Can see 54g network, but not connect

Question

Was staying with my gf this weekend who recently has had a wireless network installed with a Belkin router. Noticed she had an unsecured network, so volunteered to set up a password on the network.

Changed it to WPA-PSK security, and as soon as I did that the laptop began refusing to connect under the secure or the old unsecure set up.

Laptop is a Dell Inspiron, with Windows XP and up-to-date Wireless drivers.

I'm lost to explain it to her- help! Have done the obvious of double checking passwords and made sure drivers were right.

Ask if more details needed. Many thanks!

bacillus · Answer

I am sorry to sound basic but are you 100% sure that you inserted the correct WPA key from the router on her laptop? I find copying and pasting the best form of transference of an encryption key.

You will have to get into the router's Web interface if you want to check, change or remove the encryption key. This requires that you use a PC wired to the router to access its Web interface.

mlewis_uk · Answer

Yes, I am sure. To ensure this wasn't just me being stupid I went back, turned the security off and then tried again.

It still wouldn't connect- it seems to have been fairly conincidental that the security was changed at the time, though I could be wrong.

bacillus · Answer

hmm, does the laptop actually see the wireless network?

mlewis_uk · Answer

I'm using the standard Windows utility, with the card being the inbuilt Dell 1450 Mini-PCI . The other curious thing is that it won't let me try to repair the connection- it fails when I try doing that, even after uninstalling the device from the Device Manager.

bacillus · Answer

this may sound silly but try changing the router's channel to one less than 11.

mlewis_uk · Answer

I'll pass that along. Why might that work? Other than that, are there any diagnostic utilities that might be helpful?

mlewis_uk · Answer

Yes, it can see the network full strength on the Windows View Wireless Networks dialog.

Click connect, enter the key if the router's security is on, and then it says "Waiting for Network..." for a minute or two before this message disappears, I presume because it times out.

Other machines connect to the network with no problem, so I'm lost as to where to look to diagnose the problem.

bacillus · Answer

are you using the windows wireless utility or the card maker's utility to manage the connection?

gbarn88347 · Answer

This problem is normaly caused by the windows firewall even if you have disabled the windows firewall some features remain enabled go to control panel click on firewall click on the advanced tab then untick all the check boxes I am certain this will fix your problem

Gary

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

Can see 54g network, but not connect

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