Help connecting work laptop to home wireless network

[Robert Brown]

I have a home network installed with an SMC 7004AWBR router. My kids
each have a desktop that connect wireless to the network. And I have
2 more machines that connect wired to the network. I had a Dell
laptop that I used an SMC PCMCIA wireless adapter to connect to the
network. That all worked fine.

Now, I have been given an IBM Thinkpad T30 running Win2k Pro by work
that has a built in adapter and I can't connect to my network
wirelessly. I've tried using the old SMC PC Card but I get the same
problem.

1) When I boot up, I get a balloon that tells me that my wireless
connection is unavailable.

2) If I click the icon, I launch the Wireless Network Connection
dialog box which identifies one "Available wireless network" called
"default". I get a warning telling me the network is not secure
because WEP is not enabled.

3) The "connect" button is greyed out until I click the box that
allows me to connect to the "specified wireless network even though it
is not secure". I check that box and click connect and the dialog box
disappears.

4) A couple of seconds later I get another balloon on that icon
telling me that "one or more wireless networks are available". I
click the icon and the whole thing starts over again from point 2
above.

I am never able to connect wirelessly.

Any assistance is appreciated.
Robert

 

[Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]]

I'm confused because you mention a T30 running W2K but describe wireless
networking on XP.
What operating system is on the thinkpad?

If this is XP, have you applied 815485? If you don't have WPA
compliant/enabled hardware, youcan uninstall this update. It may help. If
802.1x authentication is marked, you should unmark it in a home environment.

However, you really should establish security on this network by enabling
encryption and not run in such an unsafe manner.

 

[Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]]

a. 815485 is an update - see add/remove programs
b. start, run
ncpa.cpl [ok]
1.. Right-click the wireless connection, and then click Properties.
2.. Click the Wireless Networks tab.
3.. Select the network name in the Preferred networks window, and then
click Properties.
4.. Select the Authentication tab.
5.. Make sure that the check box for authentication is not selected.
c. the T30 does not have a driver for WPA for the built in wireless as far
as I know
d. see if you can enter a HEX key manually in the access point/router, or
copy the actual key that the passphrase produces. these passphrase
generators are interoperable. just use a HEX key.

 

[xoxpopzxox]

Help!

Hii.. I am not sure if i am on the RIGHT forum...but there we goo...

Well. I just got a laptop for xmas the other day and i set it up fine however, when we got to setting up the wireless from the home network it was failing. My new laptop is on Vista and when i double click on connect to "philips" (the name of the network) it asks for a network security key or a passphrase. I have NO idea what they are about! My sister got a laptop a couple of years ago yet a boyfriend set it up for her. She has now broken up with him and we dont know what he put in as the network security key or something like that! I have searched and searched. We are going to call philips to sort it out unless we recieve no help! Please could anyone give me and idea how to find my network security key for my router !

Also, i am usually wuite clueless when it comes to big computer words or phrases so could you give it simply to me please!!!

Thankyou ALOT!