Start with the basics. Is your PC receiving an IP address from the DHCP server at the library? I'm assuming they use DHCP. You'll need to have your PC set up to "obtain an IP address automatically" for it to ask for an IP address. Do you have any "hardwired" settings in the TCP/IP configuration for the adapter? If you do, they will override any settings that the DHCP server provides.
Run
ipconfig /all from a cmd.exe window (start/run cmd.exe), and if the wireless adapter's IP address begins with 169.254, it's not receiving an IP address from the DHCP server. Addresses in that range are automatically assigned if the PC is configured to obtain an IP address automatically, but can't obtain one.
If you see an IP address in the 169.254 range, it's possible that the library has some sort of policy restrictions associated with IP address assignment. But that seems unlikely, based on the fact that your MAC obtains an IP address with no problems.
Let's first see if the "ipconfig" output looks sensible.
hi jim. thanks for the response. unfortunately i won't be connecting to the library WLAN until this sunday. but i do have an airport base station at home which poses another set of problems in itself. however, i have already tried the ipconfig /all command that you mentioned. the result was 0.0.0.0 for all ip addresses that popped-up. i was on the phone with a DLINK tech-support technician and all he could say was "uh-oh. you probably have some firewall set-up that's blocking the connection between the card and IE." ???!?!?
And with that he bid a fond adieu basically telling me that i was on my own. i ran across something about the type of cardbuses that the inspirons (my model) came in that doesn't work well with DLINK cards: Texas Instrument (something). i'll have to look it up the next time that my Dell's on. i will have no time during the next couple of days to deal with this, due to school and work. i'll log back on on thursday to check and see what's been posted, and to post whatever tech stuff that i would need to to get further with this problem. once again thanks jim.
"i was on the phone with a DLINK tech-support technician and all he could say was "uh-oh. you probably have some firewall set-up that's blocking the connection between the card and IE. ???!?!? And with that he bid a fond adieu basically telling me that i was on my own."
Getting an IP address of 0.0.0.0
is a symptom of something blocking DHCP. But then...
"i ran across something about the type of cardbuses that the inspirons (my model) came in that doesn't work well with DLINK cards: Texas Instrument (something). i'll have to look it up the next time that my Dell's on"
Once you find that reference, post it back. That's not a problem I recall hearing about.
Sorry it took me so long to get back to this posting. I know how hard it is to find answers to problems and so I want to do my part and post the solution to my previous issue. (Scroll down to the 3rd paragraph-the one sentence paragraph-for the solution if you're not interested in the my story.)
After 5 tech support people, including a specific WiFi-Card specialist from Dell, who was useless (sorry, gotta call it like it is), I finally got the answer to my problem. The solution came from the last D-Link tech support specialist that I spoke with who was a Win/Mac certified tech (Cool! Multi-platform techs are always the best.) He found this solution within 5 minutes of talking to me about my problem. Some of the "tech" people that I know didn't even know that this can be done! Anyway, long story short, here's the solution:
Reinstall the TCP/IP software.
. . .
This took all of 5 minutes to do. He even gave me the Microsoft support article number (sorry already threw that away)! So if anyone's going to try this, please look the article up and follow the directions.
Thanks! What a sneaky good idea!
"Install another protocol (NWlink or NetBEUI) to maintain a placeholder for each connection." Yep, that would speed things up when reinstalling TCP!
GusGene
5 Posts
0
February 2nd, 2004 15:00
jwatt
4.4K Posts
0
February 2nd, 2004 17:00
Run ipconfig /all from a cmd.exe window (start/run cmd.exe), and if the wireless adapter's IP address begins with 169.254, it's not receiving an IP address from the DHCP server. Addresses in that range are automatically assigned if the PC is configured to obtain an IP address automatically, but can't obtain one.
If you see an IP address in the 169.254 range, it's possible that the library has some sort of policy restrictions associated with IP address assignment. But that seems unlikely, based on the fact that your MAC obtains an IP address with no problems.
Let's first see if the "ipconfig" output looks sensible.
Jim
GusGene
5 Posts
0
February 3rd, 2004 04:00
And with that he bid a fond adieu basically telling me that i was on my own. i ran across something about the type of cardbuses that the inspirons (my model) came in that doesn't work well with DLINK cards: Texas Instrument (something). i'll have to look it up the next time that my Dell's on. i will have no time during the next couple of days to deal with this, due to school and work. i'll log back on on thursday to check and see what's been posted, and to post whatever tech stuff that i would need to to get further with this problem. once again thanks jim.
gus
jwatt
4.4K Posts
0
February 3rd, 2004 05:00
And with that he bid a fond adieu basically telling me that i was on my own."
Getting an IP address of 0.0.0.0 is a symptom of something blocking DHCP. But then...
"i ran across something about the type of cardbuses that the inspirons (my model) came in that doesn't work well with DLINK cards: Texas Instrument (something). i'll have to look it up the next time that my Dell's on"
Once you find that reference, post it back. That's not a problem I recall hearing about.
Jim
jwatt
4.4K Posts
0
February 27th, 2004 21:00
Yuck. Not my idea of a clean fix, but a fix nevertheless!
Thanks for posting back. If you happen to locate the Knowledge Base article, could you post it back? Maybe it'll help someone else.
Jim
GusGene
5 Posts
0
February 27th, 2004 21:00
Sorry it took me so long to get back to this posting. I know how hard it is to find answers to problems and so I want to do my part and post the solution to my previous issue. (Scroll down to the 3rd paragraph-the one sentence paragraph-for the solution if you're not interested in the my story.)
After 5 tech support people, including a specific WiFi-Card specialist from Dell, who was useless (sorry, gotta call it like it is), I finally got the answer to my problem. The solution came from the last D-Link tech support specialist that I spoke with who was a Win/Mac certified tech (Cool! Multi-platform techs are always the best.) He found this solution within 5 minutes of talking to me about my problem. Some of the "tech" people that I know didn't even know that this can be done! Anyway, long story short, here's the solution:
Reinstall the TCP/IP software.
. . .
This took all of 5 minutes to do. He even gave me the Microsoft support article number (sorry already threw that away)! So if anyone's going to try this, please look the article up and follow the directions.
gus
GusGene
5 Posts
0
March 4th, 2004 21:00
jwatt
4.4K Posts
0
March 4th, 2004 22:00
Jim