Argh - F**king, b*****ding, lovely person***g hell ... non footie - anyone - HELP

I am about ready to put a bloody hammer through this sodding computer of mine.

For ages now I've been using a USB laptop adapter to get wireless connection to the net.

I have now upgraded to a PCI card in readiness for a switch of providers. As a 'dummy run' I thought I'd try it out with my existing set-up. Given that the USB works the PCI shouldn't be a problem.

How wrong was I ...

Signal strength is excellent, finds the network straight away ... connects to it (sort of) ... however no matter what I try I keep getting a status of "Limited or no connectivity". I've had to go back to the USB card just to post this.

All the settings are as they should be, my firewall is set to allow the new adapter - as far as I can see everything I should do I have done.

I've googled the problem but most of the answers might as well be written in latin for all the sense they make.

Anyone had anything similar?

 

are you using "windows" to manage network connections, or the software that came with the PCI card?

 

Tried both

Doesn't seem to make the slightest bit of difference

 

WEP, WPA or Unsecured ?

And if you do an ipconfig /all, I bet you have a 169.x.x.x address.

 

Okay ... I was with you until the 5th word ...

It is WEP, the correct key has been put it and it does "connect" - just with the 'limited connectivity' which effectively means "You might as well use me as an expensive paper weight for all the data I'm going to transmit and receive".

What I just cannot fathom is how I can just plug a USB adapter in and it all works fine, whereas everything I read tells me a PCI card is preferable. I'm not doing owt different.

 

I have this with my laptop quite often....

seems to conflict quite a bit.

A coupe of things I do to help (not completely solved it yet) is having sussed out it surrounds DNS Caching.

You can try using the "repair" option by right clicking on the wireless icon.

But you more than likely come accross a message along the lines of

"Windows could not finish repairing the problem because the following action could not be completed:
Clearing the DNS Cache"

if this happens


Click "Start" button, choose "Run…",
type in "cmd" and press "Enter".
A black window will open with a blinking cursor.
Type in ipconfig /flushdns and press "Enter".
After you press "Enter" the screen will stay as it
is for a few seconds and will then pop back
a message saying "Successfully Flushed the DNS Resolver Cache".
Once you see this message your DNS cache has been refreshed


If it hasn't then connected automatically, try the repair bit again.

I have come to the conclusion it is something to do with wireless PCI cards, but can't be arsed to try owt different.

Hope that gives you some joy

 

disconnect the wireless lan on the laptop and reconnect.

 

I think you will have an IP address that is registered to the old USB stick.</p>

When you connect the PCI card, wait til it connects, then right-click the connection in the task bar and click &quot;repair&quot; to see if it picks up a new address. (&quot;diagnose and repair&quot; if on Vista)</p>

 

Cheers Nez ... but no dice on that one - tried repairing several times and I always grind to a hault after "Aquiring Netwrok Address" and I get the message:

"This problem occured because the network did not assign a network address to the computer".

Interestingly, when I go through the "old" connection using the USB it tells me that address type was "Assigned by DHCP" - for the brief period it's there on the new connection I get "Private" or something similar.

 

Tried that several times over to no avail I'm afraid. It's a desktop I'm using. I've just always used the USB adapter as that came with it and worked.

 

The private address is an APIPA address ..... 169.x.x.x.</p>

Your router will dish out and address (DHCP) which will usually be 192.168.1.x</p>

If it can't then your PC automatically defaults to 169.x.x.x which is as much use as a **** on a pope.</p>

Your router needs either its cache clearing, or simpler ...... a reboot, and that should free up a proper (192) address to your laptop.</p>

 

It doesn't pick up anything on repair - I've tried it so many times I've lost count. It's always the same point of the repair, namely the renewing IP address where on one connection it's an "Automatic Private Address" (when it does start with 169) - and consequently doesn't work. The other is assigned by DHCP and starts 192 and works fine.

So how do I get the PCI card to stop buggering about with a stupid number and take the good 'un?

 

A few suggestions on here you could try....

http://www.wirelessforums.org/network-troubleshooting/acquiring-network-address-problem-5153.html

could be anything from incompatible card to router (ie different encryption settings)
a minor incorrect input on the Key (such as a capital letter)

you may find something on here to try

 

Try this,

Go into "network connections"

Right click on the connection and click on properties.

In the window click on Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

Click on properties

Click the;

Obtain an IP address automatically
Obtain DNS server address automatically

Click on OK

Right click the connection and click on repair.

Not in front of a WiFi'd pc so can't check what I'm telling you.

 

Put your PC card in - disconnect from network.

Then reboot your router (which &quot;gives&quot; the IP addresses), wait for the lights to flash, connect to your wireless and that &quot;should&quot; do the trick.

 

Just been and checked, the boxes are already checked for:

Obtain an IP address automatically
Obtain DNS server address automatically

The 'new' connector is also DHCP enabled on the advanced tab.

 

Nope ... same problem with the IP address again.

 

Well I'm off now mate. Last try.

You need to get into the settings of your router (192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.254 usually)</p>

In the admin page there will be a DHCP table, which will show all the 192 address it has given out. You need to clear or reset that table, then unplug your USB stick. Try a repair with just the PCI card in.</p>

Good luck.</p>

 

What router is it?

You may need to pop it in 'pairing mode' before trying to connect it up.

See if there are any buttons on it apart from the normal reset ones & switch it off. Turn it back on, hit the button & if you have any lights on the router the wireless one will normally flash.

Then go to your Wireless Network list & connect as normal.

Might all be ******** but it sounds like that may be the problem with LNC.