wifi @ home requires "password"

no, this is not the simple WiFi hotspot access requiring a user, customer, or guest password.....

A friend called, and said one of her laptops at home always asks for a "password" to get on the WiFi at home - and none of the other laptops do this....

First - since EVERYTHING is now called a "password", it's hard to guess what is really happening.

SO - is there any scenario where the WiFi access key is not stored locally on the client, or where there is some overt request to always ask for a key to access the WiFi ?

Since all other devices appear to access & store the key normally, it must be something unique to this single laptop and how it is configured. Could it be Windows related vs WiFi client related ?

Reply to
ps56k
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Some network drivers allow for a checked box the first time you access a wireless access point to never remember the password.

Since you did not identify the operating system involved I can only give an approximate fix. If you provide more information others here might be able to give you specific steps to fix things, possibly easier than mine.

Have your friend be sure to disconnect from the wireless access point first if they are connected.

Then go to the Network and Sharing icon. She needs to bring up the stored list of wireless access points (sometimes called Manage Wireless connections) the PC has identified and delete the one in question. Then try and connect to it again and proceed slowly to make sure they don't tell the PC to not store the password or that this access is a Public rather than Home or Work network.

Reply to
GlowingBlueMist

Yes. If it's Windoze, there's a stupid option to not save the connection and password. Under XP and Wireless Zero Config, it's buried under managing individual connections. Rather than try to fix it, you might suggest that she delete the saved config for here home network, and recreate it. Incidentally, this mess is what usually happens when someone changed the WEP/WPA password, or they use WZC to

*DISCONNECT* from a live access point. The stupid WZC decides that if you want to disconnection, you must obviously want to do it permanently. From that point on, it doesn't remember the password until you either set the saved config to connect automatically, or just delete it and start over.

Burnt offerings to the wireless gods will sometimes help.

Which Windoze? Which wireless client (if not WZC)? Each has their own hangups and problems. Incidentally, if an Intel client, I strongly suggest installing or updating to the latest Proset client software. While not perfect, it's MUCH better than WZC.

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

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