Reinstalled XP Home Ed on HP zx5000--Wireless Install

[W. eWatson]

See my post on 12/06/2011 about getting the E/D-drives squared away. I
re-installed.

The laptop has a wireless Belkin card that slips into the side of the
platform. It's now installed.

I thought I'd fire up IE to get on the net. Didn't like that, so I went
to the Network Wizard for wireless on Ctrl Panel. It wants a network
name, so I made one up.

There are two choices to make a network key. If I select automatic, it
wants me to use either to use a USB thumb drive or manually set up for a
wireless network. This does not seem right. I think I've gone astray
here. Comments.

When it was in the wrong C/E drive state back in early December, the
only thing I had to do is install the Belkin card, then fire up IE to
get connected at my friend's house.

 

[David H. Lipman]

See my post on 12/06/2011 about getting the E/D-drives squared away. I re-installed.

The laptop has a wireless Belkin card that slips into the side of the platform. It's now
installed.

I thought I'd fire up IE to get on the net. Didn't like that, so I went to the Network
Wizard for wireless on Ctrl Panel. It wants a network name, so I made one up.

There are two choices to make a network key. If I select automatic, it wants me to use
either to use a USB thumb drive or manually set up for a wireless network. This does not
seem right. I think I've gone astray here. Comments.

When it was in the wrong C/E drive state back in early December, the only thing I had to
do is install the Belkin card, then fire up IE to get connected at my friend's house.

You can't make up a network name, you have to give it the SSID name of the WiFi you want
to use and the passphrase/key that SSID was assigned to.

 

[W. eWatson]

You can't make up a network name, you have to give it the SSID name of the WiFi you want
to use and the passphrase/key that SSID was assigned to.

Well, that's very odd. When my wife removed Linux from the laptop, then
put it back to Win XP, as it was when it was purchased, she did nothing
to set up a wireless feature.

I took it to a friend's house to turn it over to him, she no longer
wanted it because it was old and slow, we couldn't get to the internet.
He only uses wireless. We found a CD to install the Belkin wireless
feature, and had no trouble getting IE running. However, the reversal of
the C/E-drives seemed odd.

To correct the problem I re-installed XP last night. Maybe I
misinterpreted some ethernet connection option the install featured. In
any case, I installed the Belkin card fine. However, it did not allow me
to use IE to get to the internet. I then tried Internet Wizard, and ran
into the questionable need for a USB thumb drive. This never occurred at
my friend's house. Why not?

Today I'm trying to connect via home or office again. I've selected
Setup a wireless network for home or small office. Same problem. Wants
and SSID and USB thumbdrive. Maybe he has his wireless connection set
differently than we have ours. I may have to drive 45 miles to his house
to find out. Ugh.

 

[Char Jackson]

Well, that's very odd. When my wife removed Linux from the laptop, then
put it back to Win XP, as it was when it was purchased, she did nothing
to set up a wireless feature.

I took it to a friend's house to turn it over to him, she no longer
wanted it because it was old and slow, we couldn't get to the internet.
He only uses wireless. We found a CD to install the Belkin wireless
feature, and had no trouble getting IE running.

That tells you that your friend knows what his network SSID is and
what the access key is. He had to enter that information before he'd
be able to browse the web with IE.

However, the reversal of the C/E-drives seemed odd.

This is completely unrelated to wireless Internet access.

To correct the problem I re-installed XP last night. Maybe I
misinterpreted some ethernet connection option the install featured. In
any case, I installed the Belkin card fine. However, it did not allow me
to use IE to get to the internet. I then tried Internet Wizard, and ran
into the questionable need for a USB thumb drive. This never occurred at
my friend's house. Why not?

First, do you have a wireless network available at your house? If so,
it will have a network name, called the SSID. Select that SSID from
the list, (I assume you know how to do that), click on the Connect
button, enter the access key, and if you entered it correctly you
should be connected to the wireless network and able to access the
Internet.

If you don't have a wireless network at your house, stop, you can't go
any further.

Today I'm trying to connect via home or office again. I've selected
Setup a wireless network for home or small office. Same problem. Wants
and SSID and USB thumbdrive.

I thought the option you'd want is "Connect to a wireless network",
rather than "Setup a wireless network", but maybe that's just a
terminology thing. Bottom line, though, it's correct that the first
step is to select the SSID (network name) of the network you'd like to
connect to, then enter the network access key via the keyboard.

