Problems with WPA on MN 700 and MN720

I have a home wireless network to connect a desktop and a laptop. Both
computers are running Windows XP with Service Pack 1 and the WPA
patch. Initially, I was using WEP 128 security with no problems. I
just changed the security to WPA and this has created a couple of
problems.

First, the wireless connection drops every few hours. I can generally
get the connection to re-establish itself by opening the broadband
utility and reselect the network. Other times, this does not work and
I have to reboot.

More troubling, my laptop does not show up as a network device from
desktop computer. At the same time, my desktop does show up as a
network device from my laptop. However, the only way to access it is
by clicking its listing under "Network Devices" on the broadband
utility. Neither computer shows up as a networked computer under
Windows Explorer. When I choose "View Workgroup Computers" from either
machine in Explorer, I get a "Workgroup Unaccessible" error.

Any help in rectifying this would be appreciated.

Don, you mention you're using the WPA patch, but have you downloaded and
installed the WiFi Rollup package from Windows Update. There apparently
were some problems with the "patch" earlier issued.

Second, do you have the lease time on the router set for a span of a couple
hours? Could you make sure that is set for two weeks?
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP
Associate Expert
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone

"Don McRitchie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have a home wireless network to connect a desktop and a laptop. Both
> computers are running Windows XP with Service Pack 1 and the WPA
> patch. Initially, I was using WEP 128 security with no problems. I
> just changed the security to WPA and this has created a couple of
> problems.
>
> First, the wireless connection drops every few hours. I can generally
> get the connection to re-establish itself by opening the broadband
> utility and reselect the network. Other times, this does not work and
> I have to reboot.
>
> More troubling, my laptop does not show up as a network device from
> desktop computer. At the same time, my desktop does show up as a
> network device from my laptop. However, the only way to access it is
> by clicking its listing under "Network Devices" on the broadband
> utility. Neither computer shows up as a networked computer under
> Windows Explorer. When I choose "View Workgroup Computers" from either
> machine in Explorer, I get a "Workgroup Unaccessible" error.
>
> Any help in rectifying this would be appreciated.

Hi Chris

Windows Update shows that there are no available updates for either
computer (Critical, Windows or Driver Updates). The lease time is set
for two weeks.

Regards
Don


On Sun, 18 Jan 2004 22:40:35 -0800, "Chris H." <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>Don, you mention you're using the WPA patch, but have you downloaded and
>installed the WiFi Rollup package from Windows Update. There apparently
>were some problems with the "patch" earlier issued.
>
>Second, do you have the lease time on the router set for a span of a couple
>hours? Could you make sure that is set for two weeks?

Don, there does seem to be an issue where the base station SSID is more than
20 characters long, but recommendations in this Knowledge Base article seem
to rectify them:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...&Product=MSbbn
Could you take a look and see if that helps?
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP
Associate Expert
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone

"Don McRitchie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> Hi Chris
>
> Windows Update shows that there are no available updates for either
> computer (Critical, Windows or Driver Updates). The lease time is set
> for two weeks.
>
> Regards
> Don
>
>
> On Sun, 18 Jan 2004 22:40:35 -0800, "Chris H." <(E-Mail Removed)>
> wrote:
>
> >Don, you mention you're using the WPA patch, but have you downloaded and
> >installed the WiFi Rollup package from Windows Update. There apparently
> >were some problems with the "patch" earlier issued.
> >
> >Second, do you have the lease time on the router set for a span of a
couple
> >hours? Could you make sure that is set for two weeks?
>

Hi Chris

My SSID is only 11 characters long.

Current;y, the problem is not so much that the network connection is
dropped, (however this was a problem at first) but rather that the
desktop PC is dropped as a network device from my laptop.

I use a single PST file on my desktop computer for Outlook that is
accessed by both the laptop and the desktop. If my laptop is left on,
but unattended for a couple of hours, subsequently loading up Outlook
on the laptop generates an error saying it can't find the desktop
computer PST file. At this same time, I have no problem with internet
access from the laptop. Opening up the broadband utility on the laptop
forces a refresh of network devices which ultimately finds the desktop
after a couple of minutes. At that point, Outlook will open and run
normally.

Again, from the desktop computer, I have never been able to access the
laptop. Internet access is fine, but the broadband utility always
shows that there are no network devices connected even though the
laptop is up and running and accessing the desktop. Forcing a refresh
on the desktop broadband utility has no effect.


Regards
Don


On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 03:33:26 -0800, "Chris H." <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>Don, there does seem to be an issue where the base station SSID is more than
>20 characters long, but recommendations in this Knowledge Base article seem
>to rectify them:
>http://support.microsoft.com/default...&Product=MSbbn
>Could you take a look and see if that helps?