how to test hardware?

[Dak]

my housemate has a laptop with, according to the devise manager, an internal wireless internet card.

 

All of the things that mention this 'ieee 802.11b minipci wireless network adapter' (such as device manager, wireless network wizard etc) report that its there, enabled and functioning correctly.

 

however, i can't actually get his laptop to do anything wifi-y, eg detect my wireless router.

 

i dont know that much about wireless networking, but i think iv got the basic potential problems covered -- the router is set to simultaniously transmit 802.11b and g, its not stealthed, it doesnt have encryption yet etc -- so i was wondering if theres any way that i test it to see if its broken?

 

my pc connected to the router fine, so im pretty sure theres no prob with the router.

 

hes running win xp sp2, with above wifi card (apparently), and its a belkin router.

[5614]

err, if you try to setup a network (winXP has a network wizard thingy) you could try and do things through that.

 

Did the laptop/wireless network card come with any software or drivers or anything?

 

[edit] if you go to Help and Support Center and search for "Network Diagnostics" withouth the "" and go to the Fix a Problem thing which comes up as a result and then do the scan thingy then when the scan is done under Modem and Network Adapters there could be some useful info.

 

In fact, if you go to Help and Support Center and then under Pick a Task the bottom option "Use Tools to view your computer information and diagnose problems" is very useful (it's bottom option in winXP SP1, may have changed for SP2).

[ecoli]

make sure wireless networking is enabled on your router setting, and that you have it set to the right channel.

[Dak]

sorry, duplicate post

[Dak]

4nums

 

has a driver, but no other software (utilities etc)

 

net diag gave me this info, which means absolutely nothing to me:

 

------------

 

[00000012] IEEE 802.11b MiniPCI Wireless Network Adapter

 

Caption = [00000012] IEEE 802.11b MiniPCI Wireless Network Adapter

DatabasePath = %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc

Description = IEEE 802.11b MiniPCI Wireless Network Adapter - Packet Scheduler Miniport

DHCPEnabled = TRUE

DHCPLeaseExpires = 03:14:07 19/01/2038

DHCPLeaseObtained = 09:12:59 04/02/2005

DNSEnabledForWINSResolution = FALSE

DNSHostName = Leigh

DomainDNSRegistrationEnabled = FALSE

FullDNSRegistrationEnabled = TRUE

Index = 12

IPConnectionMetric = 1

IPEnabled = TRUE

IPFilterSecurityEnabled = FALSE

IPSecPermitIPProtocols = 0

IPSecPermitTCPPorts = 0

IPSecPermitUDPPorts = 0

IPXEnabled = FALSE

MACAddress = 00:0E:9B:F3:A8:78

ServiceName = M2400

SettingID = {87C2B03F-1174-4576-B7E5-5400B6906857}

TcpipNetbiosOptions = 0

WINSEnableLMHostsLookup = TRUE

 

---------------

 

as for the other stuff: no useful/new info.

 

E.coli

 

ya, wireless router is working, and my computer will connect to it, just my housemates won't iv tried setting his wifi card to the propper channel etc, but nada. no detecting networks or anything (plus, when i scanned for networks on my pc, i found my neighbours wifi network aswell as mine, neither of which my housemates pc will detect)

 

stoopid networking

 

cheers for helpin', both.

[5614]

err, well at least net diag recognises the network card, spose its something!

 

Try installing software or drivers for the network card.

 

Try running the winXP Network Wizard.

 

Has your mate's laptop ever been connected to any network at all in any form? Was it through the wireless card?

[Dak]

i just tried uninstalling/reinstalling the driver/utilities, and no joy

 

his laptop used to be connected to a network via ethernet, and is now connected to the router via ethernet; its just the wireless card that is problematic.

[5614]

I asked because I've run into a similar problem where the problem was caused by the fact that the laptop was trying to run all network commands through the previously configure network.

 

So for you all attempts you make at connecting will be sent via the ethernet port.

 

Ensuring the computer is trying to connect via wireless and not ethernet may be worth looking into. I say that from personal experience where this was the solution.

[Dak]

yeah, i already looked into that.

 

after uninstalling/reinstalling drivers and utilities, and generally pissing about loads in a variety of different ways, we came to the conclusion that the hardware is shafted.

 

he's bought a usb wireless card for £20, and is all connected now.

 

cheers for all the help.

[5614]

Fair enough... it did seem weird that it wouldn't work.