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connecting new ;laptop to existing wireless home network - help!!!

can anyone help?? I have a new laptop which I'd like to connect to my existing network? can anyone give me an idiot's guide as to what to do?? (I've got my old laptop connected but can't figure out what to do with the new one!)

thanks

Comments

  • tomsolomon
    tomsolomon Posts: 3,613 Forumite
    Switch on your laptop. make sure the wireless is enabled. You should get an icon in the system tray saying Wireless networks in range, click on your gateway (router) click connect, type in your encryption key and click connect.
    To travel at the speed of light, one must first become light.....
  • D3BB13
    D3BB13 Posts: 196 Forumite
    Thanks....have tried this and all new laptop says is 'acquiring network address'. Think I migjht try putting WPA key in again - may have made a mistake.......
  • BillScarab
    BillScarab Posts: 6,027 Forumite
    try turning off the WPA security on the router temporarily while you connect it. If that works you can then sort out the WPA key.
    It's my problem, it's my problem
    If I feel the need to hide
    And it's my problem if I have no friends
    And feel I want to die


  • tomsolomon
    tomsolomon Posts: 3,613 Forumite
    Nine times out of ten these sort of problems (in my experience) are caused by incorrect or mistyped encryption keys.
    To travel at the speed of light, one must first become light.....
  • lexi
    lexi Posts: 267 Forumite
    dunno if this will work. but it happened to me so here goes! u find your network, click on it & hopefully it will say put in your passkey or as in my case WEP kepcode. then before pressing connect, u need to configure your router or again its a livebox in my case. i therefore pressed 1 on my livebox & clicked connect & hey presto i was online. !!! i said i dunno if it will work for you i guess it depends if u r on orange! good luck
  • mdbarber
    mdbarber Posts: 1,116 Forumite
    if encryption was the problem surely you would get rejected for an invalid key.
    The acquiring address message is part of the DHCP system which hands out network addresses to valid clients.
    Try just powering down laptop and router switch on router wait 1 min and then power up laptop
    click here to achieve nothing!
  • tomsolomon
    tomsolomon Posts: 3,613 Forumite
    Funnily enough no. It took me three hours once to figure out I had missed a digit out on my WEP key. (Lots of hair was pulled that day I can tell you.....)
    To travel at the speed of light, one must first become light.....
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