OT: Home wireless network

[QuikSand]

Okay, you guys rock.

Just for starters, a while back I posted here about looking for a better on-line solution for my home needs. Many of you suggested a hoem wireless gateway - I have since purchased and installed one, and it works just great. Very happy, I am.

Now, the twist. I recently acquired a new "work" laptop, which I seek to bring home and hook up. I can get it to work with the receiver station that I purchased for use with our second computer (a desktop) but so far, I have had no luck getting the internal wireless card to work. So, I'm out of luck.

Regrettaly, the laptop and card are from Dell. Their "service" people have now stolen some 75 minutes of my life through various phone calls, and have not been able to provide any help. ("Software, that's definitely software..." was the last line I got)

My IT guy from my office has been of little help, either.

Anyway, without getting into too may specifics - does anyone know of a source I can go to just for a simple walk-through for how to make sure that my wireless card is working properly, and if so, how to get it to properly receive my home network's signal?

I recognize these are basic questions, but I'm still at the elementary level with such things.


The card, for what it's worth is a TrueMobile 1150 card, came pre-installed with the laptop sent to me by the doobie-smoking kid and his pissant interns. The home gateway is from HP.

Thanks for any thoughts, of help pointing me in a helpful direction.

[primelord]

Quik,

My first guess would be that your ESSid (or SSid) is set incorrectly. You want to make sure the ID specified on your laptop is the same as the one on your wireless access point.

I am not sure what OS you are using, but you should be able to check the ESSid by going to start->settings->control panel->network and then right click on the listing for your wireless card and go to properties. In there you should check your ESS Id.

[HornedFrog Purple]

I have a Linksys setup so this probably will not help much.

If you go to your browser on the base computer of your network and type in:

192.168.1.1

There you can see your network SSID and what the channel you are using for wireless. When you go into your new laptop do what primelord said and see if they match up and change if necessary.

That ip address may not work with an HP router I just do not know.

[astralhaze]

From our internal intranet

"If the AP1000 or AP2000 gives the following LED code:

G/G/R/R

this indicates an incompatible firmware. The AP1000 or AP2000 firmware will needs to be upgraded to support the True Mobile (JAM) PCMCIA card.

AP1000
If the customer experiences any problems with connecting to an AP1000 wireless AP (Access Point), the firmware of the AP may need to be updated. The default firmware of the AP1000 does not natively have support for the JAM PCMCIA Card. This firmware will an available download at support.dell.com. Firmware version 2.06 and later are compatible with the True Mobile (JAM) PCMCIA card.

AP2000
As of May 24, 2002 all AP2000 kits from the factory will include a firmware that is compatible with the JAM PCMCIA Card. If an AP2000 was ordered before May 24, 2002 a firmware flash may be needed for compatibility with the JAM PCMCIA Card. This firmware will an available download at support.dell.com. Firmware version 1.83 and later are compatible with the True Mobile (JAM) PCMCIA card."

Not sure if that helps or not. I just work in the desktop division and don't support laptops or wireless cards. We DO have a wireless department, don't know if you have talked to them or not. If you haven't, call up and ask to be transfered to wireless.

[Craptacular]

I'm also interested in this discussion, although my problems are different. I bought my wife a laptop late last year, with the Dell TrueMobile router and wireless card. When I hooked up the router, the laptop was supposedly getting perfect signal from the base, but NEITHER the laptop nor my desktop (with a regular ethernet connection) were able to connect. I followed Dell's instructions, and talked to my cable provider about it, but never got it to work. I recently bought a new HD and reinstalled Windows, but I haven't had the time to try the wireless router again. My connection works fine when I plug the cable modem directly into either the desktop or the laptop, but not through the router.

[Daimyo]

What OS are you using on the laptop?

[astralhaze]

The possibility I am thinking of, in addition to what primelord suggested, is that the wireless NIC in your laptop may not be supported by the current firmware for your router. I would see if you can get some updated firmware for it from hp.

[QuikSand]

A few more details:

The laptop is running Windows 2000.

Yes, 192.168.1.1 is the correct address for my system.


I'll fiddle some more, and get back to you all... thanks for the tips so far.

[QuikSand]

Originally posted by HornedFrog Purple
There you can see your network SSID and what the channel you are using for wireless. When you go into your new laptop do what primelord said and see if they match up and change if necessary.

Okay, we're on to something here... my card is looking for channel 10, but my system is on channel 6. I cannot, however, figure out how to change what channel the card searches for... I can call up a "profile" but I cannot figure out how to alter that setting... (and I can see form here this is a Dell-specific question... I've been through Dell suuport at length already)

Ugh.

[astralhaze]

Originally posted by QuikSand
Okay, we're on to something here... my card is looking for channel 10, but my system is on channel 6. I cannot, however, figure out how to change what channel the card searches for... I can call up a "profile" but I cannot figure out how to alter that setting... (and I can see form here this is a Dell-specific question... I've been through Dell suuport at length already)

Ugh.

Have you specificaly talked to wireless? We do have that department.

