Do you have access to the administrator of this wireless network?  You will need to know a few wireless network parameters when troubleshooting this.

 

Is your adapter driver and software up-to-date?

 

What are you using to manage your wireless connections? 

 

Is the Belkin's SSID set to broadcasting?  (i.e., is it made to be visible for anyone to see) 

 

Since you mentioned the network is unsecured, it is possible that the router/network's identifier has been mistakenly set to be "invisible", and if you are using Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC) to manage your connection, you won't "find" it - some software can see non-broadcasting networks, some software can't, and WZC belongs to the latter.

 

 

Try downloading a tool called Network Stumbler (or NetStumbler) and see if it can scan the area for possible wireless networks.  I use it to provide diagnostic information such as S/N ratio (signal strength and quality), channel in use, etc. - it can even see hidden networks.  If the Dell WLAN 1350 is a Broadcom based adapter, NS should work with it.

 

http://www.stumbler.net/

 

 

Do remember to reset your IP parameters - you can't have two machines on the same IP once you have eventually connected successfully to the network.  Good luck.

Thanks for answering...

By administrator are you referring to the person who owns it?  Yes... I do.  He lives here!

How do I see if the driver and software are up to date?  (Assuming this means the 5150)
Also, what do you mean by what am I using to manage the wireless connections?  Is there a choice?

How would we find out if the Belkins SSID is set to broadcast as visable?  If another computer can see it (internal wireless as well) then wouldnt that not be a problem?  Other computers can pick up the signal.

How do I download network stumbler onto my computer when I cant get an internet connection?

Sorry I guess Im not as computer saavy as I used to think I was...  Thanks for all your help!  If youre more specific I can print this out and have someone else look at it to see what he thinks.  He knows computers better than me I think.  Thanks!

It is not imperative to connect wirelessly - each router has 4 LAN ports that you can plug your notebook directly using a LAN cable, and that's how you can download the NetStumbler onto your computer, but there is an easier way to find out what settings the router is using instead of using NS since the router's Administrator is there: ask him!

 

Things you need to find out from him:

1.  Which router model exactly?  (not very important but it helps)

2.  Is the SSID broadcasting?

3.  What security is being implemented if any?  For example, WEP, WPA, WPA2, or MAC Address Filtering - are you sure it is unsecured?

 

Yes, there is a choice in the software that manages a connection.  The network adapter only provides the hardware to having a wireless connection, the actual connection is taken care of by software - actions such as providing the network key to enable secured access is done by software.  Wireless network manufacturers will bundle their own wireless connection management (WCM) client with their wireless adapter, but there is always a choice - Windows XP include its own WCM service called Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC).

 

To see a difference between the two WCM, i.e., WZC and the Dell Wireless WLAN Card Utility, see: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/network/p70008/en/index.htm

 

Like I said whether a wireless adapter can see a hidden network depends on the software it uses, some can, some can't, so it can be crucial to know what you are using, especially if the SSID is indeed not broadcasting as a measure (albeit non-effective) to protect a unsecured network.

 

You can find out if you have the latest driver and WCM for your computer by checking Drivers & Download online tool:  http://support.dell.com/, and check the driver version number against your adapter's current driver version in Device Manager.

 

 

I can be more specific but there is not enough info to do so and uncertain how much you know about using your computer.