help!i cant use my wireless at company but other places can

[lordsgrace]

Hi,
Dear all friends,
If you know what is my PC problem please help, i will appreciate so much!

I got a small laptop with Windows Vista Home Basic program, with wireless card built-in, i can go online in Mc donalds, but I could not go at my office. My office has no IT department as HQ is in USA, except my laptop, others can access without any problems.

I checked with the retailer,it has no problem at their shop, my office peole tell me that nobody has the same problem. I need the internet and need help.

regards
lg

[Strong Eagle]

I would suspect that your company has security enabled so that the general public cannot use their network.

At the very simplest, your company may have some sort of encryption (WEP, WPA, etc), and you will need to have your PC set up with the proper key.

Many more companies use a domain controller so that only specific PC's can login to a network.

Are your coworkers using their own PC's? Ask them how they are configured for the network. If your wifi software has the function, search for access points and see if your company access point comes up as locked or secure.

[durain]

check with your colleague's wireless setup. it is more than likely it will be a secure wireless, therefore you will need the IT dept help to give you the encypted keys.

[sierra2469alpha]

Adding to StrongEagle's post - you are using Home, which isn't compatable with any corporate MS Server that I know of either, so you're kind of a bit buggerred - even if you get the WEP/WPK keys, you'll find the machine probably won't work - last time I checked you need Vista Pro/Premium to work - and that doesn't play nicely with the corporate MS solutions, like Exchange 2003.

Sorry!

[Clarification (thanks Scooby!) - if you don't need to talk to an Exchange box, use AD etc., and it's purely for web, then you might be OK]

[ScoobyDoes]

If it's only to get internet then the MS-Server problem isn't one, its just looking for the connection to the router.

I have Vista Home and it works great..... well at least it does now after a major update back in March. I suspect the IT guys in the US have set up a log-in password (WEP Key) because any IT personnel worth even half their salary should set up a secure corporate system.

[lordsgrace]

Hi, Strong Eagle,sierra2469alpha,durain,ScoobyDoes

Thank you so much!! but

You guys sounds such professional, that I do not understand, what is WEP, and my company do not set the pin number as they wish every body inclusive our customer who comes to our office they also can login to any internet website. So far nobody has the same problem like mine.

if any one of you would suggest more specific? or even come up to have a look? My hand phone is 9003 0489

Thanks again
LG

[ScoobyDoes]

Firstly i can't believe any sensible IT department or company management would allow open access to a Wireless Network. There are SO many, and i mean many, security issues relating to that.... more in a business environment than a home one for sure.

Even when i have guests coming to the office here and they want wireless access, i give them the WEP (Password). Once we feel too many people have the WEP, we change it since all the office PC's are wired via LAN anyway.


That's aside...... with regards your specific problem, when you do a search for networks can you see the company one by name? I assume your problem is simply when you hit the "Connect" button next to the network name that it just doesn't?

[lordsgrace]

Hi,
normally by my experience in using wireless, i just find my company wireless name and clik on, connect, next step, then it says can not connect, my company wireless has no pass word at all, anybody come find the connection in their wireless detection they can go ahead to connect

[ScoobyDoes]

How old is your version of Vista?
Automatic Updates is turned ON?



I know a lot of people were complaining about Vista in the early days, well i think there is a lot still are which is why Windows7 is already out for beta testing but that's besides the point.......i've rarely had a problem with Vista but my IT guy is another story completely.

Once he got a "new" version of Vista he started having better luck.

[sierra2469alpha]

Scoobs - do you run a mixed XP and Vista shop, with Exchange etc?

Cheers, P

[ScoobyDoes]

No, 100% Vista Home Premium with SP1.

Even before SP1 went in during March i didn't have too many problems except, funnily enough, for connecting to wireless.......sometimes. Networks i had no problem connecting to before suddenly gave me a problem, such as airports etc.

I still have an issue with regards USB ports and some devices going missing until i replug.

[sierra2469alpha]

Scoobs - yeh watch the overpowering on the USB ports - especially on notebooks. I have a scanner that goes AWOL on occasion.

The XP1 might have fixed the driver issues for your wireless card??

HTH, P

[ScoobyDoes]

I have only one thing plugged into USB on my laptop....... my usb hub, with separate power supply. From that i run my printer/scanner, skype phone and a bluetooth dongle for keyboard/mouse. There is one slot in my external monitor that i use to charge my phone or plug in a thumb drive or sync my MP3 Player so i have the power thing sorted.

Not sure what the problem is but every morning after the laptop is started i have replug that usb cable to get everything to work. Most of the time the printer isn't connected until then, but occassionally it is the skype phone. The bluetooth always works.



With regards the SP1 for Vista..... i really only had problems for the 2-3 weeks before it even came out, before that i didn't notice a problem. Initially after SP1 went in i still had the problem but when connected the speed and reliability was better. I think it was one more update after that that all my problems went away totally.

What i think happened was the Toshiba driver was not compatiable with an update of Vista before SP1 but that they fixed it and auto downloaded a driver shortly after SP1..... i've not gone into all the detail of checking driver dates etc. though.

[sierra2469alpha]

Yep had problems myself with powered USB hubs - especially with mapped printers and my pesky scanner. I did a search on TechNet (MS) a while back that seemed to indicate a static buildup problem.

Interesting that your Bluetooth station is always working.

Have you checked to see if you might be sucking too much power down through the hub for each device? While it's powered, it might not be able to draw enough from the transformer to feed everything - especially if the main symptom is at power-up each day. Clutching at straws - but then, it's windows, which as we know, is a virus with mouse support.

I am assuming you've tried deleting the USB ports and letting Windoze reassign them? Also, have you checked to ensure that there aren't any IRQ conflicts between the devices?

Sorry I can't be of any definitive use!

Cheers, P

[ScoobyDoes]

I suppose i've just got used to it now so after the laptop is started i just replug the hub and get on witht he rest of my day.

As you say..... it's Windows..... and that usually means if i spend three days fixing something the next it will fail again anyway.