Strange wifi problem - no available networks from one router but works on another

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Hello - can anyone help with this issue - i am finding it very strange!

I have just learnt about wifi networks and have set one up, so i sort of know what i'm doing but this has me stumped.

I am trying to set up a wireless connection for a friend and the situation is this:

Using windows zero wireless configuration utility there are no availble wireless networks to connect to when sitting 2 feet from his router. So i thought i would check to make sure the wireless card is working - i took it to my house and signed on to my network, where i signed on with ease, and connected to the internet - the wifi card works fine and is enabled.

I thought i would then check the router to make sure that is working - I took my laptop to his house and connected to his router and surfed the internet. I could see his ssid fine - The router is working fine. The SSID is not hidden!

So it isn't the card or the router as they both work, but when i go back onto his laptop there are still 'no available networks'. Am i missing some really easy setting? Why would his laptop not see any networks when i can on my laptop?
And even more why can i sign on to my wifi with his comp but he cannot sign onto his own?

The router is a comtrend CT536 and the wifi car an intel pro 2200bg. Anyone know of any compatibility issues? AARRRGHHHHhhh!

Any help will send good kharma your way and a lot of thanks :)

have a good night/ day.
Lee.
 
>The router is a comtrend CT536 and the wifi car an intel pro 2200bg. Anyone know of any compatibility issues?

so one laptop sees both routers and his will only see your router.

sounds like b/g modes are malconfigured. set both routers to b G mode only.

could also be one router is A/B and the other is B/G
(A mode uses different frequency than B/G)
 
thanks for the swift reply, i'll check tomorrow and set them to b g mode. Although i am pretty sure they are both set to 802.11b only - i tried (with my limited knowledge) to ensure all network card settings were the same.

its strange that i can see his network with my laptop, but he cannot see it with his. And then when i use his laptop round my house i can see my network and connect - which says to me that everything is set up correctly.....
these things are sent to test us :)
 
some more information - update.

hello,

Today i tried a few different things and still no success. I tried the swithching mode issue - both b and g and still no success - thanks for the reply though jobeard. I also tried the following:

1) yep the wireless is on - it can connect to my network just not his own.

2) i'm running xp home with sp2 installed on both pc's.

3) the wep setting on the router maybe the case and i will try to check this out, but surely i should be able to see the networks and they shouold tell wether its WEP or WPA secured network. on my pc i can see various networks and they identify the security setting, i.e. WEP or WPA. On his laptop there are no availble networks (and it is NOT a range thing). But thinking about it might be interference - i will get all microwaves unplugged and mobile phones swtiched off - but i think this is grasping at straws :)

4) Today i tried some different things which are:
a) i downlaoded the latest driver from the intel website.
b) downlaoded and used netstumbler to see if it was windows zero config utility.
c) downloaded intels own wireless network utility to see if they would show up on that.

Both b and c had no effect and i am still being told there are no available networks within range.

d)after reading a few things on the web i tried to set up a home network to see if that kicked anything into gear - it didn't - it just screwed up the IP addresses - which are now corrected again and i can connect to the internet via ethernet again.

e) i ensured that event log had started in services. Not sure why this would work but it did for someone else so i thought i would make sure - it was and therefore its not that.

Other than that i am stumped still! as i say if i can see my networks from my house on his computer and can see his network on my laptop from his house, why can't he.....

very bizarre!

I'll keep trying but i'm running out of ideas,

thanks.
 
audiomod said:
3) the wep setting on the router maybe the case and i will try to check this out, but surely i should be able to see the networks and they shouold tell wether its WEP or WPA secured network. on my pc i can see various networks and they identify the security setting, i.e. WEP or WPA.
AGREE! you should see the ssid regardless and the laptop adapter has no control
over the visibility -- that's the routers option. WEP/WPA come into play when
attempting to make the connection
On his laptop there are no availble networks (and it is NOT a range thing). But thinking about it might be interference - i will get all microwaves unplugged and mobile phones swtiched off - but i think this is grasping at straws :)
not so obscure; a real possibility (eg cellphones on 2.4 ghz)

I would focus on the laptop adapter and related software; uninstall and reinstall.

btw; Some laptops have a switch on the side to enable/disable the device
as well as the normal device mgr software choice.

if the laptop has a PCMICA slot, borrow one from a buddy to try a different 'device'.
 
thanks - tomorrows a different day!

----not so obscure; a real possibility (eg cellphones on 2.4 ghz)-----

but if there was interference why would my laptop be ok? i will still give this a go tomorrow :)

-------btw; Some laptops have a switch on the side to enable/disable the device
as well as the normal device mgr software choice.-----------

but when i took his laptop to my house it connected like two opposite ends of a magnet, lol. It is definately enable.

thanks for the replies - if i find the answer i will post it here for all to see.

i'll be back tomorrow lol. :)
 
firmware - scary!

thanks,

the trouble is i am living in spain, so the driver cd is, er in spanish, and i can't read spanish yet - which is sort of impressive that i managed to setup my network! Would mac address filtering prevent networks from being detected in any utility i try to use? I thought mac addressing was another layer of security to only allow certain resources/ pc's to access the router. I could set this up but it would only complicate things at the mo.

As for the frimware (and the spanish thing) i am really not that confident flashing it!!! Besides it works for my laptop so i think that may be unecessary - i will leave to to the last thing i do .... just in case.

thanks for the advice though - am i right about the mac addressing? I dont think the router is set up for that anyhow but i will attempt to check manyana (tomorrow - one of my few spanish words i know, lol).

later.
 
thanks :)

hello people - i didn't get round my friends until today and all i can say to everybody who helped is THANKS!!!!!!! I got it going.

Right so if anyone else has a similar problem, this might help you:

1) Today i checked all the intels cards settings and set it to both 802.11 b and g.

2) I looked for the reset button but still couldn't find it!

3) I managed to get into the routers setting via the spanish CD and set it to channel 11 - which is what i think did it! (it was originally on channel 12).

4) I set it up as WPA-PSK (TKIP) security, as that it the best the router provides and i didn't really want to get into the firmware thing.

5) I renamed everything and setup the router to my own passwords, ip's and set it to hidden (so it is moderately secure for a home wifi scenario).

6) i smiled a lot as i had succeeded - yipee.

Again a big thanks to everyone who helped :)

I like this site!
 
follow-up: WiFi Chanel numbers

audiomod said:
3) I managed to get into the routers setting via the spanish CD and set it to channel 11 - which is what i think did it! (it was originally on channel 12).
Interesting! U.S.A channels are 1-11 and if you have a non-domestic router, then it MUST be set to channels the wifi adapters can find (ie 1-11).
 
thanks

There in was the problem, lol.

Thanks for the help - we got there in the end. I now also know quite a bit of spanish for setting up networks. Thats my silver lining.

Have a good day/ night.

laters.
 
Wireless modem problem?????

Ok sorry everyone if this isn't where i'm supposed to be starting a new topic but anyways...
I have a belking wireless g+ 802.11g(sorry im a noob so i dont really know what i'm talking about) and there is a quest modem (again, noob here) hooked up to my extremely old desktop and i was hoping i could get wireless internet through that modem but the wireless indicator light is not on and i was thinking that had something to do with it. The network also doesn't appear in the list of avalable networks. can anyone tell mehow i can enable wifi through that modem or what can buy to get internet at my house. thanks in advance!
 
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