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View Full Version : I give up...<help>!


ISirEnder
09-30-2007, 07:44 PM
Hi
I have a question (and BTW, THANKS for being here) about my 3 hour cruise on the high seas of cluelessness that led to a deserted island called frustration. Just call me Gilligan minus the rest of the crew.

About 2 weeks ago I decided I had better set up our family's main LAN connected (Comcast) computer securely. I had recently installed windows XP SP2 on this computer and had neglected to do so. I did so and then set up the wife's laptop which runs Vista as to recognize WPA2 encryption and it has worked fine since. Then today I tried doing the same with my laptop and let me tell you, Custer most likely had a better day at Little Big Horn. I tried everything on this PC laptop which runs Windows XP SP2.

At first I could see our primary secure connection in the "view wireless connections" window along with a few other weak signals from others in our neighborhood. I tried over and over and never got my laptop to connect once. I tried "repair" and got nowhere. The device was working properly yaddayadda and all looked and seemed normal as I went through the basic WPA key phrase matching and what not. Then I figured I would start looking on line for "help" and I think I must have taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque or something. One of the online articles I was reading said to "start from square one" and remove the preferred list from the automatic wireless connection configuration window, so i did. Then I tried the wireless connection wizard and the network connection wizard. Shoot, I was getting nowhere fast and would have even tried the Wizard of Oz if I thought it might do some good.

Then the last and most brutal blow of defeat occurred just prior to screaming at the top of my lungs...I lost the "let windows configure your wireless connection automatically" option. No "wireless connection" tab to be found anywhere. Is there no God!:confused:

I am throwing myself at your mercy. PLEASE HELP ME or the next thing I might throw myself at, or out, is the window. Good thing I live in a ranch.;)

Thanks,
Jeff

PS. I am using a Netgear router WPN824

bassman
10-01-2007, 10:48 AM
Well Jeff ( ISirEnder ), first let me welcome you to http://pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif
I am sure we will find you a solution to this nightmare ;) First lets more clearly define your setup:
Comp1- families main LAN connected computer. It connects to the internet with no problems and is running XP SP2
Comp2- Wife's laptop. It is running Vista and connects to the internet with no problems.
Comp 3- Your laptop. It is running XP SP2 and can not connect to the internet :(
You are running WAP2 security mode.
If the above is correct, now the questions start.
Is your laptop WAP2 capable? Is this the first attempt ever to set this comp up on a network? Can you see the network icon in the system tray? Can you get to the "Properties" dialog box for your adapter? If so, will you check the "Properties" of TCP/IP and report back on them. From your laptop (comp 3 ) can you get to the routers configuration page?

Answer these and we can go from there ;)