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Windows Wireless Connection HELP???

Melensdad

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
Normally I use an Apple Macintosh, MacBook Pro computer at home. I need to use some Windows software so I brought home an IBM ThinkPad with built in wireless capabilities.

I've been screwing around with this for almost 2 hours and am about ready to launch it out the 2nd floor window.

According to the Windows "Wireless Network Connection" the computer is connected to my Apple Network. It has a little gold star graphic next to the work CONNECTED, it even tells me that it is an "Unsecured wireless network" and "This network is configured for open access . . . " The signal strength is "Excellent" Everything looks like it should work.

But I cannot get a page to load in Firefox or Explorer. Everything just "times out" :smileywac

How the hell do you connect up a Windows computer to the internet over a wireless network?
 
Do you have it set up to use DHCP on your network? Does your router have DHCP enabled?

Right Click on the little network connection icon in the lower right corner and see if you can find the "repair" option. It can also be found through the Start Menu -> Connect To -> Show all connections.

If you can't find the repair option then try to find the "Status" option and see if you can find the info shown in the attached picture.

I'll be back in 3 hours or so to see if you need more help. :tiphat:
 
I got a window that looked almost the same, only the codes IP Addresses and gateway were different.

I hit the repair button and it cycled through the repair. Still didn't work. All the connections just "time out"

BTW the Mac shows the same settings. We have 4 Macs that connect up to the wireless system without any problems. The IBM ThinkPad I'm trying to use has been a traveling computer and taken to hotels on business trips by other employees. Several have reported they could not connect into a network, at least 1 person has been able to connect.
 
Probably a bad wireless card, which if it's built-in really sucks. With wireless cards I've found that some do a good job of connecting to different types of access points than others.

Sounds like you need to run Boot Camp on your Mac. ;)
 
I gave up. I brought it back to the office this morning. Dumped it on one of the IT guys desks. Monday I will have him strip all the security BS off the computer that makes it easy to connect up to our internal wireless system but apparently makes it impossible to use for its INTENDED PURPOSE. No wonder people have been reporting they can't get the damn thing to work . . . if the IT guys would understand what people need and set things up for those people life would be so much easier!!!
 
B_Skurka said:
I gave up. I brought it back to the office this morning. Dumped it on one of the IT guys desks. Monday I will have him strip all the security BS off the computer that makes it easy to connect up to our internal wireless system but apparently makes it impossible to use for its INTENDED PURPOSE. No wonder people have been reporting they can't get the damn thing to work . . . if the IT guys would understand what people need and set things up for those people life would be so much easier!!!
Click to expand...

It's a catch-22. If the computer gets infected with spyware and viruses because the IT guys turned off all the security stuff then who gets crapped on.

Security = inconvenience.
 
PBinWA said:
It's a catch-22. If the computer gets infected with spyware and viruses because the IT guys turned off all the security stuff then who gets crapped on.

Security = inconvenience.
Click to expand...
Nope, not a spyware issue. Here at the office we utilize a secure network that is locked down harder than any I've ever seen/encountered. Too hard. I've had many people come in here and try to log in AFTER they were given all the passwords, etc and still not be able to get into the system. That said, they programmed the IBM ThinkPad so it will apparently ONLY allow internet access with our secure network.

At home I could get a great signal, in fact the system was telling me I was connected. But it would not allow me to access the internet. I spent 2 hours on it last night, 2 more this morning. This computer worked it a hotel when we first got it, then our IT guys their mitts on it and nobody has been able to connect up with it ever since. I'm no expert, but I think it has to do with the network security crap they put on in here at the office for connecting to the internal network (something this particular computer is ALMOST NEVER used to do!).

On my Mac I have it set up to auto connect to any network, can log in at hotels, airports, other places of business, etc. Sure, I need their security key but it will easily allow me access. But when I come to work I have to change my network settings to the office system, its a manual process, and while a pain in the ass, with the Mac it saves the settings so its just a few mouse clicks to revert to the office system. When I leave I reset it to be compatible with the rest of humanity.
 
I see two evils:

1. Over zealous IT department.

2. A computer that is primarily used by sales reps.

In my career they are both about equal in the PIA department!

Sales reps are brutal (scary actually) on computers.

;)
 
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