Personal computing discussed

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Disco
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Joined: Mon May 27, 2002 3:50 pm
Location: Kamloops, BC

wireless - only local access!?

Mon Jan 17, 2011 9:27 pm

Hey Experts,

I feel like a dummy asking this, but I can't find the setting that fixes my problem. I have a Vista PC, which has always been hardwired into the network with no problems. I recently upgraded to a new Win7 PC, and had the 'old' vista machine sitting nearby. When I needed files from it, I just plugged it back into the router.

I have now just moved this machine into another room for the kids to use. It has a built-in wireless g with an external (small) antenna. So, I've attached the antenna and am able to detect the network from the Vista machine and connect to it, but for some reason it is not allowing access to the internet. It's logging into the network correctly with a very long pre-shared key, but it only has access type as 'local' when I view network properties. I can't find any way to switch this to 'internet' as it is stated on my other hardlined PCs. I have two other notebooks which have no issues like this over the wireless, so I'm a bit stumped.

Any easy solutions or properties to check to enable full internet access (I will install Open DNS before the kids go crazy)? I just don't understand why it would work fine when plugged in to the same network. And I'd rather not buy a separate wireless card (although N would be a much better connection).

thanks for any advice.

dave
 
mikeymike
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Re: wireless - only local access!?

Tue Jan 18, 2011 4:24 am

Does it have a correct IP address for your network?
 
notfred
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Re: wireless - only local access!?

Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:07 am

Check "ipconfig /all" and "route print" and see if the default gateway is getting configured correctly.
 
Disco
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Posts: 223
Joined: Mon May 27, 2002 3:50 pm
Location: Kamloops, BC

Re: wireless - only local access!?

Tue Jan 18, 2011 3:51 pm

thanks guys. I checked the IP addresses and for some reason they were static and in conflict with the other desktop. I clicked on the option to allow automatic assigning of IP/DNS addresses and now everything works fine. Is there any reason why it would be preferable to have a specific, non-dynamic IP address in my situation of two PC on a small home network behind a router?
 
notfred
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Location: Ottawa, Canada

Re: wireless - only local access!?

Tue Jan 18, 2011 3:56 pm

I DHCP but for the stuff I have on my network I have them on fixed IPs with a hosts file configured on each. Makes logging in to them easier and trouble shooting easier. If you are going to be all Windows then the naming service will deal with mapping stuff fine, but if you start getting more non-Windows boxes in then it can be nicer to DHCP but to fixed IPs.

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