Where do I enter wireless settings?

Hi! I'm new to wireless and need some help figuring out where to enter the
settings so I can use my "new" (hand-me-down) laptop in the neighborhood
library.

The library web page says:

Wi-Fi users must configure their own equipment and connect to the network
using these settings:

* SSID (Service Set Identifier) or network name = spl-public:
* Encryption or WEP = disable WEP encryption
* Mode or Network Type = Infrastructure Mode or Access Point (not ad-hoc)
* Set TCP/IP properties to "Obtain an IP address automatically" (DHCP)
* End of list

I don't have a clue where to enter these settings.

Can someone help me?

 

I assume that you have some version of Windows XP. The first thing to
do is to ensure that you the wireless adapter in your laptop is turned on.

Click Start > Connect to and click "Show all connections." There should
be an icon for "Wireless network connection" or something similar.
Right-click on this icon. The top entry in the pop-up menu should be
"Disable." If it says "Enable," click on Enable.

Right-click on the wireless network connection icon and select
Properties. You should see something like this:
http://screenshots.modemhelp.net/sc..._Connection/Properties/General/Index--2.shtml

Under the heading "This connection uses the following items" you should
see the following 4 entries:
Client for Microsoft Networks
QoS Packet Scheduler
File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks
Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

Select "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)" and click Properties. You'll get
this:
http://screenshots.modemhelp.net/sc...rties/General/TCPIP_Properties/Auto_DNS.shtml
Make sure that the radio buttons to obtain an IP address and a DNS
server automatically are both selected. Click OK.

Back on the Properties sheet, click the "Wireless Networks" tab. Make
sure that the box on the top "Use Windows to configure my wireless
network settings" is checked. Click the "View wireless networks" button.
You should see this:
http://screenshots.modemhelp.net/sc...Connection/View_Wireless_Networks/Index.shtml

Find "spl-public" in the list. Select it and click the Connect button.

 

Search on the Internet for the manual for your
particular laptop. You will probably find it. Basic
manuals tell you how to configure the wireless connection.

 

Thanks, Lem, for those detailed instructions. I certainly appreciate all the
effort you put into your message to help me out.

Yes, I'm running Windows XP Home Edition, Version 5.1, Service Pack 3

My start menu doesn't have any item named "Connect to..." I received this
secon hand laptop with the operating system and all the software already
installed, so the previous owner may have monkeyed with the Start menu.

So I tried Start>Settings>Network Connections>Wireless Connection 3 and then
right clicked. And that got got me to the menu with "Disable" at the top.

So I clicked "Properties" and that seemed to get me to the right place.

Everything is set the way you described. (Previous to posting my query here
I did go in and try to set what I could on my own)

But I cant seem to find the settings for:

* Encryption or WEP = disable WEP encryption
* Mode or Network Type = Infrastructure Mode or Access Point (not ad-hoc)

Do I need to worry about find where to set them? Or will Windows take care
of them for me automatically?

I'm disabled, don't have a car, and this is a rather large and heavy
laptop, So I'd like to try to make sure that I've got it set up correctly
before I make the trek over to the library to test out the Wi-Fi card.

The reason I want to be able to use the library's Wi-Fi is that I'm planning
to reformat the HD and reinstall the XP operating system. And I figure I'm
going to have to download a lot of updates. At home I use a free dial-up
ISP, and it would probably tie up my phone line for days trying to download
them all.

So I want to make sure I know how to properly set up the network card,
because after the reformatting and re-installation of XP, I'm going to have
to do this all over again.

Thanks again for putting together that detailed set of instructions!

 

Thanks for that suggestion. I appreciate your taking the time to reply to my
query.

I do have a PDF file of the laptop manual, and I did hunt through it for
help, but it just says:

"Setting up a wireless connection

"For information on how to set up a wireless connection, refer
to your wireless networking device documentation."

 

You got me.

At this point I just want to be able to make sure I can establish a
connection at the library. Then I plan to reformat the HD and do a clean
installation of XP Home.

