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Connect Windows XP to wireless Internet

By GSfromWS ·
I have a new windows XP laptop. I can't get a wireless internet connection to work. I have broadband internet and a cable modem and then a switch. A pc and a wireless access point are both connected to the switch. The Windows 2000 PC works fine, but I just can't get the laptop to connect to the wireless access point and the internet.

Can anyone give me the step by step of what I need to do or some things I can look for?

To clarify what I have. Comcast Broadband Internet going through the Comcast provided cable modem which did go directly to my windows 2000 PC. It worked just fine. I bought a windows xp laptop with wireless Internet capability built-in and ready to go. In order to share the single internet connection, I installed a D-Link switch between the cable modem and the PC. The Internet connection on the PC continues to work as it always did, but only through the switch. I also connected a wireless access point to the switch to receive the wireless transmission from the laptop. I configured the access point device as described with the installation instructions. So it is sitting there waiting for the laptop to establish a connection.

My question is, as much as possible, can someone give me a step-by-step set of instructions as to what needs to be done with the windows xp laptop to establish that wireless connection with the acess point device that is installed?

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by BFilmFan In reply to Connect Windows XP to wi ...
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by GSfromWS In reply to

Thank you anyway, but those directions were for configuring the wireless through a host computer. I don't want to do that. I want to configure it directly to the D-Link wireless access point device. Geeksquad? Do they do windows too?

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by dustyD In reply to Connect Windows XP to wi ...

Tell us what router model you have, and the model of your wireless enabled laptop.

Make sure you have the same TCP/IP connection settings on your laptop as you do for your desktop. Is the laptop getting IP through DHCP? Turn off Windows firewall for the time being on the laptop. You will need to specify the IP address of the AP in the same range as your desktop, laptop, and switch. Depends on your switch or router. You can use 192.168.0.x1 ... 192.168.1.x3 Make sure that you don't use internet connection sharing, the connection properties should be just blank. Gateway will be your switch IP address.

Post a comment back with models and go from there.

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by dustyD In reply to

That should be 192.168.0.x1 ... 192.168.0.x3

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by GSfromWS In reply to

I'm not using a router. I'm using an Access Point, a D-Link DWL-2100AP. My laptop is a Sony Vaio model PCG-K23 as it says under the screen, or PCG-9RFL as it says on the bottom

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by GSfromWS In reply to Connect Windows XP to wi ...

I'm not using a router. I'm using an Access Point, a D-Link DWL-2100AP. My laptop is a Sony Vaio model PCG-K23 as it says under the screen, or PCG-9RFL as it says on the bottom

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by willcomp In reply to Connect Windows XP to wi ...

Your best, cheapest, and most effective solution is to purchase a wireless router. Routers allow 2 or more computers to share 1 broadband connection, switches and access points do not. To use a wireless AP, you need a router, so may as well go ahead and get a wireless router.

Since routers and APs cost about the same, why are you trying to use an AP?

Dalton

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by willcomp In reply to

As I stated, if you want to connect more than 1 PC at a time, you need a router. For info on connecting your notebook to internet using AP, see link below.

http://support.dlink.com/faq/view.asp?prod_id=1132&question=DWL-1000AP%20/%20DWL-900AP%20/%20DWL-900AP+%20/%20DWL-5000AP%20/%20DWL-6000AP%20/%20DWL-1000AP+%20/%20DWL-800AP+

Dalton

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by GSfromWS In reply to

Poster rated this answer.

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by rindi1 In reply to Connect Windows XP to wi ...

Your access point also acts as a router, as it has a builtin dhcp server which can supply you with private ip address ranges. Is the dhcp server part of that AP turned on?
Connect your Desktop PC to the access point as well, a lot of ISP providers only give you one client connection (1 ip address), so if your desktop is connected to the inet your laptop won't be able to connect. The routing function of your AP will be able to connect more pc's to the inet.

When you open your control panel and enter start "system", then have a look at your hardware, is everything OK (no yellow exclamation marks, etc)? Can you see your wlan interface? is it set to active?

Have you also inspected the case of your notebook? Some have a small slider or switch with which you can turn Wireless adpaters on or off, and this switch is usually difficult to find!

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