Access Only Certain Admin Profiles Can Access Wireless Network in XP

[Cathal]

Hi,

We get broadband via a Wireless router and use a USB adapter on our Win XP SP2 machine. There are one or two other XP machines in our workgroup but I cannot speak for them.
On our own machine we have a profile, "Laura", which can usually access the Internet without a problem. It is an administrator profile.

Another profile (also administrator) "Laura2" has no connectivity (to neither workgroup nor Internet) regardless of whether it is set up as a limited User or an Administrator.
I get a “limited network connectivity” text bubble when I mouse over the Wireless network icon on the taskbar.
(Incidentally, if the "Laura" profile is downgraded to limited User it is unable to access the Internet or workgroup. But roll it back to Administrator status and all is fine).

Windows firewall not enabled.

If i run "ipconfig /all" it shows

for "Laura2" (No connectivity)-
Ethernet adapterWireless Network Connection
++ Connection-specific DNS suffix. :
++ Description.............................: IEEE 802.11g USB Wireless LAN
++ Physical Address.....................: 00-50-FC-83-E0-2D
++ Dhcp Enabled..........................: Yes
++ Autoconfiguration Enabled........: Yes
++ Autoconfiguration IP Address....: 169.254.152.74
++ Subnet Mask...........................: 255.255.0.0
++ Default Gateway......................:

for "Laura" (Connectivity OK)-
Ethernet adapterWireless Network Connection
++ Connection-specific DNS suffix. :
++ Description.............................: IEEE 802.11g USB Wireless LAN
++ Physical Address.....................: 00-50-FC-83-E0-2D
++ Dhcp Enabled..........................: Yes
++ Autoconfiguration Enabled........: Yes
++ IP Address..............................: 192.168.1.2
++ Subnet Mask...........................: 255.255.0.0
++ Default Gateway......................: 192.168.1.101
++ DHCP Server...........................: 192.168.1.101
++ DNS Servers...........................: 192.168.1.101
++ Lease Obtained.......................: 14 July 2005 22:12:56
++ Lease Expires..........................: 14 July 2005 22:12:56

It looks like the non connecting proffile is not receiving an IP address from the server.
Can the issue be related to TCP/IP or must it be an issue with user profiles? If the "Laura"
profile has no problems when set up as Administrator then I assume that TCP/IP and the USB Wireless adapter software must be set up correctly, right?

What I mean is this- are the TCP/IP and network connection settings common to all profiles?

My real issue is that I wish to set things up so that all profiles have connectivity regardless of whether they are User or Administrator. To achieve this I am willing to try anything.

Can anyone help?
Thanks in advance,
Cathal

 

[Stevecook]

Have you tried manually configuring 'Laura2' to 192.168.1.3 or similar, it appears to be on a different network (169.254.152.74), it looks like a Windows network IP address to me. Make sure you correct the subnet mask to 255.255.0.0 in line with 'Laura' as it will automatically go to 255.255.255.0 if you configure the 192.168.1.3 address. Check the Gateway address is set as well.
Hope this helps.

 

[Cathal]

Steve,

Thanks for the suggestion, I will try that.
How should I manually configure "Laura2" ? You mean log in under "Laura2", go into my Wireless connection in "Network and Dial-up Connections" and manually enter the above under TCP/IP settings?
If I manually enter 192.168.1.3 or similar does that mean I will have assigned a fixed IP address to "Laura2" instead of allowing DHCP to assign an address?


Thanks,
Cathal