Wireless network not connecting

I bought a brand new Toshiba Satellite A135-s2276 with Atheros AR5006x
wireless network adapter. The system only connects to about 50% of the
wireless networks that I attmept to connect to. For example, Hampton Inn
wireles works great, next door at a Sleep inn, it does not work. Starbuck
works, others dont'. I have spent hours on the phone with Choice Hotels
(sleep in parent company) and Toshiba. After trying many things, they both
say that they have been having problems with windows vista computers
connecting to networks. I have home basic edition. Wife's computer with XP
connects fine.

Assume that I am computer illiterate and you will be correct.

Any experience with connectivity issues with Vista?

bill-hokie wrote:
> I bought a brand new Toshiba Satellite A135-s2276 with Atheros AR5006x
> wireless network adapter. The system only connects to about 50% of the
> wireless networks that I attmept to connect to. For example, Hampton Inn
> wireles works great, next door at a Sleep inn, it does not work. Starbuck
> works, others dont'. I have spent hours on the phone with Choice Hotels
> (sleep in parent company) and Toshiba. After trying many things, they both
> say that they have been having problems with windows vista computers
> connecting to networks. I have home basic edition. Wife's computer with XP
> connects fine.
>
> Assume that I am computer illiterate and you will be correct.
>
> Any experience with connectivity issues with Vista?

The issues probably occur because the different hotels have different
wireless routers. Some wireless routers work well with Vista and others
don't. Unfortunately, you don't have any control over the equipment at a
hotel.

See if this information by Steve Riley helps:

http://blogs.technet.com/steriley/ar...vs-hotels.aspx


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

How do I change the "RTM build" in the Riley link?

Thanks for your response

Bill

"Malke" wrote:

> bill-hokie wrote:
> > I bought a brand new Toshiba Satellite A135-s2276 with Atheros AR5006x
> > wireless network adapter. The system only connects to about 50% of the
> > wireless networks that I attmept to connect to. For example, Hampton Inn
> > wireles works great, next door at a Sleep inn, it does not work. Starbuck
> > works, others dont'. I have spent hours on the phone with Choice Hotels
> > (sleep in parent company) and Toshiba. After trying many things, they both
> > say that they have been having problems with windows vista computers
> > connecting to networks. I have home basic edition. Wife's computer with XP
> > connects fine.
> >
> > Assume that I am computer illiterate and you will be correct.
> >
> > Any experience with connectivity issues with Vista?
>
> The issues probably occur because the different hotels have different
> wireless routers. Some wireless routers work well with Vista and others
> don't. Unfortunately, you don't have any control over the equipment at a
> hotel.
>
> See if this information by Steve Riley helps:
>
> http://blogs.technet.com/steriley/ar...vs-hotels.aspx
>
>
> Malke
> --
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic!"
> MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
>

bill-hokie wrote:
> How do I change the "RTM build" in the Riley link?
>
> Thanks for your response

That question doesn't make any sense. "RTM" means "Release to
Manufacturing". If you'll notice the date on his post, he wrote this in
November of 2006. He states that he experienced the difficulties with an
earlier build of the operating system and hopes that most people won't
have the same problem after the final version of Vista is released
(RTM). So unless you are working with an older beta version of Vista
(which is due to expire shortly), you have the RTM version. The point of
my giving you the Riley link was to show the details about why you are
having the problem with some routers.

The bottom line is that not all routers works with Vista. Since you
don't have access to the hotels' routers, there really isn't anything
you can do about this except to complain to the hotels and suggest they
update their hardware.


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

can we expect MS to fix this issue?

Thanks for the response. I appreciate your thoughts.

I have the Home basic version. What I don't understand is that NT, and all
other versions of windows can connect, but Vista can not. To ask all
networks in the US to upgrade because Microsoft makes a product that won't
communicate is just plain ridiculous. I wish that I had never bought this
operating system. What a joke and arrogance on the part of microsoft.
perhaps MS people can answer this question.

"Malke" wrote:

> bill-hokie wrote:
> > How do I change the "RTM build" in the Riley link?
> >
> > Thanks for your response
>
> That question doesn't make any sense. "RTM" means "Release to
> Manufacturing". If you'll notice the date on his post, he wrote this in
> November of 2006. He states that he experienced the difficulties with an
> earlier build of the operating system and hopes that most people won't
> have the same problem after the final version of Vista is released
> (RTM). So unless you are working with an older beta version of Vista
> (which is due to expire shortly), you have the RTM version. The point of
> my giving you the Riley link was to show the details about why you are
> having the problem with some routers.
>
> The bottom line is that not all routers works with Vista. Since you
> don't have access to the hotels' routers, there really isn't anything
> you can do about this except to complain to the hotels and suggest they
> update their hardware.
>
>
> Malke
> --
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic!"
> MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
>

