Cute Little Netbook

wolf · 06-25-2009, 08:40 PM

So, I fall for a tasty Today's Special Value and ordered a Dell Inspiron 1011 Netbook.

It's all-fired cute.

It's Purple. The OS is Windows XP.

I have been trying unsuccessfully for two days to get it to connect to the Wireless here at work.

I have the access code that I need. It finds the network. It goes through all the steps where it looks like it's connected.

Then I try to start happily surfing the web.

No joy in Mudville.

The hardware tests all pass. When I run the "Connection Diagnostics" it makes it up to the Gateway IP Ping test which fails.

I have had two very fruitless interactions with Dell Technical Support.

I have reinstalled the drivers.

I have tried connecting with the Microsoft Wireless Connect as well as the Dell WLAN software.

In case the problem was with the work network, which is "unofficial" (one of the ambulance guys brought in a wireless router and hooked it into the system) I tried connecting to an open network at a Panera Bread. Same problem.

I am also fairly sure it isn't the work network causing the problem, because I access the WiFi using my Blackberry.

I can connect to the web using an ethernet cable and my broadband modem.

Any ideas?

Juniper · 06-25-2009, 08:50 PM

I had a similar problem with my Eee PC. Don't know what your problem is, but mine was with the WEP encryption. I had the password, but it didn't want the word, it wanted the actual code that the password represented, and they had to be all caps too. Good luck.

Whoops, I see you couldn't connect at Panera either. Darn. No help at all.

wolf · 06-25-2009, 09:22 PM

The mystery router is made by apple, there are no other stickers or identifiers on the thing other than the one listing the assigned name and key. Nothing at all from the manufacturer.

richlevy · 06-25-2009, 09:31 PM

My son's Apple also wanted the hex representation of my router's WEP key, all 26 hex digits. I got so tired of looking it up I printed it on a label and stuck it to my computer desk.

wolf · 06-25-2009, 09:53 PM

Problem solved. You never know what an ambulance guy does when he's not dealing with gruesome road accidents or picking up nuts. The New Guy has a computer science degree from Drexel.

Took him about ten minutes of futzing around.

Apparently The Little Guy was factory shipped set for "Static IP Address."

Unclick the box and it's now I can post to the Cellar!

wolf · 06-25-2009, 10:08 PM

Oh, and I am totally grooving on the 8-hour battery life.

Undertoad · 06-25-2009, 10:08 PM

Mama has the Acer Aspire One and it is portable awesome.

Juniper · 06-26-2009, 12:22 AM

Oh yeah, that was another problem I had with the EEE once. The static IP thing.

I'm thinking about getting netbooks for the kids next Christmas. They'd prefer a puter with a CD/DVD drive though. OTOH I predict that soon those will be a relic too - we'll all go to flash drives and SD cards.

06-25-2009, 08:40 PM	#1
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Cute Little Netbook So, I fall for a tasty Today's Special Value and ordered a Dell Inspiron 1011 Netbook. It's all-fired cute. It's Purple. The OS is Windows XP. I have been trying unsuccessfully for two days to get it to connect to the Wireless here at work. I have the access code that I need. It finds the network. It goes through all the steps where it looks like it's connected. Then I try to start happily surfing the web. No joy in Mudville. The hardware tests all pass. When I run the "Connection Diagnostics" it makes it up to the Gateway IP Ping test which fails. I have had two very fruitless interactions with Dell Technical Support. I have reinstalled the drivers. I have tried connecting with the Microsoft Wireless Connect as well as the Dell WLAN software. In case the problem was with the work network, which is "unofficial" (one of the ambulance guys brought in a wireless router and hooked it into the system) I tried connecting to an open network at a Panera Bread. Same problem. I am also fairly sure it isn't the work network causing the problem, because I access the WiFi using my Blackberry. I can connect to the web using an ethernet cable and my broadband modem. Any ideas? __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

06-25-2009, 09:22 PM	#3
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	The mystery router is made by apple, there are no other stickers or identifiers on the thing other than the one listing the assigned name and key. Nothing at all from the manufacturer. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

06-25-2009, 09:31 PM	#4
richlevy King Of Wishful Thinking Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Philadelphia Suburbs Posts: 6,669	My son's Apple also wanted the hex representation of my router's WEP key, all 26 hex digits. I got so tired of looking it up I printed it on a label and stuck it to my computer desk. __________________ Exercise your rights and remember your obligations - VOTE! I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting. -- Barack Hussein Obama

06-25-2009, 09:53 PM	#5
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Problem solved. You never know what an ambulance guy does when he's not dealing with gruesome road accidents or picking up nuts. The New Guy has a computer science degree from Drexel. Took him about ten minutes of futzing around. Apparently The Little Guy was factory shipped set for "Static IP Address." Unclick the box and it's now I can post to the Cellar! __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

06-25-2009, 10:08 PM	#6
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Oh, and I am totally grooving on the 8-hour battery life. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

06-25-2009, 08:50 PM	#2
Juniper I know, right? Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,539	I had a similar problem with my Eee PC. Don't know what your problem is, but mine was with the WEP encryption. I had the password, but it didn't want the word, it wanted the actual code that the password represented, and they had to be all caps too. Good luck. Whoops, I see you couldn't connect at Panera either. Darn. No help at all.

06-25-2009, 10:08 PM	#7
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Mama has the Acer Aspire One and it is portable awesome.

06-26-2009, 12:22 AM	#8
Juniper I know, right? Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 1,539	Oh yeah, that was another problem I had with the EEE once. The static IP thing. I'm thinking about getting netbooks for the kids next Christmas. They'd prefer a puter with a CD/DVD drive though. OTOH I predict that soon those will be a relic too - we'll all go to flash drives and SD cards.

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