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    Need help w/wireless connection

    Discussion in 'Networking and Wireless' started by tub, Apr 10, 2007.

  1. tub

    tub Notebook Enthusiast

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    I have a laptop in which I use a wireless card to connect to my school's free internet. I can get good signal from the school, and internet works great.

    However when at home, I can't connect to the school and must connect to other users w/ good signals. I can find good signal at home, but internet does not work though. When I look at the properties, there's lots of packets being detected, but I only receive very little.

    What the fashizy is going on? Does anyone know?
     
    tub, Apr 10, 2007
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  2. WackyT

    WackyT Notebook Deity

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    How far away is your home in relation to your school?
     
    WackyT, Apr 10, 2007
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  3. tub

    tub Notebook Enthusiast

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    about 5 or so blocks away.........
     
    tub, Apr 10, 2007
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  4. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

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    5 blocks is a LONG way as far as wireless networks go. 802.11b doesn't transmit reliably over 300' last that I heard. Get your own internet connection, or go to the school library.
     
    Pitabred, Apr 10, 2007
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  5. tub

    tub Notebook Enthusiast

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    At home, I'm detecting other signals though (not the school's). The detection is great, but for some reason the internet just don't work.

    The good signal that's being detected is even "unsecured," but I still can't seem to access the internet.
     
    tub, Apr 10, 2007
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  6. WackyT

    WackyT Notebook Deity

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    What model laptop did your school give you?
     
    WackyT, Apr 10, 2007
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  7. tub

    tub Notebook Enthusiast

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    Actually, it's my own laptop. It's an IBM T30.
     
    tub, Apr 10, 2007
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  8. WackyT

    WackyT Notebook Deity

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    Does your laptop say it's connecting to the access point near your home?
     
    WackyT, Apr 10, 2007
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  9. tub

    tub Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'm not sure.

    But if a connection is too far, it would definitly show that the signal is too weak, right? And the closer a connection is, the better signal you would get, right?

    The access point must be close b/c I'm getting a very good signal.

    All I know is that I can connect to the signals. When I connect to weak signals, it'll tell me I have low connectivety. And when I connect to good signals, it's very good and displays on the taskbar that I have good connection...... but internet don't work.
     
    tub, Apr 10, 2007
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  10. WackyT

    WackyT Notebook Deity

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    What IP adress is the access point near your home giving your computer?
     
    WackyT, Apr 10, 2007
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  11. tub

    tub Notebook Enthusiast

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    I have it set on automatic.

    In any case, I don't have my laptop with me right now. But I recall the IP to be....... 165.xxx.xxx............ something like that.
     
    tub, Apr 10, 2007
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  12. WackyT

    WackyT Notebook Deity

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    OK. If that's the IP address it's getting, then DHCP is turned off on that access point. You won't be able to get to the internet through it without the proper configuration for it.
     
    WackyT, Apr 10, 2007
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  13. tub

    tub Notebook Enthusiast

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    Yeah. I was thinking that my configuration needed to be changed. But don't know exactly what.

    So then, just enable the DHCP?
     
    tub, Apr 10, 2007
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  14. WackyT

    WackyT Notebook Deity

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    Is DHCP (aquire IP address and DNS addresses automatically) activated for your wireless card? If it is, then you'll have to hunt down the access point near your home and turn it's DHCP on also.
     
    WackyT, Apr 10, 2007
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  15. tub

    tub Notebook Enthusiast

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    ok....

    In any case, my configuration has to be the same right?
     
    tub, Apr 10, 2007
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  16. WackyT

    WackyT Notebook Deity

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    Not exactly. What DHCP does is assigns a network unique IP address to your computer, and tells it the Internet Gateway IP address and DNS server IP addresses.
     
    WackyT, Apr 10, 2007
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  17. tub

    tub Notebook Enthusiast

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    ok....

    I'll turn my DHCP on, and if that don't work.... i'll have to go hunting, or i'm screwed right?
     
    tub, Apr 10, 2007
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  18. WackyT

    WackyT Notebook Deity

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    Yup. Try downloading and running NetStumbler to see if you can find any other open access points.
     
    WackyT, Apr 10, 2007
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