XP/Network_Connections/Wireless_Network_Connection/Properties/Wireless_Networks/Advanced.shtml
The default is the top line. Either the top of middle line will work for
the library. The only setting here that won't work for the library is
the bottom line ("Computer-to-computer (ad hoc) networks only").

You should be able to connect to the library's wifi network with no
problems. If you have problems, I would be very surprised if there isn't
someone at the library capable of helping you out.

--
Lem

Apollo 11 - 40 years ago:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/40th/index.html
From: Don Phillipson on 17 Jan 2010 09:44
"Clueless in Seattle" <CluelessinSeattle(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message news:3F76FD97-FE81-4A97-8BF9-2BBB9579F31D(a)microsoft.com...

> I do have a PDF file of the laptop manual, and I did hunt through it for
> help, but it just says:
>
> "Setting up a wireless connection
>
> "For information on how to set up a wireless connection, refer
> to your wireless networking device documentation."

1. Windows XP has a "Wizard" routine to set up a wireless
"device" (an electronic circuit, probably inside the laptop)
documented via / Start / Help / input NETWORK.

2. Many hardware manufacturers of wireless cards provide
their own software and the user can select whether to set up
via the Windows Wizard or the maker's own brand SETUP
routine. The Windows Wizard is usually simpler.

If not and if you need to identify your "wireless networking device"
in order to locate its software or documentation, run the diagnostic
from www.belarc.com which is likely to identify the wireless device.
Look in the Belarc output for the key words "ethernet" and "adapter,"
with a few Internet Protocol numerical addresses like 192.168.1.101.

Shortly before these numbers, we may expect the make and model of
your wireless device to be named. Then you can Google for (say)
"brandname wireless setup"
and browse among results.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)




From: Jack [MVP-Networking] on 17 Jan 2010 12:11
Hi
First you have to set the Wireless Router using a wired connection (
http://www.ezlan.net/faq.html#onewire ).
If you do not have the Wireless Router Manual you probably can find it on
the Support site of the manufacturer.
Once you configured the Wireless part of the Router you can switch to
Wireless.
If you have trouble on the computer with the wireless, this might help,
http://www.ezlan.net/wireless.html
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking).

"Clueless in Seattle" <CluelessinSeattle(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message news:3F76FD97-FE81-4A97-8BF9-2BBB9579F31D(a)microsoft.com...
> Thanks for that suggestion. I appreciate your taking the time to reply to
> my
> query.
>
> I do have a PDF file of the laptop manual, and I did hunt through it for
> help, but it just says:
>
> "Setting up a wireless connection
>
> "For information on how to set up a wireless connection, refer
> to your wireless networking device documentation."
>
> --
> Will in Seattle
> a.k.a. "Clueless"
>
>
> "Don Phillipson" wrote:
>
>> "Clueless in Seattle" <CluelessinSeattle(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
>> in
>> message news:6C474470-B783-487D-9DEE-8C0492D824FA(a)microsoft.com...
>> > Hi! I'm new to wireless and need some help figuring out where to enter
>> the
>> > settings so I can use my "new" (hand-me-down) laptop in the
>> > neighborhood
>> > library.
>> >
>> > The library web page says:
>> >
>> > Wi-Fi users must configure their own equipment and connect to the
>> > network
>> > using these settings:
>> >
>> > * SSID (Service Set Identifier) or network name = spl-public:
>> > * Encryption or WEP = disable WEP encryption
>> > * Mode or Network Type = Infrastructure Mode or Access Point (not
>> ad-hoc)
>> > * Set TCP/IP properties to "Obtain an IP address automatically"
>> > (DHCP)
>> > * End of list
>> >
>> > I don't have a clue where to enter these settings.
>> >
>> > Can someone help me?
>>
>> Search on the Internet for the manual for your
>> particular laptop. You will probably find it. Basic
>> manuals tell you how to configure the wireless connection.
>>
>> --
>> Don Phillipson
>> Carlsbad Springs
>> (Ottawa, Canada)
>>
>>
>> .
>>

From: Clueless in Seattle on 18 Jan 2010 11:53
Hi again, Lem,

I lugged this oversized laptop over to the library yesterday and tried to
connect to their Wi-Fi.

My computer detected the librariy's Wi-Fi signal and showed 5 green bars.

But when I cllicked on "Connect" I got this:

Limited or no connectivity

This problem occurred because the network did not assign a network address
to the computer

Network Connection Details
Physical Address 00-0C41-A4-7B
IP Address 169.254.84.107
Subnet Mask 255.255.0.0

I clicked "Repair" and then got this:

Windows is taking the following actions:

Windows could not finish repairing the problem because the follow action
cannot be completed:

Renewing your IP address

Do you have any ideas on how to troubleshoot this problem?

--
Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"





From: Lem on 18 Jan 2010 13:24
Clueless in Seattle wrote:
> Hi again, Lem,
>
> I lugged this oversized laptop over to the library yesterday and tried to
> connect to their Wi-Fi.
>
> My computer detected the librariy's Wi-Fi signal and showed 5 green bars.
>
> But when I cllicked on "Connect" I got this:
>
> Limited or no connectivity
>
> This problem occurred because the network did not assign a network address
> to the computer
>
> Network Connection Details
> Physical Address 00-0C41-A4-7B
> IP Address 169.254.84.107
> Subnet Mask 255.255.0.0
>
> I clicked "Repair" and then got this:
>
> Windows is taking the following actions:
>
> Windows could not finish repairing the problem because the follow action
> cannot be completed:
>
> Renewing your IP address
>
> Do you have any ideas on how to troubleshoot this problem?
>

This typically happens when the encryption key on the computer does not
match the encryption key on the router. You said, however, that the
library's system did not have any encryption (and if it had, you should
have been asked to supply a key when you attempted to connect).

Check the list of preferred networks. You can get to this either as I
described earlier or directly from the left pane of the View available
wireless networks screen ("change order of preferred networks").

Is there an entry for the library's network? If so, select it and click
the Properties button. Make sure that Network Authentication = Open and
Data encryption = Disabled and OK your way out. Alternatively, delete
the entry from the list of preferred networks and try again to connect.

You earlier confirmed that the "Properties" of "Internect Protocol
(TCP/IP") showed that you were configured to get an IP address
automatically (and you probably wouldn't have been assigned the type of
IP address you did get if you were configured differently), but double
check this setting.

If there is no listing in Preferred networks for the library's network
(or if there is and you confirm that encryption is disabled), your best
option would be to find a technical support person at the library. You
can, however, try the following long shots.

See if you can access the Internet notwithstanding the "limited or no
connection" warning (unlikely, but possible).

(*Don't* do any of the following if you are using this same laptop
successfully to connect to the Internet at home using a *wired* connection.)

Because this is a used laptop, unless you or the person who gave it to
you re-installed Windows after formatting the hard drive, you don't know
what malware is on -- or might have been on -- the system (several folks
who post in the XP General newsgroup will adamantly insist that you
"clean install" Windows on any used computer). Sometimes, removing
adware can damage the way the system connects to the Internet.

Follow the steps here under "Use a manual method":
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=299357

The following tools are not likely to help, but you can try them as a
last resort. First see http://windowsxp.mvps.org/winsock.htm

Download and run WinsockXPFix http://www.snapfiles.com/get/winsockxpfix.html

Use the "netsh winsock reset catalog" command described in Ramesh's page
linked above or download and run LSP Fix
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4180

--
Lem

Apollo 11 - 40 years ago:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/40th/index.html
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