Help Me Connect..PLEASE (Win XP)

Im not the tops in setting up computers, etc. Heres my story. I have a older Gateway Solo 5100. It has Windows XP SP2 installed. I bought a 802.11g wireless PC Card and it appears to be installed correctly. I made sure that the WirelessZeroConfiguration was "started" in Administrative Services and the start up type set to Automatic. I set up a Network Connection using the wireless setup wizard. I go to Network Connections and under the LAN or High-Speed Internet, I see my connection icon, Wireless Network Connection. I double click and it gives me the message "No Wireless networks were found in range. Make sure the wireless switch on your computer is on. To see an updated list, click "Refresh network list."
So, I refresh the list on the left, pause for a minute and the same message appears.
I have looked for a switch to cut on for wireless but there is none. I did a google search and can not find where there is a switch or if this model has to be enabled to use this wireless card.
I called gateway who gave me the support site to chat with a tech. who said that my model did not support wireless.
My question is, Does it?? I ordered the PC Wireless Card specific for this notebook so I figured it could be used. Can someone help me answer this question who is more computer literate than myself? Thanks
I want to be able to talk / connect with a Belkin Router G+ MIMO Wireless Router.
My daughter is able to connect with no problem or issues with her more up to date IPOD. It has some kind of internal connection that configured itself.
I am at wits end after working several days and into the night trying to configure and set up this thing. I am wondering if all is at lost if the notebook is too old to use wirelessly. Hope to hear from you guys and Many thanks in advance. Ron

 

What wireless card did you install, Is it an internal one or an external one.

If its internal are you sure you dont have antenna swapped around?

Also have you install the correct XP drivers for your card?

 

Thanks for replying Kamin. The wireless card is an external one that is pushed into the slot on the left side of the notebook. There are 2 slots. I used the upper one. I have a CD that came with the wireless card. I did install the Driver that had XP at the end of it. It read ( Gateway Wireless 802.11g PC Card..Version 3.10.53.5 d:\driver\winxp\netga.inf ) I can go to Hardware under System Properties, click on Device Manager and the card is listed under Network adapters. Does this help you any? Thanks Again.

 

in your Internet settings do you have it set where Windows automatically configures it for you?

Also do you have it enabled in your connection settings?

Sorry i havent really used XP in so long i'm afraid i'm no longer able to trouble shoot it very well

I retitled your thread a little, so hopefully someone still familiar with XP can help you out more

 

Hi Ron, I read your post twice and I can tell you, I feel your pain.

Not all Gateway laptop have a ON/OFF switch by itself. Some of the laptops have both a switch and an F key, my P7805-FX has a separate switch and a F2 key to turn the WIFI on and off.

That being said, you added a WIFI card to your laptop so the switch probably would not work anyway. You mentioned a 802.11g wireless PC Card, I gather it's a Netgear.

Again most gateway laptop only have 1 PC card slot, not 2. Be certain to check the slot and the card. It seems that they do NOT make contact. Be sure that they do.

Reboot your laptop. Try the F2 key to turn it on and off. Look in your manual if your laptop use F2 key or something else.

If your card was inserted properly, WinXP will detect the hardware change and install the driver for it. If WinXP does not detect your card then your card did not make contact with the circuit in the chipset. If your card fails to make contact after several attempts then it is safe to say that your card slot is defective, i.e. not functional. The solution is to buy another wireless card, USB type or internal mini PCI if your laptop has a mini PCI slot for it (look in your manual).

I have installed many usb, miniPCI and PC card wifi in several laptops which do not have builtin wifi card, so your laptop will work if properly installed.

If WinXP detects your card and install the driver (it could ask for the CD) then go to control Panel, Network and look for local wireless connection, right click on it and click on Properties. It will show you the status of your connections.

Needless to say, you need to use the same security protocol and PW as your belkin to log on.

Let me know how you make out. Good luck,

 

Make sure the Wireless Device is enabled and set to Wireless ON in Device Manager.

