In which "wireless" is a euphemism for "disconnected"

[serinde]

I am trying to connect a WinXP desktop to our wireless network. I acquired a Netgear WG311v3 card (which was apparently my first mistake), popped it in, installed the software, and began to configure.

Useful Information: Our network has a non-broadcast SSID and uses WPA Personal. The router's a Linksys. Yes, I took care to remove the ethernet cable when I was actually trying to connect via wireless.

First I tried with Netgear's "smart wizard". It even detected a network with a not-broadcasted SSID using the right encryption. Fine, I set it to connect. It Just Didn't Work. Then I tried with WinXP's built-in wotcha; only it was not offering me any options except WEP. Paused to consult with elibalin, as he has used his windoze laptop over here many a time. It became clear over time that the WPA bits are in SP2...which the machine in question DOES have...but for some reason those options just weren't showing up. Why? No idea. So I tried to download earlier, pre-SP2 updates with the relevant bits. Oh no, says Windows Update, you have something much newer and better. STAB HED STAB STAB STAB Eventually I found an update that's for WPA2, which is post-SP2, and happily it also had the WPA bits. Fine. Installed. Configured.

Still didn't work.

Driver issue? I went to Netgear's web site and got the latest downloady things. The only thing that did was fuck up Windows Logon. (Yes, really.) Maybe if I have the Linksys broadcast the SSID? Logged into router, told it to do that, saved changes. Not only did the network not show up, now my Mac laptop couldn't connect either. I set the router config back to what it was, but it did not help.

Though at this point I felt pretty doomed for the night anyways, I went ahead and downloaded Marvell's drivers for the card. It looks like a shinier interface, but it still did not work.

I hate everything and am going to bed.

Comments

[xlerb.livejournal.com]

Paused to consult with elibalin, as he has used his windoze laptop over here many a time.

With, I seem to recall, a certain amount of vexation and head-stabbing every single time. Perhaps I exaggerate.

[syringavulgaris.livejournal.com]

Much of his woe was actually due to an unfortunate non-intersecting set of my handwriting and his reading comprehension.

[heliumbreath.livejournal.com]

First I tried with Netgear's "smart wizard".

I think it's called that because when you beat it with the flat of your sword, the wizard's ass will smart. I've certainly never found any other use for any piece of software that was marketed as any sort of "wizard".

[lillilah]

We have a wireless network. Joel has a Windows XP desktop. We finally upgraded to a expensive wireless card (Linksys) for his computer as the last one sucked. There was some kind of wireless connection manager that came with the card and that didn't work, but the regular Windows wireless connection manager can at least find the network (which is run off of one of the brand new Mac AirPorts). It seems to drop the connection ridiculously often, although the antenna that comes with the card does help get a stronger signal. The old crap card we had totally screwed up the Login screen (so you had to type in the username each time). The new one doesn't do that at least. Still, my mac never has trouble. While I'm a well known Windows hater, I believe this is not without justification.

[spride.livejournal.com]

This is why I use Macs.

[syringavulgaris.livejournal.com]

Well, as you may recall, I had some trouble with my Mac connecting, too, not long ago.

I can only conclude that wireless technology is chaos magic at work, or something.

[shechameleon.livejournal.com]

We have two XP laptops that connect to our wireless network quite regularly. They both have Intel wireless cards, and the Intel ProSet/Wireless utility seems to work pretty well. Mom always has trouble when she visits, though. But that's probably just Mom.

[syringavulgaris.livejournal.com]

The next morning I got it working, without trying (AFAICT) anything different. Go figure.

(Yeah, don't get me started on Mom and her computer issues. Or the half-hour argument we had about what "telnet" is. Oy veh es mir.)