Networking problems new Inspiron 8500 (wireless or wired)

I apologize for duplication --
I posted this earlier today, but it got buried under an old question I was
following up on. (We had an earthquake and I just clicked Send without
noticing where.)

I didn't have a chance to follow up on Rob Kircher's suggestion last week
(see below)-- I had to concentrate on other projects. But I MUST get it
working by next weekend.

When I checked last week, the Inspiron 8500's wireless did say "enabled,"
but
it was grey. In the interim, the 8500 has used the 50 ft cable to the router
to connect to the internet, but that's all.

But last night we needed to print from it. Since I lost the former home
network when I switched to the Belkin Wireless Router, I ran the XPPro
Networking Wizard, with no success.
It said:
*I didn't have admin rights on my Dimension 4500, among other things.
*The Inspiron 8500 showed only the wireless card, "disabled"; it did not
show the ethernet card that it was using to connect to the internet.
*BTW, we were NEVER able to get his Compaq laptop to connect to the home
network or to print all summer, probably not since upgrading it to XP in
Fall 2002.

These 3 computers all run XPPro.
I have two older PII-233's, a laptop and a desktop running Win 98se, that
have always been able to share files with my desktop and print, whenever
they are connected
by the cable.

Is there some setting in XP Pro that needs to be tweeked or enabled?
I think I saw or heard a comment to that effect someplace.
Oops, just felt an earthquake. I'd better post what I've written so far.
Nan

"Robert R Kircher, Jr." wrote in message
...
Whelan wrote:
1.
I recently purchased a Dell 8500 laptop, with the Dell TrueMobile
1300 WLAN mini-PCI card, for my college student son.

When it arrived, I did not intend to keep it, having decided to buy
the 8600 Centrino model instead. It kept seeking a wireless
connection. Since we did not have a wireless router here, I think I
clicked "Disable" someplace so it would stop looking.

The day after Thanksgiving I bought a Belkin Wireless Router - $9.95
after rebate! (I've had 50 ft cables running down the halls from a
Netgear router for years.) The new 8500 did not see or sense the new
Wireless router, probably because of whatever I disabled. But I
didn't worry since I planned to return it.

A few days later I re-evaluated the price I paid for the 8500 vs the
8600's price and decided to keep the 8500. My son will be home in a
few days, ready to move over to the new laptop.

How can I reenable the laptop's wireless, so that it seeks and finds
the new wireless router?

2.
What changes need to be made when you replace a router?
(My primary desktop works fine; I followed Belkin directions.)
But I just connected my 1998 Gateway laptop to the Belkin, by cable,
for the first time. It can use the DSL but it no longer sees the home
network or printers.

Do you run winipcfg or re-run the XP Home Networking Wizard?
(Instructions assume it's your first router, not a replacement.)

I guess this situation would also apply whenever you travel and want
to tap into a network.

I need advice on how to re-enable wireless on the Dell and how to
adapt mobile or secondary computers to a new router.
Thanks.
Nan

1) Right click on My Network Places and then click on Properties. Once
there you'll see the wireless connection grayed out. Right click on it
and
click enable.

2) Set the new router up just as you did with the old one and make sure
you
wired PC is connected and accessing the internet. This way you know you
have that side working before you dive into the wireless side.

Now for the wireless. If left to the default your wireless laptop should
simply connect when it detects the signal from your router. This sounds
great and EASY, however, you have to realize that anyone with a wireless
enabled device can connect just as easily if they are within range of your
router. Once connected the device would have access to your internet
connection AND any other devices connected to your network.

To help avoid unwanted connections you will want to set up two forms of
protection in the wireless configuration of you router. The first is MAC
addresses Filtering . This setting will allow to tell the router to only
allow cetin MAC addresses to connect wirelessly. What is a MAC address?
It
is a unique ID give to all network devices. You can find the mac address
of
the wireless NIC in the lap top by going to a command window (Start/Run,
type cmd, press enter) and typing IPCONFIG /ALL

Once your MAC address has been enabled in the router and you've tested the
connection you want to move onto WEP encryption. WEP is a method by which
the data sent to and from the wireless devices is encrypted. Conceptually
you need the same WEP key to decrypt the data at both ends. To set this
up
you first need to create a WEP key. Most wireless devices have a handy
feature called a Pass Phrase to help in this creation. Look at you
routers
WEP configuration for a Pass Phrase entry. Enter a word (similar to a
password) and the WEP key should be generated automatically. WRITE DOWN
THIS LONG NUMBER you may need it at the laptop. NOTE that there is 64bit
encryption and 128bit encryption. 128 is more secure but could cause some
slowness. (I always use 128 bit encryption)

Now go to the laptop and bring up the properties for the wireless NIC.
Some
place you'll find an entry for a WEP key or a Pass Phrase entry. Enter
the
key or pass phrase click OK and test you connection.

Mind you that locks are for honest people and Wireless locks (WEP and MAC
filtering) can be easily circumvented by someone in the know. However, it
is best to protect yourself the best you can so I'd use both.

HTH

--

Rob