Broadband from Orange

macman

If you post some info about what you are doing and what error messages you are getting, then someone can help you. The info you have given so far is far too vague for anyone to assist.
Have you enabled the wireless function on the laptop? Can you see the network you are attempting to connect to? Have you set the encryption up on the router?
I did point out that Horange tech support is a waste of time...

Col7777

macman wrote: »

If you post some info about what you are doing and what error messages you are getting, then someone can help you. The info you have given so far is far too vague for anyone to assist.
Have you enabled the wireless function on the laptop? Can you see the network you are attempting to connect to? Have you set the encryption up on the router?
I did point out that Horange tech support is a waste of time...

Hi macman,

I accessed the router, did as instructed by the instructions I downloaded which were exactly the same the help guy.
I did the password then went to.
Start
Connect to
but there was not the normal wireless there only the Local area network that had the wireless symbol next to it and that was enabled.
I double clicked it and got the screen asking to input the key.
I did this and it informed me it needed something like a 8-14 bit or 32 ASKI code or something, and it wouldn't accept the key I put in.
So the help guy took me back to the router and we changed the key to a longer one and still this didn't work.
I changed it 4 times and it failed, it works OK with the Ethernet cable but wireless is a no go at the moment.

I'm wondering if it is the PC and/or the Windows I installed.
I put Windows XP Professional on and I installed the service packs 1 2 & 3.
The laptop is fairly old it is a IBM Thinkpad but it has never been used, it is very slow as well, probably a slow processor and hardly any RAM.

macman

Firstly, are you trying to connect to the correct wireless network from the list of several that probably come up? If so, what encryption did you use on the router, WPA or WEP?
If your laptop/wireless card is old then it probably doesn't support the newer WPA, only WEP.
Go back to the router interface and change it to WEP.
Then try again.
The problem with this is that WEP is relatively insecure-but better than nothing at all.
If this is the problem, then the only solution is to buy a USB dongle that supports WPA. There are several versions of WPA, but all are more secure than WEP

Col7777

Hi macman,

I was using the WPA as instructed plus I was using a dongle as the lappy doesn't have a wireless card, and yes I was trying to connect to the correct network.

macman

As instructed by who? By Horange?
Same question again really-do both the router and the dongle support the version of WPA that you are trying to use?
If so, try another version of WPA.
I suggest you also try (only as a test) to connect with WEP or unencrypted. If one of these works, then you'll know that both the wireless router and dongle are functioning and that it can only be an encryption issue.
Are you entering the code identically in each device (upper case/lower case)?

Col7777

Hi macman,

I should also have said I did try WEP as well, I didn't try to connect without any encryption though, and I did use the identical code upper/lower case.
When I said as instructed I meant both from the instructions I downloaded and from Orange in Calcutta which were both the same.

macman

I'm baffled then. Try it without encryption to rule that out.
Do a factory restore on the router to clear all the settings and start again is all I can suggest.
Ideally you want to borrow another lappy and try to connect with that, if it works it must be the dongle.

mshappy

My orange broadband got activated last week. Ended up having to call them but finally got it connected and a wireless network in place. It worked fine for a day or 2.

However, when i'm not in the same room as the router it is impossible to browse as its sooo slow. The signal strengh is full when in a different room so not sure whats causing it. Its fine when in the same room as the router

middlepuss

mshappy wrote: »

My orange broadband got activated last week. Ended up having to call them but finally got it connected and a wireless network in place. It worked fine for a day or 2.

However, when i'm not in the same room as the router it is impossible to browse as its sooo slow. The signal strengh is full when in a different room so not sure whats causing it. Its fine when in the same room as the router

I have an Orange Livebox and 3 laptops. Two of them give a good signal everywhere in the house, one is a bit flakey. So it could be your laptop.

Also, try moving the wireless router around to see if that improves the signal strength when your laptop is in the other room.