So I don't think it would matter much to me if someone were to be looking at
my system. Actually it's not really my system, it's the system of the
previous owner who gave me this laptop recently. And she had installed a
gazillion programs, most of which I haven't a clue about what they are for.

 

Yes, Windows should take care of the encryption setting and the network
type (infrastructure) by default.

If you're curious, go back to "Wireless Networks" tab (the place where
you saw the box to "Use Windows to configure my wireless network
settings." On the lower part of that screen is a list of "Preferred
networks." Once you connect to any wireless network, its name will
appear in this list. Names are added to the top of the list as you
connect to new networks. Select a network name in the list and click the
"Properties" button. This will take you to this screen:
http://screenshots.modemhelp.net/sc...ociation/(Auth-Open)--(Encryp-Disabled).shtml

The settings on this "Association" tab are where the encryption is set.
The settings shown in the screenshot (Network Authentication = Open and
Data encryption = disabled) are what the library wants. Because Windows
normally will detect that the library's router uses these settings, they
normally will be set this way automatically when you first connect using
the "View available wireless networks" screen. You *could* have come to
the Wireless Network tab first and clicked the "Add" button under the
list of Preferred network. This would have taken you to the
"Association" tab where you would have filled in spl-public in the box
labelled "Network name (SSID)" and would have set the Network
Authentication and Data encryption values manually using the drop down
boxes.

As for the "Mode or Network Type," that too is set by default. Again,
if you go back to the "Wireless Networks" tab and click the "Advanced"
button (not the "Advanced" tab at the top), you'll get to this little
screen:
http://screenshots.modemhelp.net/sc...n/Properties/Wireless_Networks/Advanced.shtml
The default is the top line. Either the top of middle line will work for
the library. The only setting here that won't work for the library is
the bottom line ("Computer-to-computer (ad hoc) networks only").

You should be able to connect to the library's wifi network with no
problems. If you have problems, I would be very surprised if there isn't
someone at the library capable of helping you out.

 

1. Windows XP has a "Wizard" routine to set up a wireless
"device" (an electronic circuit, probably inside the laptop)
documented via / Start / Help / input NETWORK.

2. Many hardware manufacturers of wireless cards provide
their own software and the user can select whether to set up
via the Windows Wizard or the maker's own brand SETUP
routine. The Windows Wizard is usually simpler.

If not and if you need to identify your "wireless networking device"
in order to locate its software or documentation, run the diagnostic
from www.belarc.com which is likely to identify the wireless device.
Look in the Belarc output for the key words "ethernet" and "adapter,"
with a few Internet Protocol numerical addresses like 192.168.1.101.

Shortly before these numbers, we may expect the make and model of
your wireless device to be named. Then you can Google for (say)
"brandname wireless setup"
and browse among results.

 

Hi
First you have to set the Wireless Router using a wired connection (
http://www.ezlan.net/faq.html#onewire ).
If you do not have the Wireless Router Manual you probably can find it on
the Support site of the manufacturer.
Once you configured the Wireless part of the Router you can switch to
Wireless.
If you have trouble on the computer with the wireless, this might help,
http://www.ezlan.net/wireless.html
Jack (MS, MVP-Networking).

 

Hi again, Lem,

I lugged this oversized laptop over to the library yesterday and tried to
connect to their Wi-Fi.

My computer detected the librariy's Wi-Fi signal and showed 5 green bars.

But when I cllicked on "Connect" I got this:

Limited or no connectivity

This problem occurred because the network did not assign a network address
to the computer

Network Connection Details
Physical Address 00-0C41-A4-7B
IP Address 169.254.84.107
Subnet Mask 255.255.0.0

I clicked "Repair" and then got this:

Windows is taking the following actions:

Windows could not finish repairing the problem because the follow action
cannot be completed:

Renewing your IP address

Do you have any ideas on how to troubleshoot this problem?

 

This typically happens when the encryption key on the computer does not
match the encryption key on the router. You said, however, that the
library's system did not have any encryption (and if it had, you should
have been asked to supply a key when you attempted to connect).

