Does ANYBODY know how to set up wireless networking?

wolfman · 25-03-2003 1:40am #1

I've really had my fill of wireless networking recently. I bought a Dell Inspiron Laptop a few months ago complete with Truemobile 1150 Wireless PCMCIA card.

I left it for months and 2 weeks ago I bought a card for my desktop PC, mainly to access the internet thru my desktop but on my laptop from any room in the house. I don't have a lot of need for sharing files, but might use it a bit for this.

The card I bought was a US Robotics after being advised that this was one of the best for wireless networking. Fitted it in about 5 mins. When I start the PC, it shows up as having full reception, but the fun started when I put in the DELL card in my laptop. I have spent days and days trying to det it up with a bit of help on the Dell forum, but after upgrading both the driver version for the card and the software version for Client Manager, the laptop NEVER shows up a network.

I know this is already very long, so I'll be brief

Laptop
Inspiron 8200
Truemobile 1150 card
Windows XP Home

Desktop
Packard Bell
US Robotics card (with antenna)
Windows 98 SE

Anybody got any ideas??

nahdoic · 25-03-2003 2:15am

I only got my laptops connected wirelessly after I manually set the IP address and subnet mask for each. after I did that, they shared files a treat.

Have you specified the ip address and subnet mask for your pc and laptop. If not, the standard ones to use would normally be along the lines of.

It would take a while to talk where these options are in each, but basically looking for "network" and look for "tcp/ip" settings.

pc ip: 192.168.1.1
pc subnet:255.255.255.0

laptop ip:192.168.1.2
laptop subnet:255.255.255.0

wolfman · 25-03-2003 2:19am

But the client manager on the Dell doesn't even show a connection??

That's why I didn't even go down the settings route

In Control panel, it shows Wireless Network unavailable.
Does this not need to be functioning first of all?

nahdoic · 25-03-2003 2:30am

oh right sorry. your line

laptop NEVER shows up a network

threw me off a bit. yeah you're right you have to have a connection, even when the ips weren't configured I was able to see how strong the connection one, how many packets they had lost.

what mode is your client manager in? you should be setting them both to ad-hoc mode.

wolfman · 25-03-2003 2:34am

Originally posted by nahdoic

what mode is your client manager in? you should be setting them both to ad-hoc mode.

This. . . . . . . . . . . . is where the fun begins!

I cannot find ANYWHERE a place to go in and alter the settings to ad-hoc, although its very simple on my desktop. This is my main problem.

wolfman · 25-03-2003 2:35am

On the laptop I mean. Sorry!!

Cal · 28-03-2003 10:26pm

On the laptop follow this to get some details on the wireless card activity from within XP.

Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Computer management -> Services & Applications -> Services -> Wireless Zero Configuration ->

Set the service to automatic. Now you have somewhere to see your connection settings.

I hope this helps.

Cal

wolfman · 29-03-2003 2:03am

OK Cal. This looks promising, but still no luck. Where do I see the connection settings???

wolfman · 29-03-2003 2:07am

Actually, hold on. You are definitely on to something here. I now have a tab under wireless network settings called wireless network and under advanced I can now select ad - hoc. Did that and then went to another tab, but no difference. Then when I select that tab again, it says "You must install and enable at least one protocol for this connection to work. Do you want to slect this protocol now?" I select Yes, but nothing happens. Where do I go from here??

Fair play to you. This is the furthest I have got since I started this

:-)

wolfman · 29-03-2003 2:19am

Woohoo!!!!

Now I am REALLY flying.

I have it all st up. Only thing is I keep getting asked for a password when I try to access the network from my desktop. I didn't set one up!

How do I get it to work from here??

Thanks a million!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are an absolute star

Micheal
wolfman

wolfman · 29-03-2003 3:11am

And then....................

The fun went away again!!

Nothing but problems. Tried changing settings and stuff and now it keeps telling me that wireless network is not available and in Client Manger on Laptop, my card is disabled and I can't seem to enable it again??

Cal · 29-03-2003 11:56am

Glad to see that I gave you a couple of hours of fun. (That setting is not well documented)

There is too much involved to give you a complete talk through.

It's so easy to mess it all up when you start playing with the settings.

The best advice I can give you at this stage is to uninstall the card and start again. You have had sucess once and if you persist It should come right again.

Carry on if you enjoy this sort of thing or just pay a local computer engineer to sort it for you. An hour should do it.

wolfman · 29-03-2003 12:02pm

OK

I'll try that. Just one question?

