Connecting office laptop to my home wireless network

I have at home a wireless network based on a SpeedStream ADSL modem/wireless
router which was provided and set up by my broadband service provider. I
have 2 laptops, 1 desktop and 1 printer in various rooms all permanently
connected wirelessly to the router. There are problems, such as the
printer's connection being dropped frequently (this connection is displayed
by the router's device management webpage as a Linux connection - which may
be correct) and the Acer laptop is often, but not always, displayed as a
Linux connection even though it uses only Windows XP Home Edition with SP2
and all updates. This laptop's connection also gets dropped from time to
time, but I can live with these problems for now by re-booting the router,
printer or Acer laptop and re-establishing the connection. My service
provider is unable to help on any of these issues.

I use WPA-PSK encryption, a type G connection, channel 6 and the domain name
- MSHOME. Quite often the router displays the domain name - WORKGROUP for
the Acer laptop although it is set on that laptop to MSHOME.

The main problem arises with my office laptop which will not connect. This
is a Hewlett Packard badged Compaq nc6320 with built-in wireless networking
using an Intel(R) Pro/Wireless 3945BG adaptor. The laptop detects the
wireless service suggesting that the wireless hardware works but, when I ask
it to connect, it does not get past the 'acquiring network address' message
before eventually failing to connect. I have checked Device Manager on this
machine and the wireless network adaptor's properties which displays the MAC
address as - 00:00:00:00:00:00 - which surely must be an error. My first
question is - is this a hardware error?

The adaptor shows up on Device Manager, but the output from 'ipconfig/all'
does not list the wireless adaptor. I have also run 'Netdiagnostics' which
again does not display any wireless adaptor on the laptop. I have ensured
that the wireless key on the keyboard is switched on and the blue light
displays.

My home network uses the domain name - MSHOME - however, my office laptop
uses a different name as it was set up primarily for use on the office
network. Does this matter? Surely not as I should be able to go to any
internet cafe and connect wirelessly regardless of domain name? Or should I
add another domain name? Can I add another domain name? All other settings
on the office laptop match those I set up for the rest of my home network.

Sorry to ask so many questions.

Regards

Graham Hicks

=?Utf-8?B?Z3JheQ==?=

Hi
If the office uses a different type of Network with special logon and
credentials, it would not work as is at home.
First check with the office's IT if you are allowed to add a new
configuration to the laptop.
Configuring a Laptop (or any computer) to connect to more than one Network.
http://www.ezlan.net/faq#fewtcp-ip
Jack (MVP-Networking).

"gray" <> wrote in message
news:CB14E71D-C286-4B5C-9144-...
>I have at home a wireless network based on a SpeedStream ADSL
>modem/wireless
> router which was provided and set up by my broadband service provider. I
> have 2 laptops, 1 desktop and 1 printer in various rooms all permanently
> connected wirelessly to the router. There are problems, such as the
> printer's connection being dropped frequently (this connection is
> displayed
> by the router's device management webpage as a Linux connection - which
> may
> be correct) and the Acer laptop is often, but not always, displayed as a
> Linux connection even though it uses only Windows XP Home Edition with SP2
> and all updates. This laptop's connection also gets dropped from time to
> time, but I can live with these problems for now by re-booting the router,
> printer or Acer laptop and re-establishing the connection. My service
> provider is unable to help on any of these issues.
>
> I use WPA-PSK encryption, a type G connection, channel 6 and the domain
> name
> - MSHOME. Quite often the router displays the domain name - WORKGROUP for
> the Acer laptop although it is set on that laptop to MSHOME.
>
> The main problem arises with my office laptop which will not connect.
> This
> is a Hewlett Packard badged Compaq nc6320 with built-in wireless
> networking
> using an Intel(R) Pro/Wireless 3945BG adaptor. The laptop detects the
> wireless service suggesting that the wireless hardware works but, when I
> ask
> it to connect, it does not get past the 'acquiring network address'
> message
> before eventually failing to connect. I have checked Device Manager on
> this
> machine and the wireless network adaptor's properties which displays the
> MAC
> address as - 00:00:00:00:00:00 - which surely must be an error. My first
> question is - is this a hardware error?
>
> The adaptor shows up on Device Manager, but the output from 'ipconfig/all'
> does not list the wireless adaptor. I have also run 'Netdiagnostics'
> which
> again does not display any wireless adaptor on the laptop. I have ensured
> that the wireless key on the keyboard is switched on and the blue light
> displays.
>
> My home network uses the domain name - MSHOME - however, my office laptop
> uses a different name as it was set up primarily for use on the office
> network. Does this matter? Surely not as I should be able to go to any
> internet cafe and connect wirelessly regardless of domain name? Or should
> I
> add another domain name? Can I add another domain name? All other
> settings
> on the office laptop match those I set up for the rest of my home network.
>
> Sorry to ask so many questions.
>
> Regards
>
> Graham Hicks

