Numpty needs networking help please....

[Wacky Racer]

OK,

Mrs Wacky Racer's Dell wireless laptop was linked up, (along with other computers in our house) to a Netgear DG834G router, and was working fine until last week....

Then, she decided to take the laptop on holiday to France, and temporarily signed up with a French internet company (Wifi SFR fr), for 10 hours use from the hotel room, and also another similar company in Germany..

Everything worked fine on holiday in both hotels, but now, having arrived home her computer can not detect the wireless Netgear signal, even though all the other computers (Which never left the house) still work fine.....


Any ideas??......

[thepassenger]

Personally I'd try feeding it the connection settings again (SSID, WPA key, etc.) and see if that kick starts it. XP often tells me it can't see a network despite it broadcasting SSID and magically connects when I force the issue.

[puggit]

And XP forgets my WPA key every time I leave the office

Strangely it never forgets any other key

[thepassenger]

XP & Wireless is a lash up. A greatly improved lashup but still held together with bits of sticky tape.
Service Pack 2 improved both; however sometimes.... just sometimes... weird and wacky things happen for no apparently reason.

Forgetting the key could be due to length, encryption scheme, a possible setting on the router that XP is taking an exception to.

[Wacky Racer]

OK thanks for the replies and offers of help.....

Working fine again now....

My son had disabled the wireless card with the function button, but forgot to tell us, (to save battery life) as we were using the laptop in the car, in conjunction with a GPS to get around, but my other son realised and managed to suss it...........

Thanks again......