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wireless homenetwork connection error

Hi everyboy, I could really use some help connecting my computer to my wireless home network. Let me first try and explain what I'm trying to do. Since my wireless router doesn't connect to the internet (a completely different problem altogether, but if anybody knows why my router does not connect to a DNS, but my computer does... Please help me with this too :) ), I got the idea to plug my internet connection directly into my (vista ultimate based) computer, and then use WLAN to share the connecttion wireless into the rest of my house. This should be possible as there is a sharing option that allows other users to connect to the internet through your computer under Vista. This way, I avoid DNS problems with my router and instead use it as an access point for my wireless devices.

So far, so good (I'd think), but here is where the trouble starts. Now I have a notebook and a PDA that have innate WLAN functionality. After setting up my wireless router (most basic settings: everything automatic, simple (64-bit HEX) WEP key), I could connect to it with my notebook and PDA. For my desktop PC, I'm using a USB adapter, which is recognized by Vista immediately. Now for some reason, I cannot find my wireless network (or any other wireless network for that matter) with my desktop... And I have _no_ idea why my desktop cannot find any wireless networks, while my PDA and notebook can.

So my question is:

  • How can it be that my notebook can find wireless networks that my desktop cannot find with a wireless USB adapter?

And optionally, if you have any answers on the following issues, I'd appreciate it:

  • Is my set-up (WAN --> desktop --> wireless --> homenetwork) for sharing internet possible, or should I just use this wireless network to share files between computers and forget about internet-sharing altogether?

  • Does anybody know how it is possible that my computer does not connect to the internet through my router (cannot connect to a DNS), but CAN connect to the internet directly? I find this to be such a weird problem...

A lot of questions, I'm sorry. Thanks in advance for your time!

best regards, Leon

Reply to
leonliev
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Conciseness is a much under valued commodity...

Reply to
Piso Mojado

Sure. That's easy. Your unspecified model router is set to supply the IP address, gateway, and DNS server IP's via DHCP. You have your unspecified operating system set to accept a DHCP supplied IP address, but have setup the DNS for a static IP. If your unspecified operating system happens to be W2K, XP, or Vista, check the TCP/IP settings under the network properties for your unspecified wireless device in your unspecified computer. (In case you missed my point, numbers are a good thing).

Does your unspecified internet service provider supply you with dialup, satellite, DSL, cable modem, or two tin cans and a string? If one of these, could you also disclose through what device you get your internet connection?

Yes. That's called ICS or Internet Connection Sharing. This feature closesly approached computer hell, barely works, screws up considerably, and constitutes a major percentage of my support headaches. I've never actually tried it under Vista, but if it's anything like XP, methinks you're about to have a problem.

The reason you have an unspecified model router is to share the connection. Vista can barely support one user. Why would you want to have the entire network funneled through your Vista box? Just fix the DNS problem and you'll be fine.

"Indecision is the key to flexibility". (I forgot who said that)

"innate" Huh? Does it work or doesn't it? If yes, then you have just successfully nailed down your Vista box as an integral part of your home network substituting for a $50 router.

Don't use WEP. There are problem converting from the ASCII key to the Hex equivalent. WEP is also easily cracked. If your unspecified wireless router supports WPA or WPA2, please use it.

Having Vista recognize something (i.e. install the driver) and actually work are two different things. I found that today what Vista decided I needed an updated HP dot4 USB driver, but couldn't find one. Rather than use the old driver, which worked perfectly well, it simply disabled the device. It was recognized, but it didn't work.

Neither do I, but I have some suspicions. Shut down and *UNPLUG* your Vista computer. Start over. Sometimes hardware gets hung and USB ports are a prime culprit.

Your recent addition of ICS to your ever growing more complex network pretzel might also be a problem. Try removing ICS.

Your USB adapter isn't working. Period. When the driver successfully initializes your unspecified USB wireless device, it will magice start working again. Incidentally, I've seen this behavior if I move a wireless USB device to a different USB port on a computah or laptop. In particular if it's on a different USB chip. That usually required a power cycle to recover. No clue why.

Setup the router as the manufacturer originally intended. Disarm ICS on your Vista device and things might go more smoothly.

Yes. Mixing DHCP and static IP's. Routing issues. Duplicate IP's. Broken DHCP clients. Incidentally, Windoze Vista if full of broken DHCP issues. See my rant on the subject at:

I've been told that DHCP has been "fixed" in Vista SP1. I'll believe it when I see it.

Next time you ask a question, please supply:

  1. What are you trying to accomplish or what problem are you trying to solve?
  2. What do you have to work with? (Hardware, software, versions). It's very difficult to answer questions like yours that are devoid of numbers.
Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Make sure the wireless on your desktop is turned on/enabled... That's what it does when disabled (also does that if the firewall is blocking things)

Reply to
Peter Pan

quick answer to all the problems.... I only read the first paragraph - and stopped read -

If you now have a router - dump the WLAN c> Hi everyboy, I could really use some help connecting my computer to my

Reply to
P.Schuman

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