Re: Unable to connect to wifi network at work

From: Sven, MVP-Mobile Devices (sejohannsen_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 10/15/04 

Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 16:16:56 -0600

He did say Hospital's Cisco WiFi card, his laptop. Did you configure the
laptop yourself, or did the Hosp IT do that? Could still be a security
thing, I'm sure they know the cards MAC address if nothing else.

Don't even know if it works on a 4700 but you might try pocketWINc from
http://www.cirond.com/pocketWinc.html. they have a trial. Most use it to
sniff out available networks, but I find it does a great job of connecting
to them to. It doesn't break security, it just gets all the settings right
and bumps the DHCP into action. The icons will also tell you if there is
encryption, for which you would need to talk to the IT guys. If it's MAC
filtering, again, IT, but nothing will tell you that from your end. Knowing
the AP's IP address would at least tell you whether you are being assigned
an IP that has a chance of working in the network, if you can see what IP
your adapter has. 

-- 
Sven, MS-MVP  Mobile Devices
" MS" <ms@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:O5U$CcmsEHA.2192@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> This seems similar to the problem I wrote about, although in my case it
was
> at a cybercafe.
>
> People have responded here that the system is "probably locked down for
> security", and that the problem is probably security, etc.
>
> Didn't they see the OP's statement that when he brought his laptop from
> home, he had no trouble connecting with that. If there were security
> settings he didn't know about, he also would not be able to connect with
his
> laptop.
>
> "Steve Parry [MVP]" <k100rs_1990@nospam.hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:Ol7ISiisEHA.1336@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> > Brian wrote:
> > > The off-site IT assistant isn't able to help me without
> > > my device having a hardware# (owned by the hospital). In
> > > other words, because I own my PPC, they can't support it.
> > > There is no on-site network administrator.
> > >
> > > What I have discovered in the meantime, is that each of
> > > the APs have an IP address and MAC code on a sticker on
> > > the unit. Can either or both of these help me to
> > > configure my handheld?
> > >
> > > The wireless connection manager does say that I
> > > am 'connected' to the AP and the wifi "button" is
> > > intermittently green, but IE says that web page cannot be
> > > found.
> > >
> > > The ip address I am getting assigned is
> > > fe80::211:85ff:fec4 in the wifi adapter settings but
> > > 127.0.0.1 when I run the wifi part of the self test
> > > (which fails because it says there isn't an
> > > AP "associated" with my device).
> > >
> > > Thanks for your advice
> > >
> > > Brian
> > >
> > >
> > >> -----Original Message-----
> > >> Your primary soruce of help on the hospital connections is going to
> > >> be the hospital network admin.
> > >>
> > >> If the systems are "open" you should be able to connect, but since
> > >> you cannot browse, they are probably protected by wep, proxy, or
> > >> other wifi security that prevents unauthorized connections to the
> > >> network... highly likely in a medical environment.
> > >>
> > >> One point is to look for your "ip address" after the utility shows
> > >> you connected... if it says "169..." you are not getting an ip
> > >> assigned by the network which is necessary to access the internet or
> > >> other resources.
> > >>
> > >> Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]
> > >> .
> > >>
> > >
> > > This is a bit long, so any replies can be to my email
> > > address if you wish.
> > >
> > > First off, I have no previous experience with wifi and do
> > > not understand many of the settings that are available on
> > > my device.
> > >
> > > I have an iPAQ hx4700. I work in a hospital where there
> > > are multiple wireless access points. When I turn on the
> > > wireless feature on the handheld it detects several
> > > access points.
> > > These access points either say "Available", "Connected"
> > > or "Unavailable". The "Connected" status switches from
> > > one to another periodically.
> > >
> > > I am unable to view any web pages, although a few times
> > > some pages managed to load, but then I was stopped from
> > > browsing by an error message that said something about
> > > not having correct connection settings.
> > >
> > > I have tried all of the different settings in
> > > the "Configure Wireless Networks" settings dialogue and
> > > the "Connections" settings dialogue(including proxy
> > > settings). I don't undertsand the different
> > > authentication settings but I tried them all.
> > >
> > > I have tried all of these things right underneath the
> > > wifi access point. One of them it doesn't ever
> > > say "available".
> > >
> > > I did have success the first time I tried the wifi
> > > feature at a hotel. The only setting I needed to adjust
> > > was to say that there was a proxy server - and I didn't
> > > put a number in.
> > >
> > > I know that wifi works at the hospital because I have
> > > taken a laptop there and had instant success running
> > > Windows XP with a Cisco systems wifi PCMCIA card
> > > (hosptial's card, my laptop).
> > >
> > > I haven't successfully contacted Information Systems at
> > > work - they moved off site and after spending 10 miutes
> > > on hold yesterday I found out that they were closed for
> > > the day by the time I got through. I don't think that
> > > they have had to help anyone configure wifi settings on a
> > > handheld yet, but getting a service request from them is
> > > a huge undertaking.
> > >
> > > Does anyone have any suggestions for information I need
> > > to request from the IS department if and when I get
> > > through on the phone?
> > >
> > > Any help at all would be much appreciated.
> > >
> > > Brian
> > >
> > >
> > > .
> >
> > It's probabley locked down for security so you will need an admin to
> > help with configuration
> >
> > -- 
> > Steve Parry BA (Hons) MCP MVP
> >
> > http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> > http://www.gwynfryn.co.uk
> >
> >
> >
>
>