can't connect to some wireless connections

[saytheya]

my computer:
dell inspiron e1505 (laptop)


earlier this year my computer crashed and i had to reinstall windows and everything else on my computer. it seems since then that i've been having the problem i have now. the problem i'm having is that i can't connect to wireless internet connections that do not require passwords (this seems to be the connection between the two different places). i have wireless at home and it's password protected and i can connect just fine. i also connect at work, wirelessly and with a password (passwords are all saved).

my computer finds the wireless connections fine. this is what happens when i click connect:




i've had this issue twice at the location in the pictures (it's a local coffee shop. i talked to one of the employees and he said he hasn't heard of anyone else having issues connecting).  i've also had the same problem at a friend's house. neither location had passwords on the wireless connection and both times other people were currently connected to that particular internet connection.

i don't know if maybe i missed downloading a driver or if the software for my wireless is old or what, but this is extremely inconvenient. i know i didn't have the issue before because i connected to wireless internet connections all over the place (people's houses, libraries, hotels, restaurants, etc.).

[westom]

  Device password would be on your WiFi card.

  Did you go to the Dell website and enter your Service Tag number?  Then view any drivers that may need to be updated - unque to your machine?

[saytheya]

could you please explain what you mean and where this wi-fi card is in my computer?

[westom]

could you please explain what you mean and where this wi-fi card is in my computer?

  Often the Wifi card is accessed through one of the little doors on the bottom of the machine.

  If not sure, again, go to the Dell site, enter you Service Tag, and get information uniqure to your laptop.

[saytheya]

is this what i'm looking for?



there's also this which i think is the modem

[Mulreay]

  Device password would be on your WiFi card.

  Did you go to the Dell website and enter your Service Tag number?  Then view any drivers that may need to be updated - unque to your machine?

What a load of Tosh.

Go into your network and sharing centre. Go to manage wireless devices  Find out if the wireless network for the coffee shop is there. Remove it then try to connect again. Let me know how you get on I'll help with the next step if it does not work.

[BC_Programmer]

has it been tried to click next without entering a password?

[saytheya]

you can't click next. you have to type something in. and i'm pretty sure they have to be all numbers.

[saytheya]

What a load of Tosh.

Go into your network and sharing centre. Go to manage wireless devices  Find out if the wireless network for the coffee shop is there. Remove it then try to connect again. Let me know how you get on I'll help with the next step if it does not work.

i'll try and get out there tonight, but if i can't it might have to wait till this coming wednesday. the problem i'm having hasn't just happened at this coffee shop though, it's happened at a friend's house too. i might try getting to other free wi-fi locations and see if i get the same issue.

[westom]

is this what i'm looking for?

I did not see the part where you said you could connect to encrypted Wifis.  Therefore that Wifi password is not relevant.

[Mulreay]

I did not see the part where you said you could connect to encrypted Wifis.  Therefore that Wifi password is not relevant.

It's a public Wifi.

[BC_Programmer]

I believe I understand what westom is saying; the prompt is for a device password not the network/wifi password; thus his suggestion, and likely correct assertion that it exists on the card. On the other hand I am not familar with the Intel wireless software.

One possible workaround might be to use the windows wireless configuration as opposed to the included Intel software.

[saytheya]

i went out to the coffee shop today and tried a few things. i figured out how to get the passkey that my wireless asks for. i opened my wireless and went to tools > application settings. then i had to uncheck enable device registration. when i tried to connect back to the connection, it'd give me this message:



i used the passkey i got from the step above. i put it in when it asked and got this:



and then this:

[saytheya]

What a load of Tosh.

Go into your network and sharing centre. Go to manage wireless devices  Find out if the wireless network for the coffee shop is there. Remove it then try to connect again. Let me know how you get on I'll help with the next step if it does not work.

i couldn't figure out how to do this while i was at the coffee shop. i figured it out once i got home.

i also went to dell's website and downloaded updated software for my wireless and installed that. there's a wireless connection nearby without any security and i managed to connect to it without being asked for any passkeys, but there wasn't a strong signal so i couldn't see if i could actually connect to the internet.

this week, when i go back to the coffee shop for my meeting, i will test the connection again and hopefully one of these solutions will have solved it.

[Mulreay]

Cool let me know how you get on.