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Windows Forum / Windows Me / Networking / May 2008Windows ME and Wireless Networking - Failure to Connect
This was originally posted on the Windows Me NG, but is now posted on here at the kind suggestion of Mike Maltby. I have summarised the problem - I have a laptop running ME and am trying to connect to my Orange Broadband Router (using wireless) without success. I have no trouble with connecting wireless to the Router with my desktop PC running XP using a Sweex USB dongle, but using the same dongle on my laptop doesn't work. I have also tried a Motorola PCMCIA card on my laptop without success. Both the dongle and the PCMCIA card allow me to see the Router, but both tell me I am disconnected. I have tried re-entering the WEP key several times. I have also tried temporarily removing all WPA / WEP security from the router, but this hasn't allowed connection (it is currently re-set to "WPA Only" - the default). I can confirm that the drivers and utilities have been installed for both devices and I have used the respective utilities to enter the WEP key, etc. My router is a proprietary one from Orange (called an Orange Livebox), so I can't easily identify it, but the firmware is INVENTEL v5.10. I have tried Pinging the router's IP address, but it says "Destination host unreachable". Typing WinIPCfg tells me my Host Name, but the DNS Server is blank. The Node Type is Broadcast, but the other Host Information is blank. The Ethernet Adapter Information gives me an Adapter Address, but the IP Address says "Media Disconnected". The Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, etc are blank. I cannot find anything about MAC on the router settings, but DHCP is enabled. Thanks for any assistance, Robin I'm not really into Networking but your problem sounds similar to a couple experiences I had with my BT HomeHub router. I found that if a working dongle or PCMCIA card on one PC was transferred to another, like yours it could see the router but wouldn't shake hands. I ended up by 'removing' or Deleting it/them from the list of (previously) detected devices under the Configuration settings of the Router (using another PC) and then let the router re-detect the dongle/PCMCIA card and set it up again. I never bothered to work out why, but did wonder if it had something to do with possibly duplicated Physical or IP address settings. All other (working) wireless/USB devices showed unique addresses. Sorry if it doesn't relate, but it did work here. Good luck. Mart > This was originally posted on the Windows Me NG, but is now posted on here > at [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > > Robin > I'm not really into Networking but your problem sounds similar to a > couple experiences I had with my BT HomeHub router. I found that if a [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Sorry if it doesn't relate, but it did work here. Good luck. An interesting observation Mart and a very different experience from my own. My current router (SpeedTouch 585v6 v6.1.4.3 firmware [later firmware exists but does not support telnet access]) keeps a history of all attached devices, last allocated IP address (if variable) and in the case of wired hardware, the router port to which last connected. In fact this is perhaps one of its better implemented features. Let's hope this helps Robin with his problem.  SignatureMike Maltby mike.maltby@gmail.com Can't add much more Mike, as once I got them to be re-recognised, I was just happy that they worked and moved on <g> Should have documented the detail, I suppose but now work from the 'lesson learnt' and if/when it happens again, I'll just go thru' 'delete' procedure and hope it remains successful. (Having other issues with BT Broadband - it keeps failing. Proved it clear of home - twice - so I'm living with Dial-up Pay & Go. Bl**dy Slow!!) Mart >> I'm not really into Networking but your problem sounds similar to a >> couple experiences I had with my BT HomeHub router. I found that if a [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > Let's hope this helps Robin with his problem. > Can't add much more Mike, as once I got them to be re-recognised, I > was just happy that they worked and moved on <g> Should have [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > clear of home - twice - so I'm living with Dial-up Pay & Go. Bl**dy > Slow!!) You really DO have my sympathies Mart. When I had my 10 weeks of comms hell earlier this year it was that for nearly all of that time that I still had a good ADSL connection that kept me going. Skype got me round the lack of a phone plus eventually getting a mobile. If, on the other hand, it had been loss of ADSL I don't know what I would have done (well I do actually, it would have been Be There here I come) as having to use dial-up for more than a few minutes is now so painful. Such memories, £300+ per quarter phone bills, virtually all of which was for off-peak PAYG dialup, until I managed to discover Screaming that included free dial-up, but even then ADSL didn't come a day too soon. Hope you get your problem fixed "real soon". In the meantime do you perhaps have a kindly neighbour who will let you connect via wi-fi? Cheers, Mike Oh the memories, makes me cringe to think about it and so glad a certain mister and his accomplice (now I wonder who that could be I think his initials were MM & NP) finally talked me into going broadband. I know the pain on the odd occasion I've had to do dial-up for my Tesco shop when the ADSL was down <g> Joan SignatureJoan Archer http://www.freewebs.com/crossstitcher http://lachsoft.com/photogallery >> Can't add much more Mike, as once I got them to be re-recognised, I >> was just happy that they worked and moved on <g> Should have [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > Mike Thanks Guys, I tried Mart's suggestion and found 2 devices in the history (in addition to my main XP machine) and removed them. I'm afraid it hasn't allowed connection though. Robin > > I'm not really into Networking but your problem sounds similar to a > > couple experiences I had with my BT HomeHub router. I found that if a [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > Let's hope this helps Robin with his problem. Sorry it was unsuccessful Robin. As I said, I'm not really into Networking, but it had to be worth a try. Good luck Mart > Thanks Guys, > [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] >> >> Let's