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How to Wireless Login using Vista Premium...?

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by rajsdoshi

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I just bought a HP Laptop with Vista Premium.

But, I cannot login into my home wireless network.

The Situation:
- The Hp Laptop detects my home Wireless Network at full strength.
- When I try to Connect this this Wireless Network, it says: "Windows Cannot Connect To This Network."

What Am I Not Doing Right?

Do I have to Download Drivers from this Wireless Vendor?

(BTW, my friend uses a simple Macintosh Laptop [Macbook?] and he could connect to MY Network easily..???)

Thank you.

10 replies

by thumbsup2

Often, wireless networks are secured with a password. Did you provide the correct information so that you COULD connect?

by rajsdoshi

Excellent question ThumbsUp2.

I forgot to add that when I try to do a "Manual Login" it pops-up a window with th e Title "Enter Credentials" and asks me to enter:
- Username,
- Password and
- Login Domain

I have no Idea whose Username etc it is asking for (??) I am already logged in. My Home Wireless Network does not have a Login except for an Admin.

What am I missing ??

by older mycroft

So stop considering that you ARE/

The only thing you have 'logged into' is your laptop user id, NOT the wireless network.

User your normal user id, but use the password for the wireless aspect of the router. When the router was initially set-up, it was given a password that all connections would have to have, to prevent unauthorised entry to your network (and from the network to the internet).

Depending on whether you have set-up a local network or a domain, you should enter that detail also.

If you have the opportunity, ask your friend to show you how his Apple is set-up for wirelessly connecting to your wireless router, then copy the details (apart from the user id obviously).

by rajsdoshi

Old Mycroft:

You mean:

- in UserName - I type my Laptop User Name?
- in Password - I type the Router Password? SSID Password?
- What About in Login Domain? There seems to be no such thing? Is this the same as WORKGROUP?

by older mycroft

Username: - While you are connected wirelessly to your network, the router has to 'know' WHO is connected to this wireless point.

Password: - Depends which form of wireless security was originally setup for this router. It could be WEP, WPA, or WPA2 (each being more secure than the previous one).

LOGIN: [Local or Domain] - Depending on the type of network you are running. If you have a small home network it is most likely LOCAL, if you have a network connected to a server, it is DOMAIN.

Once you have correctly filled in the required boxes, you'll no longer need to do it again. Your laptop will remember the settings for each consecutive wireless session.

I must say it is rather odd that your friend's Apple computer has all these settings but you don't seem to be aware of them - yet it is your network. ;)

by rajsdoshi

USERNAME:
- is it my Account name on my Laptop?
- It it the "host Name" of wireless router?
- Is it its SSID?

PASSWORD:
- is it WEP, WPA or WPA-2 (I don't think so)
- is it the Shared Key?
- is it the Router Admin Password?

LOGIN:
- This is a home netw. so I understand that LOCAL could be it.
- However, the Router says that the name of the LOCAL DOMAIN is "LanHome" so I keep trying both: LOCAL and LanHome.

Microsoft has used such poor pneumonic words like LOGIN and PASSWORD and unfortunately there are so many choices and combinations.

Any Clarity is appreciated.

I have tried all the above combos but none works. How could this be so difficult??

(My MacBook friend had done with with another friend months ago with the help of his girl-friend, and he forgot how he did it, except that "it was easy on the Macbook." I just bought a Laptop for the first time, and chose Windows platform, but I don't have access to his ex-girl-friend. That is why I ask the question here. My first effort of course was to figure out what had done.)

Thank you very much in advance for the replies!!

by older mycroft

Because I'm typing this from the deep comfort of a slouchy lounger, with my Acer laptop running XP Pro, sitting in my equally slouchy lap.

I just checked my own wireless settings and it's just as I feared - Uncle Bill clearly didn't introduce any 'funny words' until the advent of Vista. My wireless settings contains boxes with names like: [b]

Network Name (SSID): xxxxxx
Network Authentication: WPA-PSK
Data Encryption: TKIP
Network Key: xxxxxxxx[/b]

So - if my XP Pro wireless setup is anything to go by and assuming that Uncle Bill didn't deviate too far from the norm, your required entries should be similarly arranged.

USERNAME:
- is your Account name on your Laptop.
PASSWORD:
- is the Router Admin Password
LOGIN:
- should be "Lanhome"

[i]What confuses me is that in XP you don't HAVE a 'Username' to input![/i]

I can't remember if I've covered this before but, have you used the Wireless Wizard yet? It would do all the 'leg-work' FOR you.

In XP, you would navigate to the Wireless Network Wizard thus:

[b]Start > All Programs > Accesories > Communications > Wireless Network Setup Wizard.[/b]

Sorry, but I'm not aware of the path within Vista.

:)

by rajsdoshi

(The Forum says I reached Maximum Level so I can't reply directly to Old Mycroft but I am doing it here.)

I was able to Connect my HP Vista Premium 64-bit Laptop to Connect to my Home Wireless Network!!

But NOT thru Vista's Wizards.

I was doing a Custom Setup of the Media Center.
- It asked me to connect to Internet.
- Then it asked if I wanted Wireless Internet
- I said Affirmative and Guess What, the sweetest thing of all happened......It directly and unambiguosly me only One question: "Type in the SSID." Just like that.!!
- I typed the SSID and Bingo, Literally, I was Wirelesly Connected!!

How Sweet.
How Wierd.

I hope this helps other Victims like me. Thank you all again!

by older mycroft

Clearly each incarnation of a M$ OS has its own foibles when it comes to setting up wireless comms.

As for your Posting restriction, that's only because each post is indented in the THREAD VIEW and there is a limit as to how much room is available onscreen.

We all have to go back to a previous Post Level, to continue the thread from there. [i]A TechRepublic foible if you will.[/i]

Enjoy your wireless computing! :)

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