Member Avatar for rockerfaz

Hi
i'v recently bought a 2 year old packard bell easy note ALP-Ajax C3 laptop with windows vista, i have seen this laptop working and connect to bt broadband and go online before i bought it, but when i brought it home and tried to connect it to my virgin media router it keeps saying unidentified network and a local only access and cannot open any browsers, but the funny thing is that i have another laptop, a Fujitsu Siemens amilo and it is as old as the packard bell and running windows vista and working fine and that is how i am starting this thread.

Please if anyone can help me i would be truly great-full.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Robert.Nikic

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Short diagnosis: the Packard Bell reporting "Unidentified network — Local only" while the Fujitsu on the same Virgin Media router works points to a problem local to the Packard Bell (DHCP/gateway not obtained, a driver or wireless-hardware fault, or a security/utility blocking network access). This summary builds on and but focuses on targeted checks that are not already covered in the thread.

  • As asked, confirm whether the failing machine is using Wi‑Fi or an Ethernet cable; a quick wired test immediately isolates the wireless subsystem.
  • Check the laptop's wireless on/off switch and any Fn key combination that toggles the radio (Packard Bell notebooks often have them).
  • Test in Safe Mode with Networking to rule out third‑party firewall or connection utilities.
  • Temporarily disable any third‑party security suite and vendor wireless utilities (do this cautiously).
  • If a wired test reaches the router, inspect the router for DHCP being active and for MAC filtering or access restrictions (building on 's router point).
  • Watch for an APIPA address (169.254.x.x) — that is a strong sign of DHCP failure.

Run these commands from an elevated Command Prompt to gather diagnostic info and repair common stack issues:

ipconfig /all
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ping <router IP>
ping 8.8.8.8
nslookup google.com
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset

Interpretation notes: ipconfig /all should show a valid IPv4 and a default gateway. If the gateway is missing or the address is APIPA, DHCP is failing. Successful ping to the router but failure to 8.8.8.8 suggests a router/ISP route problem; pinging an IP that works but not nslookup indicates DNS issues. After using the netsh resets, reboot the laptop.

If commands show the adapter as disabled or with an error icon in Device Manager, update or reinstall the Vista driver from Packard Bell or the adapter chipset vendor. Vendor-supplied wireless utilities can conflict with Windows; removing them and using the OS network service often resolves stubborn "local only" cases. If hardware or driver problems persist, a USB Wi‑Fi dongle is a low-cost way to confirm whether the internal adapter is at fault.

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Member Avatar for Rik_

Are you trying to connect it wired or wirelessly?

What protective software has it got on it?

commented: suport wlan mobile nokia n79 +0
Member Avatar for Robert.Nikic

First is first,

Reboot the modem and router at the same time, then reboot your laptop.

Have you ever connected via the router? Is it set up? (Even if you only have local access, you can still access the wireless router settings)
If you use a wireless computer to login to the router, you will lose the connection with the wireless router because you do not setup the same WEP key in your wireless computer yet.

- You can connect by cable and ...
1. Login to the wireless router. By default, the wireless router has IP address 192.168.2.1. You can open the Internet Explorer / Firefox and in the address bar, type in click here Hit Enter.
2. The default username is admin. Password is 1234.
3. In the router setup page, click on General Setup.
4. On the left menu, click on Wireless.
5. Under Wireless, click on Security.
5. In the drop down selection box of "Encryption", select WEP.
6. Key Length 64-bit is fine. Key Format Hex is fine. Default Tx Key is Key 1.
7. Under Encryption Key 1, remove all the * and type in your 10 alphanumeric encryption key. You can use any number from 0-9 and alphabet from A-F. suggest you use 10 digital number than alphabet letters for an easier setup.
6. Click Apply to save the settings.
7. Now you've successfully set WEP encryption in the wireless router.

How do I setup WEP key in my wireless computer?

A: Below instruction is for Windows XP SP2. If you use Windows 2000 or Win 98, you will need to run the wireless utility provided by the wireless network adapter manufacturer. Please refer the user manual for your wireless network adapter.

In Windows XP SP2, click on Start -> Run. Type in "ncpa.cpl" hit Enter. You will get the Network Connection Windows. You should see the icon for Wireless Network Connection. Right click on Wireless Network Connection and select "View Available Wireless Networks".

In the new window for "Choose a Wireless Network", you will see your wireless router. For our Edimax router, the default name is "default". Select your wireless network in the list, then click on Connect. You will be prompt to type in your WEP key. Type in the 10 characters key. Under the confirm key, type in the WEP key again. Hit OK. You will connect to your wireless network. Close the "Choose a Wireless Network" window.

You may double click on the Wireless Network Connection icon. Go to Status tab. Check the IP address. If you get an IP address like 192.168.2.x, you should have Internet access.


Hope this helps.

Awaiting your reply,

commented: suport wlan mobile nokia n79 +0
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