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Originally Posted by I_Died_Once
Yeah!
I may be wrong, but after a bit of reading and tinkering, it seems notebooks running WinXP's WLAN utilities pick up and self configures 802.11 devices to AP's (for the most part); while systems running on Windows 2000 have to manually enter in the channel number, MAC addresses, etc from the 802.11 devices properties menu.
All anyone around here wants to tell you is "check with the manufactorer of your card" and "check with the administrator of the AP you wish to connect to" - The manufactorer of my 802.11 is Broadcom. They offer no help, drivers, or support on their site. All they do is on their site is tell you to check with the supplier (Mine came integrated into my notebook) so you go to hp.com, and they have a driver... thats it. They don't tell you how to manually configure your system to connect to an AP!
And not having an AP of my own (found out I had 802.11g after the fact) I've damn near given up trying to get this all down. But if I am correct, on Windows 2000 systems... you gotta go the properties of your 802.11 device, and throughout all those properties/options/settings (make sure you check all the "advanced" settings as well); you enter verious pieces of info found by NetStumbler.
Being a noob myself and all, I would love to have more to share, but I have yet to achieve a connection to the local HotSpot they run ads for in the paper here. But tomorrow (Monday) is my day off, and if everything goes alright, I should be able to make good use out my card, yo.
I really wish I knew where to find a program, utility perhaps... that auto configures 802.11 devices much the same way WinXP does automatically. That would be sweet.
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WindowsXP includes a feature called Wireless Zero Configuration which allows you to use Windows to automatically connect to the nearest insecure access point - which depending on your point of view is either the greatest thing since sliced bread or unholy and evil - we already know which of these you consider it.
I'm waiting for the day someone gets dragged off by some overzealous cop because the WZC feature that is on by default in his (or her) new Centrino notebook attached to the nearest BestBuy accesspoint without his/her knowledge.
There's a reason why we tell you to check with the manufacturer of your card or ask the administrator of the accesspoint. The manufacturer has a responsibility to assist you - after all you bought his product - and the administrator knows the security settings of the access point. These forums are for assistance with NetStumbler not general wireless and networking issues.
The reason why Broadcom won't/can't help you is that they don't manufacture wireless cards, they manufacture chipsets that go into other people's products. They have a reference design that your laptop manufacturer or the card OEM may or may not have changed - if it's an integrated card, the laptop manufacturer has a responsibility to support it.
With regard the utility - take a look at Cirond Winc - that works with Windows2000 - and BTW - did you really have to enter the channel number and MAC address to set up your wireless client with Windows2000? - I think
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