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I get the message "Windows was unable to find a certificate to log you on to
the network" but I still am able to connect to my preferred SSID.

I've googled and most of the reasoning has to do with IEEE enabled. That is
not the case here. This, of course, may not be a Windows issue but I need
some help figuring out what it might be.

This began when I set up encryption on my wireless network. I'm pretty
comfortable with router and client settings although this is the first time I
enabled encryption. The router is set up to automatically recognize what the
client is using and my client is set for WPA2 (WPA and AES). I tried to set
the client to WPA with TKIP but that didn't seem to make a difference. My
better half doesn't seem to have the problem on her laptop (we're both
running XP but it may be different versions).

Any ideas from anyone?

Thanks

Tom

tcarp wrote:
> I get the message "Windows was unable to find a certificate to log you on to
> the network" but I still am able to connect to my preferred SSID.
>
> I've googled and most of the reasoning has to do with IEEE enabled. That is
> not the case here. This, of course, may not be a Windows issue but I need
> some help figuring out what it might be.
>
> This began when I set up encryption on my wireless network. I'm pretty
> comfortable with router and client settings although this is the first time I
> enabled encryption. The router is set up to automatically recognize what the
> client is using and my client is set for WPA2 (WPA and AES). I tried to set
> the client to WPA with TKIP but that didn't seem to make a difference. My
> better half doesn't seem to have the problem on her laptop (we're both
> running XP but it may be different versions).
>
> Any ideas from anyone?
>
> Thanks
>
> Tom

What make/model of router?

Are you using Windows to configure your wireless adapter or a utility
provided by the manufacturer? What about the other computer (the one
without the issue)?

Assuming that you're using Windows --

Go to the Properties of your wireless network connection.

Click on the Wireless Networks tab, select your SSID from the list of
Preferred Networks, and click Properties.

On the Authentication tab, make sure to UNcheck the box to "Enable IEEE
802.1x authentication for this network."

OK your way out.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

"Lem" wrote:


> What make/model of router?

D-Link DIR 655
>
> Are you using Windows to configure your wireless adapter or a utility
> provided by the manufacturer? What about the other computer (the one
> without the issue)?

On my laptop (the one with the problem) I use windows to configure the
adapter (if I understand that you mean set the profile on the preferred
network). On hers, I use a utility from the manufacturer (interesting).

> Assuming that you're using Windows --
>
> Go to the Properties of your wireless network connection.
>
> Click on the Wireless Networks tab, select your SSID from the list of
> Preferred Networks, and click Properties.
>
> On the Authentication tab, make sure to UNcheck the box to "Enable IEEE
> 802.1x authentication for this network."
>
> OK your way out.
>
As I mentioned in my original post, the Enable IEEE 802.1x...box is NOT
checked on my laptop (in fact it's grayed out). The IEEE solution is the one
you find when you google this problem. Because the box is already unchecked
is why I came here for help.

Thanks

Tom

tcarp wrote:
> I get the message "Windows was unable to find a certificate to log you on to
> the network" but I still am able to connect to my preferred SSID.
>
> I've googled and most of the reasoning has to do with IEEE enabled. That is
> not the case here. This, of course, may not be a Windows issue but I need
> some help figuring out what it might be.
>
> This began when I set up encryption on my wireless network. I'm pretty
> comfortable with router and client settings although this is the first time I
> enabled encryption. The router is set up to automatically recognize what the
> client is using and my client is set for WPA2 (WPA and AES). I tried to set
> the client to WPA with TKIP but that didn't seem to make a difference. My
> better half doesn't seem to have the problem on her laptop (we're both
> running XP but it may be different versions).
>
> Any ideas from anyone?
>
> Thanks
>
> Tom

You wrote that, "The router is set up to automatically recognize what
the client is using." Is the router's "security mode" set to
"WPA-Personal" and the router's "WPA Mode" set to "Auto"?

In the problem client, does the setting actually say WPA2 or does it say
WPA and then ask you to choose either TKIP or AES? Assuming that it's
the latter, have you tried setting the router's "WPA Mode" to "WPA only"?

Have you double-checked to make sure that the problem computer is not
running *both* Windows Wireless Zero Configuration *and* a
manufacturer's configuration utility? It may be a bit difficult to
determine if a manufacturer's utility is running (unless you see an icon
in the notification area). Look in Task Manager, but if it's running as
a service, it may be difficult to identify. Try checking the list of
startup applications with msconfig (or better, with autoruns
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s...bb963902.aspx). Or you
could temporarily disable wzc and see if another configurator appears
(http://www.ezlan.net/wzc.html)

Does the other computer explicitly offer WPA2?
--
Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

>
> You wrote that, "The router is set up to automatically recognize what
> the client is using." Is the router's "security mode" set to
> "WPA-Personal" and the router's "WPA Mode" set to "Auto"?