bill - this probably won't help you, but last month I bought a Dell XPS
laptop with Vista, and went through a very frustrating period trying to use
different public hotspots. I was able to use my new laptop wirelessly with my
home router immediately. I then tried to use it at a couple of different
T-Mobile HotSpots and two different Panera Bread locations. I couldn't get on
the internet at any of those locations. I then went back to all those
locations with both my new laptop and my old xp laptop. XP worked fine; Vista
wouldn't connect. After many frustrating hours with Dell Support telling me
that Starbuck's needs to upgrade their routers, I read some user thread that
suggested starting up in Safe Mode. (I can't remember exactly how to do
this...hit f8 or something when booting up...you should be able to search for
how to enter "safe mode" on your pc manufacturer site.) One of the options
that appears is "startup in safe mode and enable network connection". I tried
this and was immediately able to connect to Panera's router. I then contacted
Dell Support, who walked me through disabling some of the startup
applications (in the msconfig file). This worked and I can connect at every
wireless hotspot I've tried in Chicago and Miami over the past three weeks.

Don't know if this will work for you, but thought I'd through it out there.
Good luck.

"bill-hokie" wrote:

> Thanks for the response. I appreciate your thoughts.
>
> I have the Home basic version. What I don't understand is that NT, and all
> other versions of windows can connect, but Vista can not. To ask all
> networks in the US to upgrade because Microsoft makes a product that won't
> communicate is just plain ridiculous. I wish that I had never bought this
> operating system. What a joke and arrogance on the part of microsoft.
> perhaps MS people can answer this question.
>
> "Malke" wrote:
>
> > bill-hokie wrote:
> > > How do I change the "RTM build" in the Riley link?
> > >
> > > Thanks for your response
> >
> > That question doesn't make any sense. "RTM" means "Release to
> > Manufacturing". If you'll notice the date on his post, he wrote this in
> > November of 2006. He states that he experienced the difficulties with an
> > earlier build of the operating system and hopes that most people won't
> > have the same problem after the final version of Vista is released
> > (RTM). So unless you are working with an older beta version of Vista
> > (which is due to expire shortly), you have the RTM version. The point of
> > my giving you the Riley link was to show the details about why you are
> > having the problem with some routers.
> >
> > The bottom line is that not all routers works with Vista. Since you
> > don't have access to the hotels' routers, there really isn't anything
> > you can do about this except to complain to the hotels and suggest they
> > update their hardware.
> >
> >
> > Malke
> > --
> > Elephant Boy Computers
> > www.elephantboycomputers.com
> > "Don't Panic!"
> > MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
> >

bill-hokie wrote:
> Thanks for the response. I appreciate your thoughts.
>
> I have the Home basic version. What I don't understand is that NT, and all
> other versions of windows can connect, but Vista can not. To ask all
> networks in the US to upgrade because Microsoft makes a product that won't
> communicate is just plain ridiculous. I wish that I had never bought this
> operating system. What a joke and arrogance on the part of microsoft.
> perhaps MS people can answer this question.

I understand that you are frustrated and I'm sympathetic. I don't work
for Microsoft so I have no way to tell you why they changed things. The
reason NT and other operating systems can connect where Vista can't is
because of the way Vista handles security, as Steve Riley detailed in
that post.

Possibly you can return the computer for one with XP installed or
install XP yourself. Or just wait until things get better with Vista -
and they will, eventually. I'm not trying to talk you into one choice or
another, but you do have choices. Personally, I just switched from Linux
to a Mac. ;-)


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

Does it actually not connect at all or does it connect but you can't get
anywhere?

If the latter then check to see if you are getting a proper IP address.
Vista has an issue with some DHCP servers.

Have a look at this link

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/928233

"Malke" <notreally@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:e0BwsqRkHHA.4188@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> bill-hokie wrote:
>> Thanks for the response. I appreciate your thoughts. I have the Home
>> basic version. What I don't understand is that NT, and all other
>> versions of windows can connect, but Vista can not. To ask all networks
>> in the US to upgrade because Microsoft makes a product that won't
>> communicate is just plain ridiculous. I wish that I had never bought
>> this operating system. What a joke and arrogance on the part of
>> microsoft. perhaps MS people can answer this question.
>
> I understand that you are frustrated and I'm sympathetic. I don't work for
> Microsoft so I have no way to tell you why they changed things. The reason
> NT and other operating systems can connect where Vista can't is because of
> the way Vista handles security, as Steve Riley detailed in that post.
>
> Possibly you can return the computer for one with XP installed or install
> XP yourself. Or just wait until things get better with Vista - and they
> will, eventually. I'm not trying to talk you into one choice or another,
> but you do have choices. Personally, I just switched from Linux to a Mac.
> ;-)
>
>
> Malke
> --
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic!"
> MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User