Check the list of preferred networks. You can get to this either as I
described earlier or directly from the left pane of the View available
wireless networks screen ("change order of preferred networks").

Is there an entry for the library's network? If so, select it and click
the Properties button. Make sure that Network Authentication = Open and
Data encryption = Disabled and OK your way out. Alternatively, delete
the entry from the list of preferred networks and try again to connect.

You earlier confirmed that the "Properties" of "Internect Protocol
(TCP/IP") showed that you were configured to get an IP address
automatically (and you probably wouldn't have been assigned the type of
IP address you did get if you were configured differently), but double
check this setting.

If there is no listing in Preferred networks for the library's network
(or if there is and you confirm that encryption is disabled), your best
option would be to find a technical support person at the library. You
can, however, try the following long shots.

See if you can access the Internet notwithstanding the "limited or no
connection" warning (unlikely, but possible).

(*Don't* do any of the following if you are using this same laptop
successfully to connect to the Internet at home using a *wired* connection.)

Because this is a used laptop, unless you or the person who gave it to
you re-installed Windows after formatting the hard drive, you don't know
what malware is on -- or might have been on -- the system (several folks
who post in the XP General newsgroup will adamantly insist that you
"clean install" Windows on any used computer). Sometimes, removing
adware can damage the way the system connects to the Internet.

Follow the steps here under "Use a manual method":
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=299357

The following tools are not likely to help, but you can try them as a
last resort. First see http://windowsxp.mvps.org/winsock.htm

Download and run WinsockXPFix http://www.snapfiles.com/get/winsockxpfix.html

Use the "netsh winsock reset catalog" command described in Ramesh's page
linked above or download and run LSP Fix
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=4180

 

Hi Lez Pawl,

No, I'm afraid that that idea didn't occur t me until after I was already
back home. The library is closed today, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow
to try again.

In the meantime, using Lem's detailed instructions, I found the place where
WEP is disabled:

Start > Settings > Network Connections

RIGHT CLICK Wireless Network Connection 3

LEFT CLICK "Properties"

CLICK on "Wireless Networks" Tab

SELECT "spl-public (Automatic)" in "Preferred networks" window

CLICK "Properties"

In the "Data Encryption" field CLICK DOWN ARROW next to WEP

CLICK "Disabled"

CLICK "OK"

CLICK "Continue Anyway"

CLICK "OK"

I had apparently wrongly understood Lem to have told me that Windows would
automatically set that to the library's preference (disabled) when I logged
on to their wireless network. But I figured it might me worth a try to reset
it manually to see if that might help.

In an earlier post you questioned this setting, saying that it would make my
computer vulnerable to access by other library patrons. Can you think of any
reason why the library would specify this setting?

The staff at the library yesterday said they knew nothing about how to
configure a laptop for Wi-Fi. But tomorrow I hope that someone at the main
branch should be available by phone to help me.

Also, If I turn off my firewall (Ashampoo Free), won't that make my
computer vulnerable to cyber attack while I'm using the library's wireless
network? Or would the library wireless system serve as a kind of firewall
between my computer and the Internet?

 

Well, it looks like manually disabling WEP was the trick to getting into the
library's Wi-Fi.

So is there anyway to protect my computer from intrusion while I'm online
here in the library?

 

Windows built in firewall is good enough provided that you keep your Windows
security updates up to date. You might also want to disable file and printer
sharing.

 

Assuming that you have Windows Firewall and not some third-party
firewall, go to Control Panel. If you're using Category View, select
Security Center and then Windows Firewall; if you're using Classic View,
go to Windows Firewall directly.

Select the box labeled "Don't allow exceptions" and OK. If some
programs you then try to use don't work, go back and uncheck that box,
then click the "Exceptions" tab and uncheck the box for "File and
Printer Sharing." OK your way out.

 

Hi again, Lem,

I posted a message to you from the library this afternoon, but maybe I
failed to hit the "Post" button or something, because it didn't seem to go
through.

