Another BT home hub problem

[sidewinder]

Bit more complicated than the last one though.

 

Was virtually forced into going and helping a family friend over the holidays, just what I wanted to do with my time

 

Hes recently been upgraded to the Home Hub version 2, and now one of his computers will not connect.

They are all using BT Voyager 1055 USB wireless adapters.

One computer is running Vista (works fine), one is running XP SP3 (works fine), and the other one is running XP MCE SP2 (doesnt work)

 

First thing I did was notice that the problem machine was only running SP2, and as the encryption being used was WPA2, I knew there were issues before and that putting SP3 on there would solve it.

 

It didnt.

 

What happens is that it starts to connect, looks like it gains access but then fails to get an IP address. But I still think its a problem with WPA2.

 

Ive tried with the crappy BT utility for the wireless (which is what the other computers use) and also using XP's WZC and no joy with either.

 

As everything is set up the same, Im not sure what the problem can be. The USB adapter must support WPA2 or it wouldnt work in the other machines. XP SP3 must support is as another computer is running it (though the problem one is XP MCE rather than just XP) so I'm a bit stumped.

 

Any ideas?

 

When I go back Im going to take another USB adapter if I can borrow one or maybe even take a wireless PCI card I have spare, and possibly even an access point I can set up with WPA2 so I can see whether it connects to that.

 

Worth downgrading the wireless security to just WPA? Currently, according to the router admin page, its set to WPA AND WPA2, but XP just sees the network as WPA2

[antoeknee]

When I've seen these type of issues in the past I found its always best to start with all the security removed and then you'll be able to establish if the device will connect at all.

 

If this doesn't work then its obviously a hardware issue. Assuming it connects OK its then a matter of working up security levels and see if all is still OK.

 

Strangely I've had laptops that wouldn't connect with security enabled. But after connecting without will connect when security is re-enabled.

[RabbieBurns]

also try setting ip address manually. It might be that its just dhcp timing out?

 

How far away are the 3 machines from the homehub. Is the MCE any further than the others?

[ZeroHour]

I have had a similar issue with wireless. Basically my Linksys router would bork its dhcp if something went wrong when a client was initiating a connection/dhcp refresh then they would permanently not gain access to the internet/anything. Rebooting the PC made no difference either, nor did static ip'ing it. When I disabled DHCP on the router, restarted the router and then turned it back on then connections would be fine until it happened randomly again. Its a slim chance its the same thing but you never know.

[sidewinder]

cheers for the suggestions guys

 

I did try static IP which initially looked like it worked - connection made..but then all of a sudden disconnected

 

I will try with no security next time, unfortuantely last time they had one of their laptops on waiting for an MSN message from their daughter in Aus, so I couldnt really make any wireless security changes.

 

The MCE machine is a bit further away, but I've had the XP SP3 laptop up there next to it and that connects fine (albeit the signal is quite low)

Might take a few USB extension cables and have the dongle down the bottom of the stairs...lol

 

There is the option of moving the hub upstairs since theres a phone line there and it then wouldnt be a problem because it could be wired...but theres all the on demand TV stuff they want to use so it wouldnt be a permanent solution...bloody BT