Jack \(MVP-Networking\).

Thank you, Jack

I believe that the office network does use different logon and credentials,
however, the part-time office IT guy was supposed to have set up the laptop
to use on any number of networks as I travel frequently as part of my job and
my previous office laptop was able to logon anywhere. I can logon to the
wired network in the office where I am currently working, so I thought that
the problem only existed at home where I have a wireless network.

It would appear that he has not set up the new laptop properly. As I
haven't been in my own office for several weeks, I have not been able to get
him to sort it out yet.

The link that you provided gives me a clue as to what to do next and I will
follow through on my return home next week.

Regards

Graham Hicks

"Jack (MVP-Networking)." wrote:

> Hi
> If the office uses a different type of Network with special logon and
> credentials, it would not work as is at home.
> First check with the office's IT if you are allowed to add a new
> configuration to the laptop.
> Configuring a Laptop (or any computer) to connect to more than one Network.
> http://www.ezlan.net/faq#fewtcp-ip
> Jack (MVP-Networking).
>
> "gray" <> wrote in message
> news:CB14E71D-C286-4B5C-9144-...
> >I have at home a wireless network based on a SpeedStream ADSL
> >modem/wireless
> > router which was provided and set up by my broadband service provider. I
> > have 2 laptops, 1 desktop and 1 printer in various rooms all permanently
> > connected wirelessly to the router. There are problems, such as the
> > printer's connection being dropped frequently (this connection is
> > displayed
> > by the router's device management webpage as a Linux connection - which
> > may
> > be correct) and the Acer laptop is often, but not always, displayed as a
> > Linux connection even though it uses only Windows XP Home Edition with SP2
> > and all updates. This laptop's connection also gets dropped from time to
> > time, but I can live with these problems for now by re-booting the router,
> > printer or Acer laptop and re-establishing the connection. My service
> > provider is unable to help on any of these issues.
> >
> > I use WPA-PSK encryption, a type G connection, channel 6 and the domain
> > name
> > - MSHOME. Quite often the router displays the domain name - WORKGROUP for
> > the Acer laptop although it is set on that laptop to MSHOME.
> >
> > The main problem arises with my office laptop which will not connect.
> > This
> > is a Hewlett Packard badged Compaq nc6320 with built-in wireless
> > networking
> > using an Intel(R) Pro/Wireless 3945BG adaptor. The laptop detects the
> > wireless service suggesting that the wireless hardware works but, when I
> > ask
> > it to connect, it does not get past the 'acquiring network address'
> > message
> > before eventually failing to connect. I have checked Device Manager on
> > this
> > machine and the wireless network adaptor's properties which displays the
> > MAC
> > address as - 00:00:00:00:00:00 - which surely must be an error. My first
> > question is - is this a hardware error?
> >
> > The adaptor shows up on Device Manager, but the output from 'ipconfig/all'
> > does not list the wireless adaptor. I have also run 'Netdiagnostics'
> > which
> > again does not display any wireless adaptor on the laptop. I have ensured
> > that the wireless key on the keyboard is switched on and the blue light
> > displays.
> >
> > My home network uses the domain name - MSHOME - however, my office laptop
> > uses a different name as it was set up primarily for use on the office
> > network. Does this matter? Surely not as I should be able to go to any
> > internet cafe and connect wirelessly regardless of domain name? Or should
> > I
> > add another domain name? Can I add another domain name? All other
> > settings
> > on the office laptop match those I set up for the rest of my home network.
> >
> > Sorry to ask so many questions.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > Graham Hicks
>
>
>

=?Utf-8?B?Z3JheQ==?=