PCMCIA wireless card cannot connect to router 1

[retrochoir]

Windows XP Home

I recently bought a Belkin PCMCIA wireless 802.11g network card. I have tried to use this card with my laptop but cannot get it to work. The PCMCIA card works on my other laptop (which has a built in wireless adapter - I switched this off to test the card).

I have tried reinstalling the driver but this doesn't solve the problem. The card finds my router but will not connect. The wired ethernet connection works fine. Both laptops use windows XP home and have identical windows network settings.

Would it be worth buying a USB network card or am I likely to encounter the same problem?

 

[vacunita]

Are the Wireless settings configured correctly? Does the Wireless router require a WEP key?

What does it say when attempting to connect to the router?



----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[retrochoir]

The wireless settings are the same as my other laptop. A WEP key is required but this has been entered correctly and I have double checked this. The Wireless Network appears in the 'Wireless Network Connection' box but when I try to connect I get an error message saying that the connection couldn't be made and that the connection may no longer be in range. This happens when the laptop is sat right next to the router.

 

[retrochoir]

Without making any changes I just managed to get a connection but the speed was very slow. I then tried it again about 5 times but with no success.

 

[vacunita]

Is the Router Set to limit the amount of simultaneous connections? Is it set to only allow specific devices to connect to it?

Besides the drivers have you installed any software for the
card?

Do you have a firewall that might be preventing the connection?



----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[retrochoir]

Thanks for your help vacunita.

As far as I know the router gives access to any device which provides the correct WEP key. The router has given separate IP addresses to each laptop. I have tried both laptops on a friends router and got the same problem i.e. one laptop worked and the other didn't.

I installed belkin's network monitor tool but this gives the same feedback as the Windows Wireless Network Connection i.e. network may not be in range.

I have tried temporarily disabling the firewall but still no luck.

 

[wahnula]

Any clues in Device Manager? Does it show the device as working properly?

You could temporarily turn off WEP at the router, and see if the card will connect to an unsecured network. This lets WEP out of the problem loop.

As for your other question, there are plenty of USB adapters, very inexpensive and some have neat features like wireless network detectors and encrypted storage.

The PCMCIA bus and USB bus are different. I don't see any reason why a USB adapter wouldn't work, but then again I don't understand why the PCMCIA slot is not working.

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[retrochoir]

Device manager reports that the card is working properly. However I've just started having problems with my DVD-ROM drive (won't eject disk, no files on DVD in windows explorer) and am wondering whether maybe there is some sort of conflict.

I'll try a USB adapter which will hopefully remedy the problem.

Thanks.

 

[vacunita]

Its very strange indeed. Even stranger is the fact that the same adapter actually works on the other machine.

Maybe the PCMCIA port on this laptop has a problem..

I agree with wahnula, remove the WEP encryption see if that's causing anything unlikely yes, but you never know.
If not its coming down to a problem in the slot maybe.





----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[retrochoir]

OK thanks for your help.

 

[LawnBoy]

I agree with vacunita, sounds like the pcmcia port is not supplying enough power to the card.


"We must fall back upon the old axiom that when all other contingencies fail, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." - Sherlock Holmes

 

[retrochoir]

Yes i was thinking a lack of power may be the problem.

However, I've just installed a USB wireless adapter and am getting exactly the same problem. The card will occasionally connect but internet browsing is very slow. Signal strength, though, is reported as excellent.

 

[vacunita]

Small summary:
So with two different adapters connected through 2 different mediums. (PCMCIA and USB)
Connection is slow. Signal Strength however is Excellent.

Try Googling for Winsockfix download it and run it. IT will repair any problems there might be with the TCP stack.

It maybe some corruption in that area, which is why it has a hard time connecting, and has very low speed when it does connect.

Does the laptop exhibit any other strange issues? anything even if it might not be related?




----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[retrochoir]

Yes, on the rare occasions that I get connected speed is very slow but signal strength is excellent.

I've tried winsockfix but still no luck.

Other strange issues - yes the DVD-ROM drive was playing up (wouldn't eject, no fles displayed in windows explorer) but it's OK now.

I'm going to try a clean install of Windows. Maybe that will help.

Thanks

 

[retrochoir]

Ok I've fixed it! I tried using a wireless 'b' PCMCIA card and it works faultlessly.

I've no idea why the wireless 'g' adapters didn't work. Both routers are wireless b/g.

Thanks everyone for your interest.