Maybe he has his wireless connection set
differently than we have ours. I may have to drive 45 miles to his house
to find out. Ugh.

He almost certainly has his network set up differently, unless the two
of you coordinated on it. That means his network will have a different
SSID and network access key. Regardless, the steps to take to connect
to the wireless network are the same. Select the network that you'd
like to connect to by looking for its SSID in the list of available
networks, click Connect, enter the access key, and you're done.

 

[W. eWatson]

That tells you that your friend knows what his network SSID is and
what the access key is. He had to enter that information before he'd
be able to browse the web with IE.

True, but hos did the Belkin know what it was? The same logic should
appear here in my den then. That is, there should be no problem in
connecting here.

This is completely unrelated to wireless Internet access. Yes. Just informational.


First, do you have a wireless network available at your house? If so,
it will have a network name, called the SSID. Select that SSID from
the list, (I assume you know how to do that), click on the Connect
button, enter the access key, and if you entered it correctly you
should be connected to the wireless network and able to access the
Internet.

Yes, we have wireless. I just typed in the SSID and WEP. Continued to
the next page and it still wants a USB thumb drive, or to set it up
manually. We certainly did not do this at his house.

If you don't have a wireless network at your house, stop, you can't go
any further.


I thought the option you'd want is "Connect to a wireless network",
rather than "Setup a wireless network", but maybe that's just a
terminology thing. Bottom line, though, it's correct that the first
step is to select the SSID (network name) of the network you'd like to
connect to, then enter the network access key via the keyboard.

The Cpanel only has an icon for Network and Internet Connections. Using
it gets me to the choice of setting up wireless of home or small office.
That leads me to the SSID, etc.

He almost certainly has his network set up differently, unless the two
of you coordinated on it. That means his network will have a different
SSID and network access key. Regardless, the steps to take to connect
to the wireless network are the same. Select the network that you'd
like to connect to by looking for its SSID in the list of available
networks, click Connect, enter the access key, and you're done.

It would be near amazing if we had the same SSID and access key.
Is it possible that when I fire up IE for the first time, I need to
supply some parameters? Although, when I was at his house, I don't
recall doing that.

I think I'm going to drive down to my friendly computer shop and ask the
techs down there if they've encountered anything like this.

 

[Char Jackson]

True, but hos did the Belkin know what it was? The same logic should
appear here in my den then. That is, there should be no problem in
connecting here.

The Belkin adapter is just a piece of hardware. If it's installed and
working properly, Windows will use it to connect to a wireless
network. How does Windows know which wireless network you'd like to
connect to? You have to tell it, of course.

What may be confusing you is that Windows will (by default) remember
the networks that you've previously connected to and will silently
reconnect when they come back into range.

Yes, we have wireless. I just typed in the SSID and WEP. Continued to
the next page and it still wants a USB thumb drive, or to set it up
manually. We certainly did not do this at his house.

Typed in the SSID? I suggested you select it from the list, not type
it in. Display the list of available wireless networks, click on your
wireless network, click Connect, enter your WEP key, and it should
connect.

Now that you've mentioned WEP, be advised that WEP security is
completely broken. Intruders can crack your WEP key in well under a
minute. I'm under the impression that your Belkin device is old and
therefore probably only supports WEP, so while WEP is better than
nothing, it's not much better.

Another thing, if you're having trouble connecting to your wireless
network, try disabling encryption and see if you can magically
connect. If the connection problems go away, you know it's an issue
with the encryption. (Wrong WEP key, most likely.)

The Cpanel only has an icon for Network and Internet Connections. Using
it gets me to the choice of setting up wireless of home or small office.
That leads me to the SSID, etc.
It would be near amazing if we had the same SSID and access key.
Is it possible that when I fire up IE for the first time, I need to
supply some parameters? Although, when I was at his house, I don't
recall doing that.

No, nothing to do with IE. IE is just a web browser and will use an
existing Internet connection, if one exists. IE is totally separate
from setting up your wireless Internet connection.

I think I'm going to drive down to my friendly computer shop and ask the
techs down there if they've encountered anything like this.

Probably not a bad idea. It sounds like you're missing some of the
basics of setting up a wireless connection.

