I'm no computer expert, but I'm fairly comfortable with basic networking and have happily set up our home network along with a secure wireless network to which I've connected a Wii, netbook and wireless internet radio so when I was asked to add a laptop wireless to our network at work I though it was going to be easy (especially considering that I'd already added one laptop wirelessly to the network). I was wrong!

When I powered up the laptop with its wireless adapter turned on it connected up straight away to an unprotected network in the area and found the SSID for ours straight away; just a case of typing in the WPA key and that should have been that. Except it just wouldn't connect and spent ages at the 'aquiring network address' stage before giving up without any error, but no connection. Using Windows' repair connection function showed Windows (XP Pro) disabling and re-enabling the network card successfully, then connect to the network (so the WPA key was right) and then failing quickly when trying to renew the IP address. It kind or suggests a DHCP problem with the route except that another laptop connected straight away; if it was a DHCP configuration error on the laptop it shouldn't have connected to the unprotected wireless network it found and just to confuse things further it happily connects to the network via cable.

I've wasted a fair bit of time hunting around on the internet and although wireless connection failures whilst aquiring IP addresses seem fairly common, none of the fixes worked (flushing the DNS cache, checking Windows DNS settings for TCP/IP on the wireless adapter etc.). I'm rather at a loss to know what to do next. I suppose it could be some sort of compatibility problems with the route and laptop's wireless adapter and I may bring the laptop home to see if it connects to our wireless network but I wondered whether anyone had any suggestions?

The only odd configuration setting for the laptop is that Windows Firewall is on but all the Control Panel settings are greyed out, apparently the supplies set up a Windows Policy to do this (I don't know why and I've not been able to undo it using the Policy Editor), I can't see how a Firewall would allow connect to a network but then block IP acquision, so it may have nothing to do with this.

Are your patches up to date?

Does the laptop use a third party wireless client or the microsoft one? is there a third party one installed?

otherwise I'd suggest the trying another wireless network suggestion. not compatability but possibly a driver issue.

Have you tried specifying an IP address instead of using DHCP?

I'd def look into the local security policy more, if DHCP port is blocked then it would be able to find the router but not get an IP. If you have local admin rights on the laptop you should be able to disable any policy they've implemented.

A couple of trivial suggestions if you're desperate, I'm no real expert either:

1. Router security/access control? Could be filtering MAC Addresses for example.

2. The fact that the laptop connected to a different router doesn't necessarily mean that the DHCP client is set up right. The laptop could be requesting a static address, which on the unprotected network is free, but on the router you want to connect to is unavailable.

Good luck!

Had something very similar with a neighbours new laptop a couple of weeks back – the same issues as you describe – With the caveat that the router in question was a domestic Netgear, not a Cisco etc enterprise type thing & also, I didn't have any potential Group Policy issue to contend with. ( although I suspect, it's not a Group policy issue – But, what you could try, is to connect into your LAN using a wired connection just in case there's something burried in a login script).

In the end, the way it fixed itself was a combination of the following:-

1. Re-confirm all the wireless settings in the router & apply
2. For the duration of connecting, I had to ensure the SSID was visible.
3. Rebooted router.

(Not sure at which point in the above list things cleared up).

P.S. It's not something daft like you've run out of DHCP adresses ?

Chris

Thanks for the thoughts, when I say 'at work' it's a small charity with a basic domestic wireless router, so nothing swish. We should be fine for DHCP address as we have 6 desktops and a server wired in along with a photocopier and like I said our other laptop seems to connect without problems. I think we're using Microsoft wireless components but there does seem to be an annoying Toshiba system control type utility sitting on top but shutting this down doesn't help. The laptop does connect quite happily over wire and Windows Firewall is active on the wired adapter too, so it may not be a Firewall/Group policy issue. The SSID is visible.

I'll just have to have another play when I've got time.

There's usually a check-box on the wireless networks tab which says along the lines of "Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings"
Sometimes using this can throw a nag prompt from the third party wireless software, but the nag prompt should't stop the Windows wireless stuff from working.

Chris

XP Pro needs to be running Service Pack 3 in order to properly utilise WPA.

havnt read all the posts but have encountered numerous wpa issues.

some wireless adapters/laptops/dongles just will not work with routers using wpa security. my T41 used to do this and also my old netgear dongle and router. wep worked fine though
its possible its a bug in either the driver or the actual hardware or some compatibility issue between hardware, or just doesnt support the newer wpa2 protocols(check all protocols are supported on all devices)
i'd also recommend not using windows to configure wireless but the latest software for your wireless card