WiFi blues

A

Adam Skeaping

Problem with new HP desktop running XP home. It has built-
in ethernet, a PCI ADSL modem, and an 802.11g PCI wireless
card. Almost the first thing I did to the computer was to
install SP2.

I set up ICS, which bridged everything, and all worked
fine with local WiFi and Ethernet. Then I decided to try
a Linksys external gateway, so not knowing how to proceed,
I took the WiFi and Ethernet out of the bridge and told
the modem not to dial.

For some reason the gateway's DHCP only worked for
Ethernet but refused to allocate any WiFi addreses, so I
had to configure them manually, which worked OK. I didn't
like the Linksys, so took it away and tried to reconfigure
the ICS by re-forming the link (I didn't use the Wizard).
I reconfigured local laptops back to receive DHCP.

ICS now works OK on ethernet, but although the WiFi DHCP
allocates addresses to local laptops, it's not possible to
ping anything in any direction on the WiFi. Disabling XP
firewall made no difference.

So I took everything out of the bridge and tried to delete
the bridge and disable the WiFi temporarily, hoping to run
the ICS wizard again. However XP says it can't disable
the WiFi or delete the bridge because 'the connection may
be using one or more protocols...'etc.etc.' even in Safe
Mode With Networking.

I tried the ForceCompatMode trick but it doesn't help so I
disabled it again, as previously I hadn't needed it.

(As an aside I have 3 non-functioning bridges on another
computer that XP won't delete, complaing of an unknown
problem, so I'd like to be able to tidy that up as well...)

Can anyone suggest how I can force the issue or any other
likely way forward to get my WiFi pings back?
 
Q

Quaoar

Adam said:
Problem with new HP desktop running XP home. It has built-
in ethernet, a PCI ADSL modem, and an 802.11g PCI wireless
card. Almost the first thing I did to the computer was to
install SP2.

I set up ICS, which bridged everything, and all worked
fine with local WiFi and Ethernet. Then I decided to try
a Linksys external gateway, so not knowing how to proceed,
I took the WiFi and Ethernet out of the bridge and told
the modem not to dial.

For some reason the gateway's DHCP only worked for
Ethernet but refused to allocate any WiFi addreses, so I
had to configure them manually, which worked OK. I didn't
like the Linksys, so took it away and tried to reconfigure
the ICS by re-forming the link (I didn't use the Wizard).
I reconfigured local laptops back to receive DHCP.

ICS now works OK on ethernet, but although the WiFi DHCP
allocates addresses to local laptops, it's not possible to
ping anything in any direction on the WiFi. Disabling XP
firewall made no difference.

So I took everything out of the bridge and tried to delete
the bridge and disable the WiFi temporarily, hoping to run
the ICS wizard again. However XP says it can't disable
the WiFi or delete the bridge because 'the connection may
be using one or more protocols...'etc.etc.' even in Safe
Mode With Networking.

I tried the ForceCompatMode trick but it doesn't help so I
disabled it again, as previously I hadn't needed it.

(As an aside I have 3 non-functioning bridges on another
computer that XP won't delete, complaing of an unknown
problem, so I'd like to be able to tidy that up as well...)

Can anyone suggest how I can force the issue or any other
likely way forward to get my WiFi pings back?

First, make a decision about using either the vendor's wireless
configuration applet or Wireless Zero Configuration. It's one or the
other - I recommend WZC (Let Windows Manage this Connection check box).
Disable the autostart of the vendors configuration applet from msconfig:
Run command, type: msconfig[enter], Startup tab, uncheck the box,
reboot.

Set up the wireless connection with DHCP, NetBIOS over TCP/IP (Wins tab,
TCP/IP Properties), check the Options tab, TCP/IP filtering properties,
check Enable filtering, and change Permit Only to Permit All - this
might be your crucial ping problem. This should be all that is required
to get the wireless working, except if there is a power switch on the
case or in software for the wireless card. The router normally has
switches to Enable wireless, broadcast SSID, and WEP or WPA (don't set
these until you have a connection). Disable the LAN connections, Modem,
etc., so there is no confusion about which device is intended to
connect.

If WZC does not work, then return to using the vendor's management
applet.

Q
 
H

Hans-Georg Michna

So I took everything out of the bridge and tried to delete
the bridge and disable the WiFi temporarily, hoping to run
the ICS wizard again. However XP says it can't disable
the WiFi or delete the bridge because 'the connection may
be using one or more protocols...'etc.etc.' even in Safe
Mode With Networking.

Adam,

have you tried to disable ICS first? Sometimes this is the
solution.

Hans-Georg
 

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