Yes

> In the problem client, does the setting actually say WPA2 or does it say
> WPA and then ask you to choose either TKIP or AES? Assuming that it's
> the latter, have you tried setting the router's "WPA Mode" to "WPA only"?

The problem computer is managed through WZC and the setting is WPA-PSK.
I've tried both AES and TKIP but the problem occurs with either.

> Have you double-checked to make sure that the problem computer is not
> running *both* Windows Wireless Zero Configuration *and* a
> manufacturer's configuration utility? It may be a bit difficult to
> determine if a manufacturer's utility is running (unless you see an icon
> in the notification area). Look in Task Manager, but if it's running as
> a service, it may be difficult to identify. Try checking the list of
> startup applications with msconfig (or better, with autoruns
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s...bb963902.aspx). Or you
> could temporarily disable wzc and see if another configurator appears
> (http://www.ezlan.net/wzc.html)

This one's interesting. I started on this journey trying to diagonse an
intermittent problem with the wireless connection (no signal or very slow
speed). The advice was to look to a third party piece of software to look at
networks and the one recommended was Network Stumbler. That software
temporarily disables/deactivates wzc and then is supposed to put it back. I
fooled around with NS for awhile but didn't use it much. What's interesting
is that NS now will start but doesn't see any networks (which isn't true).

Maybe it's the problem although I have to admit I don't remember when I
started using NS (and when it stopped working) and when I started getting the
certificate messages. I suspect I either need to uninstall NS or maybe
reinstall it first to get it working properly and then uninstall it.


> Does the other computer explicitly offer WPA2?
The other computer uses intel proset to manage the adapter. It's set to
WPA2-Personal and I have it using TKIP (I was confused at first with the CCMP
suffix to the AES setting. I'll probably reset to AES when I get a chance).

tcarp wrote:
>> You wrote that, "The router is set up to automatically recognize what
>> the client is using." Is the router's "security mode" set to
>> "WPA-Personal" and the router's "WPA Mode" set to "Auto"?
>
> Yes
>
>> In the problem client, does the setting actually say WPA2 or does it say
>> WPA and then ask you to choose either TKIP or AES? Assuming that it's
>> the latter, have you tried setting the router's "WPA Mode" to "WPA only"?
>
> The problem computer is managed through WZC and the setting is WPA-PSK.
> I've tried both AES and TKIP but the problem occurs with either.
>
>> Have you double-checked to make sure that the problem computer is not
>> running *both* Windows Wireless Zero Configuration *and* a
>> manufacturer's configuration utility? It may be a bit difficult to
>> determine if a manufacturer's utility is running (unless you see an icon
>> in the notification area). Look in Task Manager, but if it's running as
>> a service, it may be difficult to identify. Try checking the list of
>> startup applications with msconfig (or better, with autoruns
>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s...bb963902.aspx). Or you
>> could temporarily disable wzc and see if another configurator appears
>> (http://www.ezlan.net/wzc.html)
>
> This one's interesting. I started on this journey trying to diagonse an
> intermittent problem with the wireless connection (no signal or very slow
> speed). The advice was to look to a third party piece of software to look at
> networks and the one recommended was Network Stumbler. That software
> temporarily disables/deactivates wzc and then is supposed to put it back. I
> fooled around with NS for awhile but didn't use it much. What's interesting
> is that NS now will start but doesn't see any networks (which isn't true).
>
> Maybe it's the problem although I have to admit I don't remember when I
> started using NS (and when it stopped working) and when I started getting the
> certificate messages. I suspect I either need to uninstall NS or maybe
> reinstall it first to get it working properly and then uninstall it.
>
>
>> Does the other computer explicitly offer WPA2?
> The other computer uses intel proset to manage the adapter. It's set to
> WPA2-Personal and I have it using TKIP (I was confused at first with the CCMP
> suffix to the AES setting. I'll probably reset to AES when I get a chance).


About the only idea I have left is to uninstall Network Stumbler, make
sure that there isn't something analogous to Intel ProSet running, and
make sure wzc is started and running. See Jack's ezlan page for details
concerning wzc.

Alternatively, you could stop wzc and install the mfr's adapter
configuration utility (if one exists -- I don't recall if you identified
what you were using as an adapter).

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

> Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
>

Actually you helped quite a bit. As I said at the beginning, google
searches all pointed to the IEEE check box which wasn't selected in my case.
You (and others) eliminated the possibility that it was something else others
had run across.

I did uninstall Network Stumbler and took a look at the Task Manager (wzc is
started) but as you mentioned it wasn't obvious if there was something else
running that was interfering.

So far this has been a curiousity since it doesn't seem to affect my ability
to connect.

Thanks for taking the time to help.

Tom