Wireless network says it's connected but it's not really

[David]

My HP Pavilion with embedded Broadcom 54g MaxPerformance
wireless adapter won't connect with my Netgear MR814
wireless router. The computer says that it's connected
with an excellent signal strength, but it isn't. DHCP is
enabled on the router and the computer is set to obtain
an IP address automatically, but that isn't happening.
The adapter is generating its own automatic private
address that has nothing in common with addresses
generated by the router.

Connecting to the router with a CAT 5 cable works
perfectly. Other computers in the network have no
problem connecting wirelessly. I disabled the Broadcom
adapter and connected a D-Link USB wireless adapter to
the HP and the result was the same - it said it was
connected but it wasn't.

All antivirus and firewall applications have been
disabled on the HP.

 

[Bruce J. Weiers]

WEP ???

MAC filtering???

 

[David]

WEP is enabled on both the router and the HP. The HP
says that it's connected regardless of the key that's
entered. There's no difference in behavior with the
correct key or one that's not. There is no MAC filtering.

 

[A Colwood]

My HP Pavilion with embedded Broadcom 54g MaxPerformance
wireless adapter won't connect with my Netgear MR814
wireless router. The computer says that it's connected
with an excellent signal strength, but it isn't. DHCP is
enabled on the router and the computer is set to obtain
an IP address automatically, but that isn't happening.
The adapter is generating its own automatic private
address that has nothing in common with addresses
generated by the router.

I had the same problem after upgrading to XP from ME.

Under ME I had been used to using a passphrase for WEP. It turned out that
I'd mis entered the key under zero config in XP. I only discovered this when
I checked on another PC. A real DOH! moment.

 

[Bruce J. Weiers]

Sorry for the untimely reply. Somehow, I missed your reply, earlier

If you disable WEP temporarily on the Netgear MR814, are you able to get
an IP address and to access the internet, etc.? If yes, then I would
think that the most likely cause of your problem is a mis-typed WEP key,
as another poster suggested.

If no, then I would want to make sure that the Netgear's firmware is
up-to-date, and that the Broadcom 54g is set to use "b" (and not "g") on
the appropriate channel. I would experiment with using Windows to
manage my wireless settings, and the alternative, if available, of using
whatever utility HP/broadcom provided. I would do this experimenting
with WEP disabled on the Netgear.