Question on accessing wireless network

[cbrookhart]

There is a public wireless network that I am trying to access. It is an unsecured wireless, but has a username and password in place to be able to browse the internet. I recently setup a home network, so I had to make changes to the network settings on my laptop computer.

Before I had a home network in place, whenever I attempted to connect to the public wireless network, I could connect to the network itself, but there would always be a message stating that there was limited or no connectivity and I would have no Internet access. I am in the same building as where the network equipment is located, so I don't think that distance is a problem. Now that I have setup my home network, when I go to connect to the public wireless network, I no longer get the message about limited or no connectivity, but I still don't have Internet access.

When I run ipconfig, it looks like the IP address assigned is for the router itself (192.168.1.xx). There is nothing else specified in the ipconfig. I am wondering if I need to run an ipconfig /release and then a /renew to get wireless settings that I can work with (and if that will also prevent my settings for my home network from getting erased) or is there something more that I need to do?

[+BudMan MVC]

To be able to get anywhere off the local network there would have to be a gateway (normally the IP the wireless router is the gateway) and DNS again this normally will point to the wireless router.

If your home network is dhcp, you would just get your home network info from your home router.

No you should not have to run ipconfig /renew and or /release and then /renew

It should get an address for the networks dhcp server as soon as it connects to the wireless.

Please post the output of the ipconfig /all

[cbrookhart]

To be able to get anywhere off the local network there would have to be a gateway (normally the IP the wireless router is the gateway) and DNS again this normally will point to the wireless router.

If your home network is dhcp, you would just get your home network info from your home router.

No you should not have to run ipconfig /renew and or /release and then /renew

It should get an address for the networks dhcp server as soon as it connects to the wireless.

Please post the output of the ipconfig /all

These are the settings in effect right now, and this current configuration allows me to access the Internet. This is for my home network. This same setting, will not allow me to access the public WiFi network that I mentioned.

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]

? Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : aiu-v5119us

Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :

Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid

IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-14-A5-7A-58-6A

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.5

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:

Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected

Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek RTL8139 Family PCI Fast Ethernet NIC

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0F-B0-FB-B3-65

[+BudMan MVC]

Well no **** -- your set as static.

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

So unless this wireless network was using the exact same addressing as your network. And there was nothing with a 192.168.1.5 address you would not be able to go anywhere.

Set your interface to be dhcp when connected to this other wireless network. For both your IP and your DNS.

Why are you not running dhcp on your home network? Make it much easier to move your both back and forth that way.

[cbrookhart]

Well no **** -- your set as static.

Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No

So unless this wireless network was using the exact same addressing as your network. And there was nothing with a 192.168.1.5 address you would not be able to go anywhere.

Set your interface to be dhcp when connected to this other wireless network. For both your IP and your DNS.

Why are you not running dhcp on your home network? Make it much easier to move your both back and forth that way.

I was unaware that DHCP was disabled and that was the cause of not being able to get Internet access on any other WiFi connection.

There is no particular reason why it was disabled. I'll have to find the DHCP setting in my router settings and enable it.

[cbrookhart]

I was unaware that DHCP was disabled and that was the cause of not being able to get Internet access on any other WiFi connection.

There is no particular reason why it was disabled. I'll have to find the DHCP setting in my router settings and enable it.

I've looked at the router settings, and the IP address is set to dynamic (get dynamically from ISP) and the DNS setting is on automatic. I have not found any setting for DHCP.

[+BudMan MVC]

Its not on your router -- its on your computer that dhcp is turned off!

Is the dhcp server enabled on your router? Change the settings on your "COMPUTER" to obtain IP and dns auto -- if it does not get an IP from your router.. Then you have the dhcp server on your router turned off.

Someone had to set the STATIC IP on your computer -- was it not you??

[cbrookhart]

Its not on your router -- its on your computer that dhcp is turned off!

Is the dhcp server enabled on your router? Change the settings on your "COMPUTER" to obtain IP and dns auto -- if it does not get an IP from your router.. Then you have the dhcp server on your router turned off.

Someone had to set the STATIC IP on your computer -- was it not you??

Obtain IP address automatically and obtain DNS sever automatically have been selected, however, this did not change anything. I am still unable to connect to any WiFi other than my home network. Additionally, prior to setting up my home network, there was just one WiFi that I couldn't get internet access from (the name of that wireless is Kona).

With the settings on automatic, it takes several minutes for the connection to be established. During this time, the network address is being acquired. In the end, I get connected to the network, but with a message stating limited or no connectivity.

[GreenMartian]

With the settings on automatic, it takes several minutes for the connection to be established. During this time, the network address is being acquired. In the end, I get connected to the network, but with a message stating limited or no connectivity.

Which normally means you're not getting an IP, and windows just assigns a 'random' IP.

Have you tried contacting the open wireless provider and ask them if there are any specific settings you missed?

[+BudMan MVC]

^ exactly -- If windows does not get an IP from a dhcp server, it will in its infinite wisdom :rolleyes: just make one up "APIPA" and the ip will start with 169.254

Take a look using ipconfig /all -- if your IP starts with 169.254 then its a APIPA address, and there will be no gateway or dns -- and therefor NO you would never be able to get anywhere.

If you were able to access other wireless network with those static settings -- then they MUST of been using the exact same network address as your home network.. Ie the router at 192.168.1.1, and there must of not been any other machines on that network with the 192.168.1.5 address.

This is possible, since the 192.168.1.1 is VERY COMMON default address for lots of different wireless routers, and normally the dhcp range starts at like .100 -- so sure its possible that it worked that way. But it not something you should expect to work.

If you having issues getting IP addresses from DHCP -- make sure you don't have some firewall blocking the traffic ---> I have seen this QUITE often to be honest. Or another asinine thing users do is turn off the dhcp service ;) If that is not running - then no your not going to be able to get a dhcp address.

[cbrookhart]

Right now, just by changing to automatic settings, I can now connect to one of the wireless networks and get Internet access. As far as the other one, I guess I am going to have to contact the administrator of it and find out what settings I need to change on my computer. I don't know what has changed about this particular network from the last time that I used it, because the first time I connected to it, all I did was turn on the computer and Windows found this network and then with the username and password, I was able to connec and get internet access.

At least now I have a wireless network availability outside of my home network.

Thanks for your help BudMan and GreenMartian. :)