wireless - great signal cannot connect

[R_hyde]

My new Vista Laptop can connect to my home network and web via
ethernet and the dell wireless card shows it gets a wireless signal
but the Vista software refuses to connect. On most occassion it also
refuses to show the wireless network as present when I use the "find a
wireless connection" option. I was using WEP but have tried with no
security and still it will not connect. I have a Belkin 54g router.
I have tried creating the wireless network from scratch but also does
not work.

Is this a Vista problem? Can I load some other wireless connection
software that will bypass Vista?

 

[knobber]

Have you got the ssid disabled on router?,if so you could try enabling ssid
and see if this helps,

Regards,

Knobber

 

[Guest]

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg0406.mspx

Have you upgraded the router's firmware and Dell's wireless Card for vista?

 

[R_hyde]

Yes I have got the ssid enabled.

Have not updated the router's software will see what I can do. The
dell card came with the laptop.

 

[Richard in AZ]

Have the same problem with a Vista computer after each automatic update.
Solved with a system restore to a working date.
I am now trying to isolate which update did the damage by installing the updates one at a time.
Requires rebooting after each to see which one stops the Internet access. So this will take time.
(I can reach my router and I can see my other computers, but cant get access out to the Internet)
I know it is not a hardware failure as I have three hard dives (with a switch to change which hard
drive is connected) in this computer and I can get on the Internet with the Windows XP Pro hard
drive and the XANDRos Linux hard drive.
It has to be a windows software (maybe driver) issue in Vista.

 

[R_hyde]

The router has the latest firmware.

So I am still stuck without be able to use wireless

 

[nvega]

similar problem, shut down, cable modem, router and all computers.
Started modem first waited for lights to stop blinking,
the started router then went back and turned computer
on. Working fine now, no problems yet.

 

[R_hyde]

Yes - definately software issue with Vista.

Tried the closing down of router/computer option before. The router
intermittedly does appear in the list of wireless connections but when
I click on it it the system always fails to make a connection (even
when security is disabled). Then the router will disappear from the
list but still be present with a great signal on the dell wireless
card utility.

I wonder if there is some freeware that can be loaded to take over
from Vista for the wireless connectivity?

 

[knobber]

Well the only other thing that comes to mind is,if this is not a s/w issue
is to keep ssid enabled,make sure you have network discovery set to the on
position and tick the box which says connect to network even if not
broadcasting,reboot and see if it will then establish connection.Otherwise
it looks like a s/w issue.

Regards,

Knobber

 

[CK]

"knobber" <[email protected]>




typed

Well the only other thing that comes to mind is,if this is not a s/w
issue is to keep ssid enabled,make sure you have network discovery set
to the on position and tick the box which says connect to network
even if not broadcasting,reboot and see if it will then establish
connection.Otherwise it looks like a s/w issue.

Regards,

Knobber

TOP POSTING ****WIT.

 

[R_hyde]

....>

- Show quoted text -

Thanks knobber - I appreciate the post. I still think this is a s/w
prob.

 

[Mr. Arnold]

Yes - definately software issue with Vista.

Tried the closing down of router/computer option before. The router
intermittedly does appear in the list of wireless connections but when
I click on it it the system always fails to make a connection (even
when security is disabled). Then the router will disappear from the
list but still be present with a great signal on the dell wireless
card utility.

I wonder if there is some freeware that can be loaded to take over
from Vista for the wireless connectivity?

A person posted in this NG a few weeks ago stating that Vista was the
problem for the wireless. And the machine couldn't connect. It turned out
that Vista was not the problem, because he had a wireless card that he did
install on the laptop which I'll assume was a standalone wireless card, not
one integrated with the laptop and it worked. You might want to check the
possible equipment area and not put it solely on Vista's door step, because
Vista is the O/S. MS and Vista didn't make the card nor did MS and Vista
make the driver for the card.

You might want to check with a friend that has a standalone wireless card
and install it on the laptop to see what happens. Does the problem follow
to the other card?

I have Vista on this HP laptop that has wireless. I have been in hotels with
wireless. I have had no problems in connecting the laptop to the wireless
networks and using the wireless.

 

[R_hyde]

A person posted in this NG a few weeks ago stating that Vista was the
problem for the wireless. And the machine couldn't connect. It turned out
that Vista was not the problem, because he had a wireless card that he did
install on the laptop which I'll assume was a standalone wireless card, not
one integrated with the laptop and it worked. You might want to check the
possible equipment area and not put it solely on Vista's door step, because
Vista is the O/S. MS and Vista didn't make the card nor did MS and Vista
make the driver for the card.

You might want to check with a friend that has a standalone wireless card
and install it on the laptop to see what happens. Does the problem follow
to the other card?

I have Vista on this HP laptop that has wireless. I have been in hotels with
wireless. I have had no problems in connecting the laptop to the wireless
networks and using the wireless.

Thank you - I have succesfully connected with a stand alone USB card.
Looks like the dell card is faulty.

 

[Mark Dee]

I have a belkin USB wireless adaptor, some days it's fine and connects no
problems, other days it finds the wireless router with excellent signal
strength but won't connect and a quick disable in Devicen Manager and
re-enale does the trick, sometimes having to do it twice.

I've noticed, and this is not scientific and have no way of checking this,
but when McAffee starts slowly, it fails to connect, on the occasiosn McAfee
decides to fire up sharpish it's ok. McAfee came free with my Dell,
unfortunately for 3 yrs, all advice is to uninstall it which i may do.

popping the adaptor into a different USB slot fixes it for a day or two then
for whatever reason, the problem returns.

Just the joy of Microsoft products ?


And to John from Dell - your support is hopeless, nothing appears to be
Dell's responsibility even though you sold me the box with all the software
in it, and your support center software tells me my pc isn't a Dell !!

 

[Richard in AZ]

I also have a Belkin USB wireless adaptor, now a second one free from Belkin, that will not setup at
all.
Keeps telling me that the driver software cannot read the hardware signature.
I gave up and installed a Linksys adapter and it worked right off the bat.

Not the joy of Microsoft products, but the joy of Belkin?
By the way if you download the Belkin driver for XP it is marked as a Beta. I hope they get it
finalized soon.

You also have my vote to remove McAfee from your computer. You will be a lot happier, unless you
choose Norton.
Between my work PC, my wife's PC, my travel laptop, a shop PC and a test PC I use only AVG, Windows
Defender and Windows Firewall. No problems on any of the computers, including the test unit where I
try out new software and new web sites before recommending them to a computer club. Three of the
computers use the AVG Pro and two use AVG Free. No difference in protection between free and Pro.