Strange Network Problem

Hello.

I've got two laptops (ok, one tablet and one laptop). In the place I'm working I can connect each to the network (and internet) using the same cable (at different times, obviously). All good.

However, when I return to the hotel I'm staying at the tablet will connect both wirelessly and wirefully(!) to the hotel network and through that the internet. However, my laptop will connect wirelessly to the network but NOT to the internet, and refuses to acknowledge that the very same cable has been inserted, and will not even connect to the network.

Same ports, cables, etc.

I'm really confused by this. Can anyone suggest anything (excepting suicide, buying a mac, using linux, trying to insert a sausage, casting glamour and stealth level 7, cheese, ..., or praying to a teddy bear - all sensible suggestions but not what I need right now).

The tablet is using Windows XP and the laptop is using Vista home premium.

Thanks,

Jes

Theres this "virus" spreading around the world infecting pcs everywhere called "Windows vista home premium" so that could be your problem.

Seriously though :P

When on the wireless, have you tried a connection "repair" by right clicking on the wifi icon? If that fails, what are you getting from terminal doing an
"ipconfig /all" ?

Are you getting correct gateway & dns addresses on the adapter in question? Also make sure your ip address isnt in the 169.X.X.X? range. If it is then it has not picked up DHCP from the network for some reason (check you are not using static IPs for wireless, unless its required (very unlikely)).

I seem to get a lot of wireless drop-outs (and total wi-fi faliure) when using vista and my laptop (a fujitsu) that are only correctable by a reboot. I cant even disable-reenable the device, it just sits there "enable-ing".