hope this helps Robin with his problem. Mart / Mike, Thanks for your help guys. I came to this forum having had a frustrating experience with the Orange Helpline with responses like " it must be trouble with your dongle / PCICMA card - you need to talk to the manufacturer". I tried the Orange e-mail support yesterday (with a summary of all of our investigations / trials) and got the following reply: <quote> Thank you for your email. We understand your concern. You cannot have a wireless connection with Livebox for Windows ME, however you can have a wired connection with it. You can follow the link below for more help on wired connection: http://help.orange.co.uk/sessionBegin.do?solutionId=kb4645 If you have any further queries then please do not hesitate to get in contact with us again. Kind Regards </quote> I think I will be looking for another Broadband provider when this contract expires. Thanks, Robin > Sorry it was unsuccessful Robin. As I said, I'm not really into Networking, > but it had to be worth a try. [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > >> > >> Let's hope this helps Robin with his problem. Robin, Thanks for posting back however to be honest I'm not sure I believe what Orange are saying. Please keep and eye on this NG as I've pinged someone called Steve Winograd and asked him to have a look at this thread and see if he can help. Steve's forgotten more about networking than I've ever known so it is possible that he may be able to help you. > I think I will be looking for another Broadband provider when this > contract expires. Have a look at ThnikBroaband for UK ADSL suggestions. As for Orange I can't help but note the various negative comments about their service posted in response to the article "Orange Broadband sales drop by half " (http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/i/3527.html) such as "Worst provider I have ever been with. Regular problems, diabolically useless 'customer service' and slow connection." (weasle). SignatureMike Maltby mike.maltby@gmail.com > Mart / Mike, > [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > I think I will be looking for another Broadband provider when this > contract expires. Thanks Mike, Much appreciated. I must say that my expoerience with Orange hasn't always been like this - when I first set up my XP PC last summer I had a minor issue connecting, but the helpline were actually rally helpful. I don't know what has happened, but two calls this week and the e-mail are much more consistent with the comments on the link you posted. A real disappointment. Anyway - lets hope the e-mail is wrong and Steve can magic a solution. Cheers, Robin > Robin, > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > have ever been with. Regular problems, diabolically useless 'customer > service' and slow connection." (weasle). >Thanks for posting back however to be honest I'm not sure I believe what >Orange are saying. Please keep and eye on this NG as I've pinged someone >called Steve Winograd and asked him to have a look at this thread and see >if he can help. Steve's forgotten more about networking than I've ever >known so it is possible that he may be able to help you. Hi Robin and Mike, I've been following this thread, but I hadn't jumped in because I don't know what's wrong or how to fix it. SignatureBest Wishes, Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking) Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups. Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program http://mvp.support.microsoft.com Steve, Thanks for jumping in. Mike says you're the man, so I guess we have to believe Orange when they say the Livebox won't work with Me. Time to re-think, I think. Cheers, Robin > >Thanks for posting back however to be honest I'm not sure I believe what > >Orange are saying. Please keep and eye on this NG as I've pinged someone [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > I've been following this thread, but I hadn't jumped in because I > don't know what's wrong or how to fix it. Your link to the kb article won't open here Robin, hangs at about 95%. I'm pleased to see that Mike's already pinged Steve Winograd - who sometimes looks in at this News Group. I was expecting that he might have spotted your problem. However, I found the following (a few years old) which might be of interest - and wondered if Robbain might have been you? http://forum.caithness.org/archive/index.php/t-15902.html Mart > Mart / Mike, > [quoted text clipped - 85 lines] >> >> >> >> Let's hope this helps Robin with his problem. Hi Mart, I'm hoping too :-) Interesting article that you linked to - not me I'm afraid. I was a late convert to Broadband - still on dialup until last summer. The link to Orange seems to be working now - not that it helps (or tells you) much. Cheers, Robin > Your link to the kb article won't open here Robin, hangs at about 95%. I'm > pleased to see that Mike's already pinged Steve Winograd - who sometimes [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Mart Well, sadly the responses aren't too helpful so far Robin, so just a couple of further thoughts. Are you able to connect your laptop to another wireless router rather than your Orange Router (a friends for example)? And - another link <g> "troubleshoot a problem with your 121g wireless adaptor" http://help.orange.co.uk/documentDisplay.do?clusterName=DefaultCluster&preview=1 &groupId=1&page=&docType=1006&resultType=5002&docProp=$solution_id&docPropValue= kb8173 Note the lines regarding "issues" with Win9x and further down the page that they are referring to a Livebox. Relevant? I also (fairly recently) saw somewhere a reference to an MS KB article regarding issues with Wifi adapters (USB 2.0?) and WinMe, but can no longer locate the reference. Might be worth a trawl thru' the KB - or even Google. Good luck Mart > Hi Mart, > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] >> >> Mart Thanks Mart, An interesting article - pretty much covers my problem. I went through the routine again - Press button 1, etc, but the same result. I will pop round to a friends over the weekend and try with his router. Cheers, Robin > Well, sadly the responses aren't too helpful so far Robin, so just a couple > of further thoughts. Are you able to connect your laptop to another wireless [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Mart |
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