Reinstalled XP, lost my wireless network :(

My back-up desktop PC talks to the internet via a wireless USB adapter from Belkin. It has always been reliable, though for obvious reasons not the fastest connection ever. (Model F5D8053, v3, if anyone is interested)

I got my grubby little hands on a new hard drive just before the weekend, backed up stuff, disconnected the other two, and then I plugged in my new one all by itself. I went into BIOS and verified it showed up correctly there and then installed XP on the new drive.

I have run into two immediate problems: The first is that my XP disk is so old it doesn't have any service packs on it :banghead I am hopeful that this will be resolved once I can solve my second and much bigger problem. I can't connect to my home network!

I went to the other PC and logged in to the router admin panel to check that I had all my settings and pass phrases right, but I still can't connect to the network I can connect to just fine if I plug my old hard drive back in. In addition to that I have uninstalled and reinstalled pretty much everything except the OS itself. It doesn't help that I can connect to all four unsecured networks in the neighborhood, for a whopping 8MB/second... rolleyes

I'm out of ideas over here. Suggestions?

 

Hi Mimsy,

On the other PC or old hard drive download this http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en and burn it to disk or copy to a mem stick.

install SP3 on the new drive.

Techsent

 

Hi.

Try updating the router to the latest service pack. Also, see if a hardwired connection works.

Zack

 

Thanks guys!

I plugged in my old HDD so I can get the system up and running and on the internet again. Hardwired is sadly not an option unless I can find myself a 100ft ethernet cable... I tried moving the system to where the router is and plug it in, but was stopped by The Guy. He thinks doing things that bring in his paycheck take precedence over me doing things for fun. I am forced to agree... after all, we do have a mortgage to pay.

But putting Service Packs on a CD/DVD sounds doable, especially now that I am online from my old hard drives. i will download and try that.

Question: Don't I need to install SP2 before I do SP3? :confused I am so lost on the inner workings of XP it's not even funny.

 

I have a very steady and constant, albeit slooow connection. On my neighbor's network! :banghead

1. I am not enough of an *** to leech someone else's bandwidth.
2. Even if I was, the connection is too slow for a working update anyway.

Oh yes. Correctly labeled, latest driver and everything.

I do have the disc, but it wouldn't install, so I went and got the driver from Belkin's support website via the other PC.

I know. That's why I'm frustrated! :banghead

 

Hi Mimsy,

Welcome

The SP3 download includes all previous service packs.

Techsent

 

Question:

On the 'view wireless networks list' can you see your own network as well as your neighbour's?

 

Well, I can see my own network in the list of available networks. Since I can connect to my neighbor's network (very annoying that it does that automatically, by the way), I'm assuming all hardware and drivers are fine.

I enter all my connection settings, and then watch it try to connect, only to fail and then tell me that the security settings are wrong. The only thing I can think of is that I am entering my security settings wrong, and not noticing it, several times in a row. In a way, that would be impressive.

I'll plug the new drive in tonight and test things out some more.

 

You should slipstream.

 

If I remember correctly, SP2 had a lot of changes in wireless settings and SP3 had some network changes also but not as wholesale as SP2. Check Windows firewall settings as you progress with the updates as they get reset. I would concentrate on updating first but you can also try Safe Mode with Networking, F8 at boot, to see if possible software from the dongle has created conflicts with the Windows Wireless Service (WZC).
You are using only 1 connection app to control the wireless connection correct?
Having 2 resident can cause conflicts.
Also there are a couple of different places that accept the security settings (password), depending on which app you use to connect with, that may be in conflict as you progress with the updates.

 

Are you sure you are entering the settings correctly?

Assuming you can get to wireless network connections page

Select your network and Click add
in the properties box that opens

On the Association tab
Enter the SSID into the name box
Enter 'Shared' into the network authentication box (or open if no security)
Choose WEP/WPA etc as appropriate
Uncheck key is provided automatically
enter key (twice)
leave key index at 1
tick ad hoc network box
click OK

 

Back with more updates:

I am trying to use the Windows XP networking utility to connect, however the "driver" (and I use the word loosely and with great bitterness) is a exe file that will not install unless it is also allowed to install its own network manager software. Which of course sucks. It also refuses to let me turn it off. XP without service packs is missing all sorts of very basic functions.

