Vista not connecting to Wireless using WPA

[fray_bentos]

I've got a wireless network set-up using WPA TKIP, non-broadcasting SSID and MAC address filtering. Two computers connected using XP home and Pro all 3Com hardware.

Now a housemate has got a new Vista PC with Belkin adaptor but even with SSID broadcasting and MAC filtering off she still can't connect to the network. Its a long key so i've copied and pasted into the relevant box on the Vista pc when its detected the network but it refused to work telling me the key is wrong. I have tried changing the key to a very simple one (that i know was typed in correctly) but no joy.

My next option would be to disable all security, check she can connect and work up from there with more security at each stage. Has anyone got any better ideas? Thanks.

[rob4001]

my flat mate had a similar problem we sorted it by finding out that mcafee anti virus messes up vista wireless. So If you have mcafee unistall, if not I don't know

[fray_bentos]

hmm, i do think she got mcafee with the pc so i'd better check if she has installed it yet.

Something is annoyingly wrong though as now my desktop has stopped connecting properly. It connects, then whenever i request anything it drops the connection.

Because the usb wireless adaptor has been connected and disconnected a few times trying to fix this it's now calling itself wireless connection #7. the previous connections must be hidden somewhere as when i try to set an ip (instead of dhcp) it warns me that it conflicts with connection #4.

Is it possible to delete wireless connections that aren't in the computer?

[Dreaming]

Hey, I've had a similar problem, in fact most people with an asus p5w dh have according to their forums. They blame it on the latest drivers, but I think it's because of something called wpa2 vs wpa. Vista was trying to connect with wpa2, go to network and sharing centre, wireless network connection, view status, wireless properties, security, and change it in there. Mine was also TKIP, whatever that means, I just know it was from the router

[fray_bentos]

well in the end i've had to go with boradcasting the SSID and using WEP and mac filtering. It'll be good enough i think, all the computers connect again so that's a step forward.

I might try stopping the SSID broadcast but the signal strength is so low anyway i'd be surprised if anyone else could get close enough for it to work!

[Dreaming]

Have you tried switching from wpa2 to just wpa?

Go to your network and sharing centre, then go to view status



then go to wireless properties



then change from wpa2 to wpa.



It worked for me anyway, I don't think my router supports wpa2, but Vista defaults to it (I think) if the wireless card on the machine supports it.

Sorry if there's too much embellishment in this post, I have too much time on my hands but if you've tried that and it doesn't work, let me know, because I thought it was a confirmed fix

[fray_bentos]

hmm, my router doesnt support wpa2 either but i thought i selected wpa when setting up the connection. I think i am just jinxed, now my laptop keeps dropping the connection, and thats in the same room as the router. If i can persuade her to stop using msn and itunes for a bit i might try and get wpa working.

Cheers for the descriptive post though dreaming, might help someone else sometime, so not wasted time

[adam1701]

I cant even get internet working on my vista.... wireless or wired.

but skype works.. ????

[slugs]

check you dns setttings, skype may connect just by ip address.

from a cmd prompt type nslookup and see if it connects to the dns server

you can type server and an ip address to check different dns servers

normally it would pointed at your routers ip address in the first instance. and that would get its settings via dhcp

[Blitzen]

Its the Vista driver thing again.
Unsigned drivers block the port.

Look in the ABIT Wifi thread and see what i did to correct it.

I ended having to tell my mobo manufacturer how to get THEIR product working.

[Dreaming]

Its the Vista driver thing again.
Unsigned drivers block the port.

Look in the ABIT Wifi thread and see what i did to correct it.

I ended having to tell my mobo manufacturer how to get THEIR product working.

Do you mean the airpace pci-e wireless card? If so, I just downloaded the latest drivers on another machine, and it worked. Although I had to be quite careful as the chipset drivers I used were wrong and broke it .

Format
set bios up
install windows
install chipset drivers
install airpace wireless drivers
install rest of drivers

with restarts inbetween and it worked perfectly. Only weird thing was neighbours networks were picked up, then they disappeared an hour later, and back on an hour later. But maybe the neighbours are just being weird, home network works lovely. In fact have to say the abit nf-m2 (i think thats the board anyway), is one of those things that just 'works' with vista (when the right drivers are used).

[Blitzen]

I couldnt be bothered to re-install an entire system just for the Wifi tbh.

Hopefully (and i wont hold my breath on this) Sean says he will have this solved by end of week.

[adam1701]

Its the Vista driver thing again.
Unsigned drivers block the port.

Look in the ABIT Wifi thread and see what i did to correct it.

I ended having to tell my mobo manufacturer how to get THEIR product working.

I have a dell dimension 9200 though

dual booted with windows MCE