Member Avatar for sam_b

Hi, I am having real trouble connecting my Laptop to the wireless network.

Here is the problem:

I have a PC set with with netgear router, all connected to the Internet fine. I can connect my mac to the wireless network by entering the WEP.

However, I have a Wireless Netgear Network card for a windows Laptop and i've completed all information correctly. The icon at the bottom shows that the laptop is connected wirelessley, but when I got into any Web Browser no pages will load up??

I have tried IP config/renew etc on the laptop, but it didn;t seem to do anything
Does anyone know how to solve this problem??

HELP!!!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by virgilioaxo

Dani AI

Generated

Brief, practical checklist that follows the points raised by , , and and fills the usual gaps.

The wireless “connected” icon only shows layer‑2 association with the AP — it does not prove the laptop has a usable IP, a working gateway, or DNS. Because the Mac gets on the net, the router and WEP passphrase are probably OK; the fault is most likely laptop-specific (DHCP, key format, driver/utility conflict, firewall/proxy, or an AP setting such as client/MAC isolation).

Recommended checks (do these in order):

  • Verify the router’s DHCP client list from its admin page to see whether the laptop has a lease. If no lease appears, DHCP is failing.
  • Test with a temporary static IP in the router’s subnet (outside the DHCP pool), set the router’s IP as gateway and a public DNS (e.g., 8.8.8.8) to separate DHCP/DNS problems from basic routing.
  • Confirm wireless manager conflict: run only one client (either Windows’ built‑in service or the Netgear utility), not both. Vendor utilities commonly collide with Windows’ service.
  • Look for firewall/proxy interference: briefly disable third‑party firewalls and check browser LAN/proxy settings. A proxy configured on the laptop can make web pages fail even when the network is otherwise OK.
  • Check router options: MAC filtering, AP/client isolation (guest mode) or access schedules can block a single wireless client even though association succeeds.
  • Update the Netgear wireless driver/utility or try the adapter on another AP (or tether a phone) to isolate hardware vs. software.

WEP specifics worth noting: 64‑bit WEP uses 5 ASCII characters (or 10 hex digits); 128‑bit uses 13 ASCII (or 26 hex). Some Windows utilities insist on hex while Macs accept ASCII — mismatched formats or the wrong authentication mode (Open vs Shared Key) will allow association but block real traffic.

WEP is obsolete and fragile; once connectivity is restored, migrate the router to WPA2/AES if possible. If the above checks are followed and the laptop still cannot reach the internet, the likely next steps are driver removal/reinstall, testing in Safe Mode with Networking, or trying a different wireless adapter to rule out hardware.

Recommended Answers

All 7 Replies

Member Avatar for majestic0110

some wireless access points (routers) require additional software to be installed before web browsing is permitted. Who is your ISP ? did the router ship with a driver cd which you installed on the mac but not the windows machine?

Member Avatar for sam_b

My ISP is Sky. I'm not sure if the router shipped with Additional software, I will check that.

I didn't install anything on the mac though, just typed in the WEp and it was ready to go.

Member Avatar for majestic0110

are you using XPs built in wireless software or a 3rd party provider such as intel (or both)?

Member Avatar for sam_b

i've tried using the XP software and the Netgear Software provided with the wireless card.

Member Avatar for majestic0110

did you find any additional software ? a cd or something?

Member Avatar for jermaghs07

can you connect to any of the other computers on the network?

Have you tried Pinging a website to see if it is a problem with you browser?

Comand line type: Ping www.google.com
and see if your get any returns.

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