Royally fed up with this aggravation I sliced off half the new hard drive to a new partition and install Mint Helena on it. It saw my Belkin adapter right away, and it lists a bunch of networks, but still refuses to connect.

I'm starting to think I should blame the router. I was going to power cycle it, since that would at least create an illusion of doing something, but realized that shutting down the Xbox Live connection that is required for The Guy to be able to play his new game is valid grounds for divorce, so that will have to wait. Instead I am grumbling, reading my new book, and working on slipstreaming an XP disk for a second attempt at a clean install, this time with Service Packs. (Thanks zDawg!)

 

For whatever reason, power-cycling the whole network - modem, router and comps - can cure a host of ills. Also, rebooting the comp multiple times and re-entering the security settings on the comp each time is necessary sometimes.
Had a blow up on my comp with a VM wireless adapter and just about had the 64 character key memorized before it finally took.:banghead

 

I hope you don't mean the network setup wizard?

 

If you called me in, this is what I would have done.

1) Found a *.inf driver for your wireless card.
2) Powercycled the Modem and Router
3) Updated the router firmware
4) Install the slipstreamed disc
5) And yeah... lol

Also, check if your router somehow blacklisted your mac address.

 

I know what you mean. I can recite my security key in my sleep by now... LOL

I'm trying to avoid that... primarily since I have three other PCs and four gaming consoles connecting through this router, and the thought of something going wrong so I have to redo this on those devices as well is a thoroughly unpleasant one.

Saving that idea as a last resort.

I just don't want you to get bored helping people with simple and straight-forward problems every day... I'm doing my best to keep things interesting! :innocent

Nope, the Zero Config.

No blacklisting. I'm typing from that PC right now, with the old HDD installed. I plugged it back in to make sure the wifi hardware is okay, and it connects here.

I found out that the reason it refuses to connect in Mint is because it's not supported, I need to put the driver .inf file in ndiswrapper and go from there. A large part of my problem has been that I don't have that file. I only have the .exe from Belkin's website, and it has no options but to install everything, including the software bloat.

After spending all night last night searching, I finally found my Belkin CD! :celebrate I now have access to the inf file and will try that next. After dinner... :yum

 

Just a thought from a lurker. Have you checked the router to see if it is set to a max number of connections, and the old PC has not relinquished its spot on the list,

or

that the pCs and games MAC addresses are not hard coded on the router?

Just curious. I recently had a problem with my router grabbing my laptops broken connection and not relinquishing it. Mucho headache.

-nobon Nick

 

Glad I could help mims ^^

 

True geeks, tinker, learn, and play. We do not break things "for fun". *indignant huff*

The Guy works from home, so he has to have an internet connetion to be able to earn his paycheck. Breaking that connection would mean nullifying at least four months of hard work towards earning the promotion he just went after. Um, no. Not willnig to do that to him.

And you did! I am now posting from my new install, with a working connection, thanks to an SP3 slip-streamed installation disk.

Everyone, the hero of this thread is the one and only zDawg! :celebrate

That's not to say the rest of you didn't help; you did! I learned a lot from the suggstions you made. Primarily though, I am very happy to be up and running with an internet connection again. Now downloading and installing AV and firewall.

 

XD Thanks!
I am SOOO ready for the Cisco Networking Academy!:celebrate

 

It's more a matter of convenience. The Guy works from home, so if I break the internet connection and the learning process takes longer than expected, he won't be able to work to bring in his part of the mortgage payments.

That's why I have my own computer over here, so I can break things on it and see what happens.

Linux Mint still can't get online.

 

I am happily up and running with the new hard drive, and though Mint is not able to go online, XP surfs just fine.

I have an unexpected problem though, that I believe is a side-effect of slipstreaming, but has nothing to do with networking. should I start a new thread elsewhere, or just keep this one going?