Did you catch that part about my posting to you "from the library"? That's
right! Today I was able to connect to the library's Wi-Fi from my "new"
laptop. It looks like manually disabling the WEP encryption was what did the
trick.

Thanks a million for your patience and diligence in sticking with me as I
stumbled through this process. And thanks to the others who contributed to
this thread. I know I could never have managed to figure out how to do this
without all of your help.

I think it was you who suggested I reformat the hard drive on this
hand-me-down laptop and then reinstall XP. Well, that's exactly why I wanted
to make sure I could connect to the library's Wi-Fi. At home I only have a
free dial-up Internet connection. And I imagine I'm going to have to download
a raft load of updates after reinstalling this old version of XP I got from
Toshiba. It would probably take days and days via dial-up.

So, now I'm going to compile a set of instructions, based on the messages
you've posted here, so after the reformat and reinstall, I can go over to the
library and start downloading the updates, patches, etc.

Then, finally, I'll have a computer I can use while I'm resting in bed,
which is where I spend most of my time these days.

Thanks again to all of you for your generosity in sharing your expertise
with me.

 

Great.

Assuming that you have a retail Windows XP CD, this is a good site for
instructions on how to do a clean install:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
I suggest that you print it out and read it all the way through before
doing the install. Make sure that you have the product activation key.

Two important caveats:

1. If your CD has an older version of Windows XP (e.g., SP1 or SP2) read
the section on "slipstreaming" and create a CD that incorporates SP3.
If you have a really old CD (pre-SP1), you can slipstream sp2, but
you'll have to update with sp3 after the install. For more info, Google
slipstream xp sp3

2. *Before* you start reinstalling Windows, go to the website of the
manufacturer of the laptop and download all of the relevant drivers.
See, for example, the section on drivers here:
http://tweakhound.com/xp/installxp/installXP1.htm
Because your laptop is so old, it's possible that XP will have
sufficient built-in drivers so that things will work, but if you don't
get the manufacturer's drivers, you may find that some features don't
work or don't work properly. I do *not* recommend getting drivers from
Windows Update.

 

Hi again (again!) Lem,

Yesterday I posted a reply to your most recent message, but as also happened
the day before yesterday, my message seems to have vanished into the
electronic ether. So, I'll try again:

A fellow over at a Toshiba laptop forum tells me that what I'm about to do
is not "reinstalling" XP but rather "restoring" it. I have to confess that
that's a distinction that is lost on me. But what he says leads me to
believe that the CDs I got from Toshiba already have many of the drivers I'm
going to need:

"If you are going to use the discs that Toshiba sent you, Will, you will not
be partitioning the hard disk or even installing Windows.

"You will be restoring the hard disk to its original contents. The process
simply lays down all the bytes on the drive, one-by-one. The original
preinstalled Windows with all the drivers, utilities, and original software
will be restored."

If that's the case, would slipstreaming work for me?

 

Instead of providing an actual Windows CD (like the one you might buy in
a retail store) with systems that come with Windows pre-installed and
pre-activated, so-called "direct OEMs" (i.e., the big name-brand
computer manufacturers) provide a mechanism to restore the computer to
the state it was in when it left the factory, i.e., with Windows
installed, activated, and with all of the additional software that the
manufacturer decided to pre-load on the computer.

This mechanism may be a CD or DVD (or set of CDs) or it may be a hidden
partition on the hard drive. Slipstreaming isn't appropriate for such CDs.

You can, however, download the complete sp3 installation and burn it to
a CD (assuming that you have a CD burner):
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4
You can only install sp3 on a system that has sp1 or later. Unless you
can date your restore CDs (or know when the laptop was originally
purchased), you won't know what service pack, if any, you'll end up with
after the restore. See this for more details, including where to get
sp1a if you need it: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389

Although that KB article says that you need SP1a or later to install
sp3, SP1 and SP1a differ only with respect Java (Microsoft lost a
lawsuit with Sun and had to remove the Microsoft version of Java that
was in the original sp1).