WI-FI newbie

I am broadband connected via a cable modem and have just installed a D-Link
DI-614 Router with which to access the internet with a couple wired desktop
PCs and a couple wireless laptops. I have installed a D-Link DWL-640 PCMCIA
card in one laptop and that works fine. However, in the other laptop, a new
Toshiba with pre-installed WI-FI card, Network Connections shows the
Toshiba Wireless LAN Mini PCI unavailable.
My question is: am I trying to do something here that is not possible or do
I just need to find the right tweaks, etc? I'm fairly computer savvy but
for some reason I can't get a clear picture in my mind of the whole
networking thing.
Thanks,
Jer

Maskman <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
: I am broadband connected via a cable modem and have just installed a D-Link
: DI-614 Router with which to access the internet with a couple wired desktop
: PCs and a couple wireless laptops. I have installed a D-Link DWL-640 PCMCIA
: card in one laptop and that works fine. However, in the other laptop, a new
: Toshiba with pre-installed WI-FI card, Network Connections shows the
: Toshiba Wireless LAN Mini PCI unavailable.
: My question is: am I trying to do something here that is not possible or do
: I just need to find the right tweaks, etc? I'm fairly computer savvy but
: for some reason I can't get a clear picture in my mind of the whole
: networking thing.

What exactly are you trying to do? Are you just trying to network all
the computers together, via the router, and have them all share the
internet etc.? And you say the one laptop with the D-Link card gets
on the network fine but the Toshiba laptop doesn't?

There should be a little toggle switch on the side of the laptop to
enable the WiFi card in the Toshiba laptop (a little LED will be on
when the switch is on). Are you sure that switch is turned on?

Andrew
--
----> Portland, Oregon, USA <----
************************************************** *****************
----> http://www.bizave.com <---- Photo Albums and Portland Info
----> To Email me remove "MYSHOES" from email address
************************************************** *****************

Thanks Andrew, you described what I am up to precisely. By the way, I'm up
here in Seattle. What a beautiful summer we've had in the Northwest.
My Toshiba is a relatively new model and apparently the 'toggle switch' is
in the form of a hotkey Fn-F8 but when I hit those keys nothing happens, so
perhaps that hotkey combo is not active. Toshiba provides in it's
installation package Connectivity Doctor, a diagnosis proggie, and under
Network it shows the Wireless Comm Switch Staus: Off, so maybe I'll try to
tweak the hotkeys to see if I can get the Fn-F8 to work.
You have surely helped me to know that what I've been trying to do at least
SHOULD work.
Thanks again and I'll report back.
Jer
"Andrew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Maskman <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> : I am broadband connected via a cable modem and have just installed a
D-Link
> : DI-614 Router with which to access the internet with a couple wired
desktop
> : PCs and a couple wireless laptops. I have installed a D-Link DWL-640
PCMCIA
> : card in one laptop and that works fine. However, in the other laptop, a
new
> : Toshiba with pre-installed WI-FI card, Network Connections shows the
> : Toshiba Wireless LAN Mini PCI unavailable.
> : My question is: am I trying to do something here that is not possible or
do
> : I just need to find the right tweaks, etc? I'm fairly computer savvy
but
> : for some reason I can't get a clear picture in my mind of the whole
> : networking thing.
>
> What exactly are you trying to do? Are you just trying to network all
> the computers together, via the router, and have them all share the
> internet etc.? And you say the one laptop with the D-Link card gets
> on the network fine but the Toshiba laptop doesn't?
>
> There should be a little toggle switch on the side of the laptop to
> enable the WiFi card in the Toshiba laptop (a little LED will be on
> when the switch is on). Are you sure that switch is turned on?
>
> Andrew
> --
> ----> Portland, Oregon, USA <----
> ************************************************** *****************
> ----> http://www.bizave.com <---- Photo Albums and Portland Info
> ----> To Email me remove "MYSHOES" from email address
> ************************************************** *****************
>

Andrew,
I looked a little closer at my machine and sure enough there is a switch I
missed seeing before and that seems to help a great deal (duh).
There still seems to be a connectivity problem but I'm on the right track,
thanks to you.
Jer
"Maskman" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:vpL4b.244094$cF.78045@rwcrnsc53...
> Thanks Andrew, you described what I am up to precisely. By the way, I'm
up
> here in Seattle. What a beautiful summer we've had in the Northwest.
> My Toshiba is a relatively new model and apparently the 'toggle switch' is
> in the form of a hotkey Fn-F8 but when I hit those keys nothing happens,
so
> perhaps that hotkey combo is not active. Toshiba provides in it's
> installation package Connectivity Doctor, a diagnosis proggie, and under
> Network it shows the Wireless Comm Switch Staus: Off, so maybe I'll try to
> tweak the hotkeys to see if I can get the Fn-F8 to work.
> You have surely helped me to know that what I've been trying to do at
least
> SHOULD work.
> Thanks again and I'll report back.
> Jer
> "Andrew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Maskman <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> > : I am broadband connected via a cable modem and have just installed a
> D-Link
> > : DI-614 Router with which to access the internet with a couple wired
> desktop
> > : PCs and a couple wireless laptops. I have installed a D-Link DWL-640
> PCMCIA
> > : card in one laptop and that works fine. However, in the other laptop,
a
> new
> > : Toshiba with pre-installed WI-FI card, Network Connections shows the
> > : Toshiba Wireless LAN Mini PCI unavailable.
> > : My question is: am I trying to do something here that is not possible
or
> do
> > : I just need to find the right tweaks, etc? I'm fairly computer savvy
> but
> > : for some reason I can't get a clear picture in my mind of the whole
> > : networking thing.
> >
> > What exactly are you trying to do? Are you just trying to network all
> > the computers together, via the router, and have them all share the
> > internet etc.? And you say the one laptop with the D-Link card gets
> > on the network fine but the Toshiba laptop doesn't?
> >
> > There should be a little toggle switch on the side of the laptop to
> > enable the WiFi card in the Toshiba laptop (a little LED will be on
> > when the switch is on). Are you sure that switch is turned on?
> >
> > Andrew
> > --
> > ----> Portland, Oregon, USA <----
> > ************************************************** *****************
> > ----> http://www.bizave.com <---- Photo Albums and Portland Info
> > ----> To Email me remove "MYSHOES" from email address
> > ************************************************** *****************
> >
>
>