 

[David H. Lipman]

True, but hos did the Belkin know what it was? The same logic should appear here in my
den then. That is, there should be no problem in connecting here.
Yes, we have wireless. I just typed in the SSID and WEP. Continued to the next page and
it still wants a USB thumb drive, or to set it up manually. We certainly did not do this
at his house.
The Cpanel only has an icon for Network and Internet Connections. Using it gets me to
the choice of setting up wireless of home or small office. That leads me to the SSID,
etc.
It would be near amazing if we had the same SSID and access key.
Is it possible that when I fire up IE for the first time, I need to supply some
parameters? Although, when I was at his house, I don't recall doing that.

I think I'm going to drive down to my friendly computer shop and ask the techs down
there if they've encountered anything like this.

The WiFi device has a unique SSID and passphrase/key. It is incumbant upon you to know or
ascertain this. If the WiFi Router was NOT setup by you and came from an ISP then it is
possible that the SSID and passphrase/key are imprinted on a label on thw WiFi Router.
The use of a thumb drive is for making a backup of the WiFi configuration.

Often WiFi Routers can perform a pairing function. That is you tell, or press a button,
on the PC with WiFi or WiFi enabled device that you intend to pair with a Router.
Likewise you tell, or press a button, on the Router indicating that you want to pair it to
a WiFi enabled PC or device. On the Router this could be a button or you have to go the
web URL of the Router such as http://192.168.1.1 with a Name and Password.

There is NO information to provide to IE. IE and all TCP/IP compliant software are
dependent upon the WINdows SOCKets (WINSOCK) to perform all network communications.
Either via wired Ethernet or via WiFi. You have to approach this from the network
connectivity POV. Once this is established all TCP/IP compliant software inherit this
from the OS.

 

[W. eWatson]

....

The WiFi device has a unique SSID and passphrase/key. It is incumbant upon you to know or
ascertain this. If the WiFi Router was NOT setup by you and came from an ISP then it is
possible that the SSID and passphrase/key are imprinted on a label on thw WiFi Router.
The use of a thumb drive is for making a backup of the WiFi configuration.

Yes, I know what it the SSDID and key are. They are printed on a paper
on my desk.

Often WiFi Routers can perform a pairing function. That is you tell, or press a button,
on the PC with WiFi or WiFi enabled device that you intend to pair with a Router.
Likewise you tell, or press a button, on the Router indicating that you want to pair it to
a WiFi enabled PC or device. On the Router this could be a button or you have to go the
web URL of the Router such as http://192.168.1.1 with a Name and Password.

There is NO information to provide to IE. IE and all TCP/IP compliant software are
dependent upon the WINdows SOCKets (WINSOCK) to perform all network communications.
Either via wired Ethernet or via WiFi. You have to approach this from the network
connectivity POV. Once this is established all TCP/IP compliant software inherit this
from the OS.

Well, my wife got back from her trip, and looked at this. She
re-installed XP, and got the PC to acknowledge wireless connections via
the Belkin card. She showed me how it might be done elsewhere. It's
presently showing our router SSID.

However, I tried to get IE up as a browser, and got nowhere to
connecting it to the web. This is unlike what happened at my friend's
house a few weeks ago.

Under IE Tools->Options->Connections, and I see our network provider is
MSN. I certainly don't want that. I use FireFox, but in any case we use
AT&T (SBCGlobal) as our ISP. If I click Add (connection), I get some
choices. Connect to Private network, etc. IE is find for my friend.

What's next to get this working?

 

[W. eWatson]

| Under IE Tools->Options->Connections, and I see our network provider is
| MSN. I certainly don't want that. I use FireFox, but in any case we use
| AT&T (SBCGlobal) as our ISP. If I click Add (connection), I get some
| choices. Connect to Private network, etc. IE is find for my friend.
|
| What's next to get this working?

IE Tools->Options->Connections is NOT the way to go.

If you don't have a TCP/IP address after entering the SSID and key, then
there are two possibilities.
1. You provided the wrong information
2. The XP is not installed correctly.

You will have to use thye Belkin tools and VERIFY that your WiFi card is
connecting to YOUR Router WiFi SSID.

Verification of an IP address is done by opening a Command Prompt and in
the console windolws typing; ipconfig

The Vista notebook I am on shows...

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : my.Verizon.Net
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::254d:241f:dca1:fc3c%11
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.30
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1



--

When my wife was on her laptop, she could see the laptop and the IP
address. I just plugged the laptop into the ethernet port, and IE is
able to connect.

I unplugged it from the internet, and the connection dropped. The laptop
is 5' away from the router, as our two other computers.

OK, I played some more with a Belkin icon in the tray, and noticed a
choice was Repair. I am now wirelessly connected.

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Thanks for the help.