Right-click My Computer and go to Properties. Click the Hardware Tab and Click on Device Manager. Click the + by Network Adapters, right-click on the WIFI card you installed and go to Properties. Then there should be an advanced tab with the settings for the device. This is yet ANOTHER place where the wifi can be turned on and off, so be sure to check there as well. If the WIFI card you installed has a Red X in front of it's name it is disabled, if it has a yellow circle with a black exclamation mark in it, there is a problem with the device (Usually drivers).

As long as you are going to Control Panel > Network Connections > Wireless Network Connection to bring up the network list, it will be for the latest wifi device you have installed. However if you have made a shortcut from this, and then you reinstalled drivers or the device after, the shortcut will be going to an OLDER wifi network list, and will not display any networks. You can see this if your Wireless Network Connection lists as Wireless Network Connection 2, Wireless Network Connection 3, etc., which means you have reinstalled the wifi. All you have to do in this case if you want a shortcut, is create a NEW shortcut from the control panel once everything is working, and then you can use that shortcut to get to the main network list. You may not run into this problem, but this is something that I found while playing with the wifi drivers on my P7801 that has XP installed, since I prefer custom shortcuts.

 

Thank You...I have tried your suggestions and again...No Luck..What an aggravation and Pain!
Kamin. Yes, in WindowsXP SP2, there is a wireless connection wizard that I ran with no problems and it seemed to set it up..Go to Connections and nothing listed in the wireless network.
The connection (Wireless Network Connection) under Network Connections is enabled. I disabled it and then again enabled it to make sure that was working. I also made sure the wireless zero configuration in administration services was started. It will say searching for networks in range but never connects and shows any in the list. The box says to make sure the wireless switch on the computer is on. There is no switch that I see and nothing in my manual that says to use the function keys to turn it on..Thanks for the re-title..I do need all the help I can get.

Husky..Thanks for the concern..and let me address your comments. The wireless card is a external card you just plug into the side. It is not Netgear. It says Gateway on the outside of the card. Gateway WGC-220 Wireless PC Card Adapter. The card was installed correctly by the CD I got with it and when I go to look at it , it says everything is working properly. The status shows the connection "enabled". It should work but again there is no network listed in the network list. That tells me that the notebook is not detecting the router(Belkin) that is setting right beside it. It could be true that my configurations may not be in sync but I set up the network to use the SSID that is on the Belkin router. I sure am missing something. Any other suggestions, please help. thanks.
Global...Thanks for your help. I went to Device Manager. In the list should there be an item called "Wireless Device" or are you talking about my wireless card listed under Network Adapters? I do not see where to set Wireless ON. I wish I was more computer literate. Sorry.
I did right click on my card in Device Manger, went to properties and the advanced tab. There is a list there and I tabbed thru each item to make sure anything was not turned off. I think all is cool there. There is no Red X or anything yellow. All appears to have installed good. I only have the one connection since I have not reinstalled anything. I thought about deleting the connection and anything to do with the Wireless Card and re-install but wanted help here first.
Again..thanks and give me any ideas you have..I sure need the help.
Ron

 

Can you connect to the router wirelessly from a different computer?

Have you tried different locations where WIFI is available to see if you can pick up those networks?

 

yes, my daughter can use the router and connect with her IPOD. She is able to get her email and log into facebook, etc.
I have not taken the pc anywhere else since we live out in the country.

 

hmm the only things i can think of at the moment is...
are the settings for the wireless mode on the router set to g speeds? try turning off things like turbo mode and the such.

i had a similar problem and it turned out the security settings on the router itself were too new for the adapter to work with (in my case the adapter did not accept wpa but only wep security) so maybe give that a look over.

if your comp detects the adapter and is configured correctly then maybe the unit itself is damaged. can you try to use it on another computer?

how about using a more up to date driver (of course this is assuming your driver is older then the latest)