[RESOLVED] [semi-serious: need help]No more Wireless Network

[BillGeek]

Alright... this is semi-serious, though feel free to point and laugh at me and mock me for my stupidity.

I baught a new ATX case for my PC this weekend. I removed each component and placed it on a polystyrene sheet and reinstalled them into the new case.

After I was done, I switched on the PC and everything worked... except my Wireless Network card. I checked the router and/or connection with the Laptop (built-in wireless) and the connection appeared perfect. After connecting, I could ping 10.0.0.2 and get a response.

When I switch on my PC, Windows notifies me of a "Wireless Network Detected". Indeed, it is the network that I want to connect to. As soon as I click on "connect" and enter the PSK, it says connected, though if I ping 10.0.0.2, it times out. I can't browse the network, internet or even ping anything.

Does ANYONE have a clue of what is wrong here??? I've tried the following, all of which failed:

• Inserting the Wireless card into another PCI slot
• Reinstalling drivers
• Setting a static IP
• Setting a dynamic IP (DHCP)
• Reformatting and reinstalling Windows (d'oh)
• Disabling the LAN adapter
• Uninstalling the LAN adapter
• Checked the Firewall settings on my PC (though I'm not sure how to add a new network zone in COMODO)
• Disabling the Windows Firewall, as well as COMODO firewall

I hope that the wireless card isn't damaged, though it wouldn't make much sense as I can still search and find the network. If I set up a wireless network on my laptop, I find it with the PC, though the same problem: It connects, but I can't do anything. I can't ping it, I can't see any shares, and the laptop can't find the PC on the network.

[wossname]

Is the network MAC filtered? If it is then you'll need to add the WIFI card's MAC address to the MAC filter list on the network.

[BillGeek]

Nope, no MAC filtering, but I will check to be perfectly sure. Does the MAC address change if you re-install drivers, or move the card to a different PCI slot by any chance? (Just to make 100% sure...) Perhaps MAC filtering was enabled and I never really checked it...

Is there any way to test whether the WiFi card is actually damaged? Basically... If it detects the wireless network it works, right?

[wossname]

A MAC address is hard-wired into the adaptor itself.

You could always try it in another PC that already has a wifi card.

[mendhak]

Sorry, I know you said semi serious, but this thread has suddenly become far too serious to remain here, due to the lack of mocking taking place. I'm going to have to evict it.

[BillGeek]

Here follows the events that occured when I got home today:
1. I check the router using a wired connection and don't find any MAC filtering.
2. Buy a new network card.
3. Get home, install WNIC and guess what? It's still not working.

Just then it hit me... PSK. (Pre Shared Key) I got the piece of paper where I printed the PSK, and yet it still didn't work. Turns out, and I know this sounds crazy, that the PSK is CASE SENSITIVE! After I enabled caps-lock and entered the code again, it worked!

Thanks for your help though, wossy. At least you taught me something new: MAC filtering.

[Arrow_Raider]

Well, I guess you now have a spare wireless network card.

[BillGeek]

At least the new wireless card seems to have either a better reception or a better antenna. Either which way, I could actually use the thing now.