Author Topic: can't connect to some wireless connections (Read 14444 times)

saytheya · « **on:** July 30, 2009, 09:56:43 AM »

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 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 30, 2009, 10:55:59 AM »

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 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 30, 2009, 10:58:24 AM »

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

westom · « **Reply #3 on:** July 30, 2009, 11:05:44 AM »

Quote from: saytheya on July 30, 2009, 10:58:24 AM

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 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 30, 2009, 12:27:52 PM »

is this what i'm looking for?

there's also this which i think is the modem

Mulreay · « **Reply #5 on:** July 30, 2009, 09:37:01 PM »

Quote from: westom on July 30, 2009, 10:55:59 AM

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 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 30, 2009, 10:23:09 PM »

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

saytheya · « **Reply #7 on:** July 31, 2009, 07:08:50 AM »

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

saytheya · « **Reply #8 on:** July 31, 2009, 07:13:21 AM »

Quote from: Mulreay on July 30, 2009, 09:37:01 PM

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 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 31, 2009, 10:04:26 AM »

Quote from: saytheya on July 30, 2009, 12:27:52 PM

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 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 31, 2009, 11:18:26 AM »

Quote from: westom on July 31, 2009, 10:04:26 AM

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 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 31, 2009, 05:53:38 PM »

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 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 02, 2009, 05:20:15 PM »

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 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 02, 2009, 05:23:10 PM »

Quote from: Mulreay on July 30, 2009, 09:37:01 PM

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 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 02, 2009, 05:35:32 PM »

Cool let me know how you get on.

saytheya · « **Reply #15 on:** August 05, 2009, 07:24:04 PM »

so nothing that i did ended up working. i still couldn't connect to the internet at the coffee shop

Mulreay · « **Reply #16 on:** August 05, 2009, 09:14:28 PM »

Seems strange you can connect to networks but not the coffee shops. Try:

go into control panel then find device manager go to network adapter and right click on your wireless device. Uninstall and then do a shutdown and restart it will re-install automatically don't worry.

westom · « **Reply #17 on:** August 06, 2009, 02:01:09 AM »

Quote from: saytheya on August 05, 2009, 07:24:04 PM

so nothing that i did ended up working. i still couldn't connect to the internet at the coffee shop

Which Wifi controller software are you using? Microsoft's "Wireless Network Connection" or Dell's "WLAN Card Utility"?

saytheya · « **Reply #18 on:** August 06, 2009, 07:35:13 AM »

Quote from: Mulreay on August 05, 2009, 09:14:28 PM

Seems strange you can connect to networks but not the coffee shops. Try:

go into control panel then find device manager go to network adapter and right click on your wireless device. Uninstall and then do a shutdown and restart it will re-install automatically don't worry.

well i did what you said and it did reinstall automatically, but i got this message when it reinstalled itself:

this is what version i have:

according to dell's website the most recent driver i can download is supposedly version 11.5.0.0. i thought that was the version i downloaded before. if i download this version and follow the steps above again, should that fix the error i got?

saytheya · « **Reply #19 on:** August 06, 2009, 08:10:24 AM »

i installed the 11.5 version of my wireless and it seems to have worked

i'm at work right now and i connect to their wireless, which has a password. someone in the neighborhood has wireless without a password and i tried to connect to it, but my wireless said "unable to connect"

Quantos · « **Reply #20 on:** August 07, 2009, 07:06:12 PM »

Quote from: westom on August 06, 2009, 02:01:09 AM

Which Wifi controller software are you using? Microsoft's "Wireless Network Connection" or Dell's "WLAN Card Utility"?

I just noticed this, WLAN by Dell, is this under warranty?

saytheya · « **Reply #21 on:** August 08, 2009, 02:21:04 PM »

Quote from: Quantos on August 07, 2009, 07:06:12 PM

I just noticed this, WLAN by Dell, is this under warranty?

no part of my computer is under warranty any more. it ended over two years ago.

Quantos · « **Reply #22 on:** August 10, 2009, 04:50:43 PM »

I would try the card on a different machine to see if it works or not. The wireless card could be failed/failing.

saytheya · « **Reply #23 on:** August 10, 2009, 04:55:31 PM »

Quote from: Quantos on August 10, 2009, 04:50:43 PM

I would try the card on a different machine to see if it works or not. The wireless card could be failed/failing.

how do i try the card on another computer? it's an internal wirelss card

Quantos · « **Reply #24 on:** August 10, 2009, 04:58:25 PM »

You would need to remove it, and find a friend that doesn't mind you testing it. Unless you have another computer handy that you can install it into.

BC_Programmer · « **Reply #25 on:** August 10, 2009, 07:00:19 PM »

Quote from: Quantos on August 10, 2009, 04:58:25 PM

You would need to remove it, and find a friend that doesn't mind you testing it. Unless you have another computer handy that you can install it into.

It's an internal Wireless card. as in integrated.

Quote

dell inspiron e1505 (laptop)

Quantos · « **Reply #26 on:** August 10, 2009, 07:01:07 PM »

Thanks man, missed that.

saytheya · « **Reply #27 on:** August 11, 2009, 11:27:30 AM »

would removing the password on the wireless at my home and seeing if i can connect help troubleshoot this problem?

Quantos · « **Reply #28 on:** August 11, 2009, 11:28:48 AM »

It would probably make it easier for you to troubleshoot.

saytheya · « **Reply #29 on:** August 15, 2009, 07:40:19 AM »

Quote from: saytheya on August 11, 2009, 11:27:30 AM

would removing the password on the wireless at my home and seeing if i can connect help troubleshoot this problem?

i removed the password on my home wireless and connected just fine. i also downloaded and installed/updated all the drivers that were recommended for my computer too. i should be going to the coffee shop again this week and i will test again.

Quantos · « **Reply #30 on:** August 15, 2009, 01:39:40 PM »

Let us know.

saytheya · « **Reply #31 on:** August 15, 2009, 10:08:41 PM »

I'm at a friend's house and just tried connecting to their protected wireless connection. intel asked for a device password again, but using windows to connect worked.

Quantos · « **Reply #32 on:** August 15, 2009, 10:10:05 PM »

Excellent, you are definetely on the right path.

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Author Topic: can't connect to some wireless connections (Read 14444 times)

saytheya

westom

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westom

saytheya

Mulreay

BC_Programmer

saytheya

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westom

Mulreay

BC_Programmer

saytheya

saytheya

Mulreay

saytheya

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westom

saytheya

saytheya

Quantos

saytheya

Quantos

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Quantos

BC_Programmer

Quantos

saytheya

Quantos

saytheya

Quantos

saytheya

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