Cannot set up USB Wireless on PC

First, verify the passcode/encryption key. Check your router's menu and make sure that you do not have MAC address filtering enabled. If you do, add the MAC address of your daughter's laptop so that the router will allow her access. Make sure the SSID is typed in your daughter's wireless config. menu of her laptop. Finally, check the IP address of your daughter's laptop. To do this: click START, RUN and type the letters CMD and press the ENTER key. Afterwards, type ipconfig and hit the ENTER key. you will see the ip address, the subnet mask and the default gateway address. Make sure that the ip address is within the same range as the other pc on your network. If you see something similar to 169.254.x.x, you have a misconfiguration. Let us know if this info does not resolve your dilemma.

If you are using XP's wireless config then after you have saved the Key it only shows 8 dots (I have a 40 character WPA key which only shows as 8)

Have you updated the drivers as there was a problem connecting to an AP ,when using WEP, if the SSID was disabled.

Doug, I checked and MAC filtering is not enabled (was planning to add this after all returning college machines had shown up for the summer). The ssid was correct for my network. I tried to obtain the IP address but ipconfig returned a message saying no network detected. I tried changing my WEP key to a 64 bit and still no joy. The USB adapter sees other wireless routers in neighborhood but not mine (I have broadcast disabled).

Just learning this stuff, so I'm having problems with the conceptual stuff of wireless networking. I think I'm entering the right stuff on the adapter, but I'm not sure if some setting on my router might be causing this. Or maybe I'm missing a hardware problem.

Thanks for your help, Jon

Thanks, I'll give this a try this evening. As a quick check I could start with enabling SSID broadcast.

Jon

disable encryption on the wireless router/AP and see whether or not you can connect and we'll go from there. If your wireless device and its drivers are installed correctly, you should have no problems connecting while encryption is DISABLED.

I downloaded the new drivers powered up the router and it connected with a solid signal. Its working great. Thanks so much for the help.

Regards, Jon

Doug, It turned out to be a driver problem with the USB device. Installed updated drivers and boom, solid connection.

Thanks for the help, Jon