PC/wifi experts I need help...
 

i'm posting from the beautiful island of curacao where i'm on vacation for almost three weeks.

the resort has wifi for their visitors but I can't seem to get connected with my laptop. My phone and mda do get connected so it's not the network.

laptop is a Dell with built in intel wireless crap. When it picks up the network and i click connect i get an error (see next post)

That the network is no longer available and might be out of reach. Meanwhile signal strength is 4 bars and my phone does connect. I don't even get to the point where I have to put in a password!

any help is greatly appreciated. Forgive my grammar and punctuation as i'm typing on my phone. I won' t be checking in a lot so be patient please!

thnx

Run the 'repair' option for your wireless card. If that doesn't work, ask them what their key is; they may be dropping you based on your MAC address.

Basically, get that MaiTai with no salt, no salt, and talk to the helpful staff... and get the heck off the interbutt for the sake of vacation! :)

Interbutt? :1orglaugh

Repair doesn't work, staff has no clue whatsoever but there are no exclusions based on mac address. Usually i'm pretty tech savvy but i can't seem to crack this one.

I'm gonna get my butt back to the pool and check in with you guys later.

Don't have an answer, but just wanted to sympathize - i went through the same thing (with the same built-in Dell laptop crap) when i was on Maui last month - i even took the laptop out cruising to find other unsecured networks to try to connect, to see if it was the machine - and it was hit or miss connecting everywhere. There's *something* screwy with that Dell built-in wireless crap, but i couldn't figure it out either.

Assuming its a newer Dell with the Intel wireless in it, a couple of things you can try (assuming you're using windows):

First, I'd crank up the power management to highest, will give more performance and does actually help.

Second, If you're in a mixed environment, you can try forcing what you're listening for (either 802.11b or 802.11g) instead of both.

Finally, Mixed mode protection might be for you if you're near a busy network.

There are newer drivers out on intel's website as well, they may or may not help. You may also want to double check that your transmit power is at it's maximum as well.

All of these settings are founder under network card properties, hit the configure button next to the card name.

Download the latest drivers from intel. That laptop is probably using some form of 2200BG or maybe a 3950 but it's the same drivers.

It's pretty common that a wireless nic may work with WEP but not WPA and then a different wireless nic will work with WPA but not WEP. Even when connecting to the same WAP.

All you can do is try to get some drivers that will allow you to connect.

David.

Thanks guys, i'll probably have to cruise the island for hot spots to try and update those drivers.

Testing. . . .