USB Wifi adapter mystery

[RVB]

I have some old computers (mostly Optiplex 780) used for old games which are set up as a wireless local area network with one acting as a server ('hostednetwork').

Being old computers, they need a USB wifi dongle, and the dongles are a mixed bunch of whatever was in my bits box at the time.

There are four different types of dongle:
Two dongles are dual band 2.4+5.8GHz, claiming 433Mbps, so I'll refer to them as DB.
Three are 2.4GHz with a 'JEDEL' label claiming 300Mbps, I'll refer to these as J.
One is 2.4GHz but unknown brand, 300Mbps which I'll refer to as U300.
One is 2.4GHz unknown brand, 150Mbps which I'll refer to as U150.

If the server (and another computer which I tried) has dongle DB or J it refuses to start the network and gives the error:
'the group or resource is not in the correct state hostednetwork'

If the server has dongle U150 it networks fine with DB but not with J, which can't detect its network when searching for it, so can't join.

If the server has dongle U300 both DB and J can network perfectly with it.

Any ideas why
A) some of the four dongles cause the 'not in correct state' error message when trying to set up local area network?
and
B) some of the dongles can't connect to each other?
and
C) one dongle works perfectly with the others?

Thanks!

[xeny]

Are these machines connected directly, or all connected to a wireless LAN generated by an AP/router combination?

[littleredrooster]

I'll have a wild stab at 'backwards compatibility'.

The newer dongles have to compatible with older protocols of *something or other* but not t'other way round. Thus only the oldest one doing the transmitting/serving can be matched to the newer ones receiving.

Or summat - I've just realised it's been 18 years since I left this stuff behind on the journey through life.

[RVB]

xeny said:

Are these machines connected directly, or all connected to a wireless LAN generated by an AP/router combination?

One of the more powerful ones hosts a wireless LAN (via powershell command for hostednetwork) and acts as a server which the other computers all connect to.
No router and no cables to keep things tidier.

[RVB]

littleredrooster said:

I'll have a wild stab at 'backwards compatibility'.

The newer dongles have to compatible with older protocols of *something or other* but not t'other way round. Thus only the oldest one doing the transmitting/serving can be matched to the newer ones receiving.

Or summat - I've just realised it's been 18 years since I left this stuff behind on the journey through life.

I could quite believe the 'backwards compatibility' suggestion.

One reason I use these old computers is that they're powerful enough to run Windows 10 and office yet their hardware/drivers is sufficiently backwards-compatible to run games from 15-20yrs ago.

[xeny]

RVB said:

One of the more powerful ones hosts a wireless LAN (via powershell command for hostednetwork) and acts as a server which the other computers all connect to.
No router and no cables to keep things tidier.

Any chance you end up in a situation where something is listening on 5GHz while the other end is on 2.4?

Will a USB adapter offer 2.4 and 5GHz wifi simultaneously the way a router or AP can?

[Mr E]

xeny said:

Any chance you end up in a situation where something is listening on 5GHz while the other end is on 2.4?

Will a USB adapter offer 2.4 and 5GHz wifi simultaneously the way a router or AP can?

The 5GHz stuff will also do 2.4
The 2.4GHz only stuff won’t do 5GHz

So, if the server is running a 5GHz network, the 2.4GHz only kit won’t see it.
There’s plenty of other capability differences, but WLAN *should* be backward compatible.

In short, you need to understand the capabilities of the kit you have and configure accordingly.
In practice, if you put the least capable stick in the server, it’ll probably work.

[RVB]

I only have two dongles with 2.4+5 capability and neither have been used in the server computer because they cause the following unresolvable error when trying to start the hosted network:

'the group or resource is not in the correct state hostednetwork'

So the server is transmitting at 2.4GHz only.

Oddly, all dongles, regardless of brand or single/dual band are happy to connect to the household internet router even though many of the dongles cause problems with the hosted network.

[Mr E]

RVB said:

.

Oddly, all dongles, regardless of brand or single/dual band are happy to connect to the household internet router even though many of the dongles cause problems with the hosted network.

An AP providing 802.11 WLAN has to be backward compatible with “less capable” stations.
I have no idea how a dongle in a PC running a power shell script will behave.

How is it configured? As an AP running DHCP, or as an ad hoc point to point connect?

[Road2Ruin]

Depending on the dongles they will be either A,B, A/B, C, A/B/C, B/C, G, N (think I might have made C up ) or in fact any combination of the above. These letters refer to the compatibility. Do an A only dongle wont talk to a B only dongle, but will talk to an A/B dongle etc. You will find some incompatibilities here due to a mixed bunch. Newer WiFi dongles are usually B/G/N.

[RVB]

The problem ultimately seemed to be down to a combination of:

1. Microsoft child account or adult account
2. Which, if any, antivirus was being used (Windows defender blocking some communications while Norton didn't)
3. Old software which the computer thinks is from an unknown publisher, therefore Defender isn't keen on allowing it to use a network
4. Some dongle incompatibility with other dongles
5. Some dongle drivers just not being as adaptable as others

ps
I haven't been able to reply to this thread for a few days - kept getting 403 error but could reply to other threads.