Strange wireless problem, (long and possibly confusing)

Hi,
I have a problem connecting a Centrino laptop to a wireless network,
but I cannot understand where the problem lies, and it all seems very
odd to me. I was wondering if anyone could offer any suggestions as to
what the problem might be and how it might be resolved.

There are 2 computers and 2 wireless networks involved. One is mine,
and the other my parents.

I have a Netgear 834 ADSL router connected to an Apple Airport Extreme
base station, and my parents have a Netgear Wireless ADSL router (not
sure what model it is)

I have a 12" G4 ibook and it works perfectly with my wireless set up
and also my parents.

The problem is with my parents Acer Centrino laptop. It works fine
when I bring it to my house with the Airport Extreme but when they use
it in their own house it can never find a wireless signal or
connection.

I can't understand how my ibook works ok at my parents house, while
the Acer does not, or why her Acer works OK at my house, but not
theirs.

Its really confusing me. My parents Acer used to work fine at their
own house for a couple of months, then it started getting a bit flaky.
It also had general Windows problems so I reinstalled Windows and it
worked OK for a couple of hours, and now it's not working again.

I don't have a clue where to go from here, at it seems that her
wireless ADSL router is working ok (as my ibook works with it), but it
also seems like the Acer is OK as it works ok with my Airport Exteme.

Any ideas appreciated,

Julie

On 15 Jan 2004 12:26:50 -0800, (E-Mail Removed) (Julie)
wrote:



>Its really confusing me. My parents Acer used to work fine at their
>own house for a couple of months, then it started getting a bit flaky.
>It also had general Windows problems so I reinstalled Windows and it
>worked OK for a couple of hours, and now it's not working again.
>
>I don't have a clue where to go from here, at it seems that her
>wireless ADSL router is working ok (as my ibook works with it), but it
>also seems like the Acer is OK as it works ok with my Airport Exteme.
>

Is the Acer set to use any network or has it become locked to yours?
Are you using WEP, if so do you have the same key on both networks?

--
Niall

Niall <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:> Is the Acer set to use any network or has it become locked to yours?
> Are you using WEP, if so do you have the same key on both networks?


The acer is set to use any network, not using WEP on any network. I
can't understand why it just stopped working, without ever changing
any of the settings at all. When I re installed Windows it worked fine
for one evening, but the next day it would not work at all. No
settings had been altered at all.

That said I am very new to this so I may be doing something very basic
wrong. When I take my ibook to my parents house it just connects
automatically, and when the Acer comes to my house it connects
automatically. I have never done any setting up on my ibook, just
plugged everything in and turned it on.

Thanks for the advice,

Julie

On 16 Jan 2004 01:13:48 -0800, (E-Mail Removed) (Julie)
wrote:



>
>That said I am very new to this so I may be doing something very basic
>wrong. When I take my ibook to my parents house it just connects
>automatically, and when the Acer comes to my house it connects
>automatically. I have never done any setting up on my ibook, just
>plugged everything in and turned it on.
>

Something must be different. Can only suggest you compare *every*
wireless and networking setting on both machines.

--
Niall

Julie wrote:
> Niall <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:> Is the Acer
> set to use any network or has it become locked to yours?
>> Are you using WEP, if so do you have the same key on both networks?
>
>
> The acer is set to use any network, not using WEP on any network. I
> can't understand why it just stopped working, without ever changing
> any of the settings at all. When I re installed Windows it worked fine
> for one evening, but the next day it would not work at all. No
> settings had been altered at all.
>
> That said I am very new to this so I may be doing something very basic
> wrong. When I take my ibook to my parents house it just connects
> automatically, and when the Acer comes to my house it connects
> automatically. I have never done any setting up on my ibook, just
> plugged everything in and turned it on.
>
> Thanks for the advice,
>
> Julie

Have you checked Acer support to see if there are any
updates/patches/drivers for the computer as a whole and the wireless in
particular? You might also check with Intel support for updates for the
card since "Centrino" is an Intel product.

Q

"Quaoar" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in news:NoidnRNEsoaJ6pTdRVn-
(E-Mail Removed):

> Julie wrote:
>> Niall <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:> Is the Acer
>> set to use any network or has it become locked to yours?
>>> Are you using WEP, if so do you have the same key on both networks?
>>
>>
>> The acer is set to use any network, not using WEP on any network. I
>> can't understand why it just stopped working, without ever changing
>> any of the settings at all. When I re installed Windows it worked
fine
>> for one evening, but the next day it would not work at all. No
>> settings had been altered at all.
>>
>> That said I am very new to this so I may be doing something very
basic
>> wrong. When I take my ibook to my parents house it just connects
>> automatically, and when the Acer comes to my house it connects
>> automatically. I have never done any setting up on my ibook, just
>> plugged everything in and turned it on.
>>
>> Thanks for the advice,
>>
>> Julie
>
> Have you checked Acer support to see if there are any
> updates/patches/drivers for the computer as a whole and the wireless
in
> particular? You might also check with Intel support for updates for
the
> card since "Centrino" is an Intel product.
>
> Q
>
>
>

I have similar problem. It seems that Windows XP is the one causing
this. I use a wireless connection (Netgear router wired/wireless) for my
notebook (ACER Travelmate), an Orinoco Silver wireless card. All these
devices worked perfectly for more than three years, under Windows 2000
Pro. Because my notebook worked too slow I was advice to install Windows
XP, what I did from scratch. First the wireless connection worked well,
after a couple hours, stopped. Then, I installed Windows XP update
(pack1 and hotfixes). The wireless connection worked well for one day,
then it died. I connect my notebook using the wired connection to the
same ADSL router.

RmV