[HornedFrog Purple]

Only other thing I can think of is there might be a TrueMobile 1150 client manager utility in your programs list where you might be able to change it in there. If you cant change it in there make sure you are logged on as the administrator in win2000.

It sounds like you are getting signal but its on the wrong channel

[QuikSand]

Originally posted by HornedFrog Purple
Only other thing I can think of is there might be a TrueMobile 1150 client manager utility in your programs list where you might be able to change it in there. If you cant change it in there make sure you are logged on as the administrator in win2000.

It sounds like you are getting signal but its on the wrong channel

Okay... I'm thinking this might be it. There is a client manager for the TrueMobile card, but I have been totally unable to change the channel settings on it, or even to set up a new "profile" with anything but a default channel.

So, how do I go about seeing how I am logged in to Win2000? I'm guessing my IT guy is the administrator, and I'm just the pathetic lackey (making twice his salary, but here's his revenge).

Any way to do this without having him in on it? (Not that I have a problem with him, I just haven't been able to get him focused... he has a lot of mouth to feed)

[wbonnell]

Originally posted by QuikSand

So, how do I go about seeing how I am logged in to Win2000? I'm guessing my IT guy is the administrator, and I'm just the pathetic lackey (making twice his salary, but here's his revenge).

Then you better be clearing mid 100s...

[Daimyo]

Not if he's just a help desk guy...

[wbonnell]

Originally posted by Daimyo
Not if he's just a help desk guy...

Good point. He used to the term <b>administrator</b> but maybe he meant tech support. Anyway, system administrators are well compensated in the IT organizations I've been in.

[HornedFrog Purple]

Originally posted by QuikSand
Okay... I'm thinking this might be it. There is a client manager for the TrueMobile card, but I have been totally unable to change the channel settings on it, or even to set up a new "profile" with anything but a default channel.

So, how do I go about seeing how I am logged in to Win2000? I'm guessing my IT guy is the administrator, and I'm just the pathetic lackey (making twice his salary, but here's his revenge).

Any way to do this without having him in on it? (Not that I have a problem with him, I just haven't been able to get him focused... he has a lot of mouth to feed)

Well the short answer is no, unless you can take some stabs at his password.

This may not even be the case. When you boot up the laptop are you having to enter a password to boot it up to begin with? If so then likely it is setup with administrator/user access. If that is the case then you can take guesses at his password or ask him.

The reason I asked about administrator is because to change hardware etc you have to use that account. A user account cannot unless that group is given access to it which is usually unlikely.

Most of these wireless cards come with some kind of utility so you can do things like change SSID and channels. It sounds like you can't do it because it's not an admin account. I am really guessing here though.

If this laptop was used at work on a wireless network it is likely that the default is set on what is used there which is why it does not work at home. You should be able to create a new account on the card using the utility with your SSID and channel for your home network and switch them as appropriate.

Hope this makes sense. Other than that I am really at a loss. One other place to check is Dell's support board if none of these things work.

[henry296]

I only skimmed the responses. I had some problems getting my Dell to access my wireless network. The fix I got from Linksys was to remove the Wireless card from the Netowrk Bridge.

Todd

[Daimyo]

If you absolutely can't get the administrator to do it for you, there are ways around Windows NT/2000 security that you could use pretty simply to access the administrator account and do what you need to do.

You can create a boot floppy disk that will do all the work for you so all you need to do is boot off the disk and change the admin password... then reboot to windows, log on with the admin password, and do what you need to do. You wouldn't be able to set the admin password back, though. YMMV about how acceptable that is.

[primelord]

You could also consider changing the channel settings on your access point at home. You can change it to match the one your laptop has set. You would of course also have to change your other home machines to match, but atleast then you wouldn't need the admin password to do it.

[QuikSand]

I seem tohave fixed the problem - thanks for your many suggestions. As it turns out, my IT guy left behind his Dell TrueMobile installation CD in a collegaue's office when he went back to his office (in another city). So, I pinched it overnight, and removed then reinstalled the card and all the drivers. Somehow, after reinstalling, everything worked out just great. Up and running, looking good.

Many thanks for your helpful suggestions... I don't think I would have pieced this all together without them.

[Buzzbee]

So, I'm guessing that you are currently sitting on your deck drinking a nice cold beer and watching the neighbors 18 year old hottie sunbathe nude by the pool? :cool:

[QuikSand]

That's slated for tomorrow... but I don't think she turns 18 until August.

[Buzzbee]

Oh, I see. I'm guessing this ISN'T what they are talking about when they refer to premature ejaculation. :rolleyes:

[Bee]

Originally posted by Buzzbee
Oh, I see. I'm guessing this ISN'T what they are talking about when they refer to premature ejaculation. :rolleyes:

It's always fun to open a thread and read the last post without reading any of the posts before it and try to figure out how the thread subject got so far off track.... :D

[Buzzbee]

Originally posted by Bee
It's always fun to open a thread and read the last post without reading any of the posts before it and try to figure out how the thread subject got so far off track.... :D

Wireless Network to Premature Ejaculation. Hmmm. How DID we get here.

I guess the next bit of entertainment would be to guess how many posts before the topic drifts toward the sexual. I'm guessing 1/3. :D