Anyone know anything about wireless adapters?...

[Movieguy]

I recently got a new processor a couple of months ago. It's an HP pavillion with Windows XP, tons of HD space, and a pentium IV processor, which I hope will eventually replace the ancient 2000 Dell with ME that I've had for 5 years, and am currently typing on.

 

See, the one thing keeping the HP from totally replacing the Dell processor is the fact that I can't get the damn thing to go online. See, my Dell is connected to a Netgear wireless router from downstairs, which I access from a Netgear wireless adapter.

 

I tried to install the Netgear adapter onto the new HP, and it doesn't like the thing. It shuts itself down in the middle of installation and turns itself back on, and it will keep shutting down until I unplug the adapter.

 

So, I decided to go with another adapter. Today I purchased a Linksys WUSB11 adapter at Best Buy. It said on the box that this particular version was designed with XP in mind. However, the Installation CD refused to fire up at all into setup mode (A purple screen flashed for a second, and then vanished), so I had to pull all the files out manually and put them in with my program files.

 

Anyway, the Linksys adapter seemed to install itself without any problems, and it immediately detected the router downstairs. Unfortunately, it can't connect to the thing, because it's telling me that the network cable is unplugged! Now, how is that even possible when I'm trying to connect to a WIRELESS router?

 

The adapter's monitor, which I pulled onto the computer from the disk, is no help either. It seems to be disabled, even though the adapter is able to detect the router anyway.

 

I'm really perplexed here. Does anyone here know what I'm talking about? Do you know where I can get some help for this?

 

I want to get this new HP on the internet damnit! All this new power at my hands, and it's going to waste!

[Angry_Gumball]

You have read all that stuff about configuring your wireless router setup? It's not instantanious like how we'd like it to be that once it's hooked up, it works. If so, then I'd honestly try tech support. A while back, I helped one of my friend's parents friends set up a wireless network and got no where for 2 days trying to configure it. Finally we called up the tech support waiting for over a half hour...probably closer to 45 minutes. Hopefully you get it working though. Sorry that I wasn't quite much help being as I don't have a wireless setup. Like I said though..if you havent' configured it then go do that...also probably call tech support if needed.

[CoasterFanatic]

^ I would also contact tech support, but try this before you do:

 

On the back of your Router their should be a small reset button. Press it for about 30 seconds and restore the default settings.

 

That is the first thing that tech support will tell you to do, but it will take them 1/2 hour to get that far. 90% of the time it fixes it.

[Movieguy]

Ok. I also noticed that the router has WEP encryption, with a network key that I have written down. The problem is, I don't know where to enter it, because on the manual, the screen they show for the list of available networks is totally different from what I see on my screen.

 

Maybe I have a newer version of XP, I'm not sure. I did just buy the HP two months ago. Anyway, this version of the menu I have seems to show no place to enter the network key, which my computer plainly says my router has.

[CoasterFanatic]

^ Turn off WEP encryption and see if it works.

 

Usually the inability to connect to a wireless router is one of two things:

 

- WEP Encryption

- MAC Address Restrictions

 

It is always best to start wide open and then tighten up your security once everything operates correctly.

[Movieguy]

Well, my dad set everything up on the router, so I have no clue how security on that thing works.

 

Anyway, I WAS able to find where you enter the network key this morning. So, It doesn't say the network isn't in range anymore...it's just not able to connect when it finds the network!

 

I really have no clue what's causing this. If my old crappy Dell with an old netgear MA111 adapter can connect to the router, then I don't see why my new HP can't do the same thing.

 

I'm really beginning to think the problem is with my HP. One guy suggested that the reason it was shutting down when I tried to install the old adapter, was because of a poor power supply unit. And with my new Linksys adapter unable to connect at all, I'm starting to wonder if this is indeed the case.

 

If it is, then I'm really mad. I've been to Best Buy, and I've seen how much those PSU's can cost...YOW!

[CoasterFanatic]

^ Can you get into the web-based config for your wireless router. If not, I can't imagine that you will get it working.

[Movieguy]

A lot has happened since yesterday. After some tweaking, I was finally able to access the router using my Linksys adapter. Unfortunately, I would lose the connection about a half-hour after gaining it, and restarting the computer would be the only way to get it re-connected.

 

Then I disabled XP's Wireless Zero Configuration utility, which i then discovered may have been the source of my problems with the old Netgear MA111 adapter. So I installed it, and got it working this time without any problems.

 

One problem though, the Netgear adapter can't even detect my router while it scans, which I guess may be because I disabled Wireless Zero Configuration. It looks like I'll have to configure the connection manually. I have the information written down to do it, I just don't know where I have to do it on XP, because I'm not finding anything about IP addresses or Network keys anywhere.