What do I do when I come to password again? I didn't have security set up on either pc

Cal · 29-03-2003 12:16pm

From what I can remember If you remove the Client 'Microsoft Family Logon' from the 98 PC that gets you out of that problem. If not then check out Users in Control Panel on 98 PC.

wolfman · 30-03-2003 9:23pm

You're a star. Down in my bedroom on the laptop now using my ISDN connection on the desktop up in the sitting room. Every time I start the Client Manager software it tells me the card has been disabled and I lose the wireless connection, so now its running fine without it.

Thanks a million. I couldn't have done it without you

Cal · 31-03-2003 12:09am

I'm Glad I could Help.

Wireless networking is so cool when you can get it right.

Cal.

P.S. was i right on the 'Microsoft Family Logon' situation?

Cal · 31-03-2003 12:12am

Oh!

And something else you might thank me for is,

http://www.twiga.ltd.uk/rdu.asp

Cal. :cool:

wolfman · 31-03-2003 2:14am

Originally posted by Cal67
I'm Glad I could Help.

Wireless networking is so cool when you can get it right.

Cal.

P.S. was i right on the 'Microsoft Family Logon' situation?

To be honest Cal, I didn'tt have to go near it. Dunno why, but it just worked this evening

wolfman · 31-03-2003 2:16am

Originally posted by Cal67
Oh!

And something else you might thank me for is,

http://www.twiga.ltd.uk/rdu.asp

Cal. :cool:

THANK YOU!!!!

My God. I downloaded it, installed it, AND configured it in under 5 minutes.

EXCELLENT piece of software.
Thanks again fo everything.

Micheal

wolfman · 31-03-2003 10:03pm

OK. The old story. Never happy enough to remain still, I am now considering an access point or router???

I don't know which I need or what the difference is.

Basically, the Packard Bell is one of the noisiest PC's around and in order to let the laptop use the ISDN modem on the Packard Bell, I need to leave it on all the time in the corner of the living room. Annoying when ppl are watching tv.

What do I need to access the internet without putting on the Packard Bell? On the wall, I have one of those eircom isdn boxes. I presume my access point connects into that, but does it have to have a wired connection to my Packard Bell also or can it operate purely standalone?

I know.... I'm a nusiance!
Anyway, this isn't urgent. It's just something I want to be on the lookout for.

Micheal

Rew · 01-04-2003 1:28am

an Access Point (AP) just conects the wireless net and the wired net. It bridges all the data between the 2.

A router lets data flow between 2 diferant networks (eg your home net and the internet)

You need either a AP that has a built in ISDN router (may be hard to find) or a ISDN router and a AP.

Id say you could pick up a 2nd hand ISDN router chep now that DSL is available

wolfman · 01-04-2003 1:44am

Thanks for the reply.

That'll help me out. Like I said, I'm not in a hurry, so I can look around.

DSL????? Now there's a few lovely letters. Think it'll be a while before it's available for me!!

:-(

Capt'n Midnight · 04-04-2003 9:28pm

cf. ww.irishwan.org / www.dublinwan.org (wiki)

Have a look through the forums - do searches etc. might find something useful.. - might be close enough to someone so as not to ever need DSL ...

:rolleyes:

wolfman · 04-04-2003 11:39pm

Flicked around it briefly before but not a whole lot there that's any use to me. I'm in a small village in Laois where there is absolutely NOTHING available.

Thanks for the pointer anyway.

wolfman · 05-04-2003 9:08pm

Well, I knew it was all too good to be true.

It worked all week and went to show somebody how it works today. Turned on the laptop and **NOTHING**!!

So much for wireless networking.

I have practically spent the WHOLE day today uninstalling and reinstalling drivers and client software etc etc and even restoring my Windows XP on the laptop to earlier dates.

The only hint I have is the Client software shows that the card is disabled, even though the Windows XP device manager says everything is fine and it seems to recognise the Dell card all the time, no matter what version driver I use.

I'm almost 95% sure that the DELL card from the start has been my problem and I'm tempted to buy another one to prove this point but I'm afraid if I try this and it still won't work, it'll just be a waste of money.

Is there anybody close to me (I'm near Athy, Carlow, Portlaoise or Kilkenny) who has a PCMCIA card that I could even try, or if they are selling one, and it works, I'll buy it??

Or alternatively, any other ideas out there?

Does ANYBODY know how to set up wireless networking?

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