Wireless connection problem

[Cheshire Cat]

Can someone please help me to connect to the internet, wirelessly, on the my new laptop. It is nearly driving me insane :(

I have followed the instructions on the screen and it has managed to detect our network and the strength is quite good but it is not connecting to the internet. How do I connect to my ISP (AOL broadband)?

The operating system is Windows Vista.

I have been trying now for nearly two days and would love to start using my new machine.

There must be a simple solution but I am missing it somewhere.

[Guest]

do you only have the Laptop or are you also using a PC ???
As I had a Disc from the Internet provider to go wireless on the PC then you had to insert it in the laptop to allow it to use the signal too.
Does that make sense???
Mind you I do find the signal isnt good most of the time ,but then I am trying to use the laptop indoors and the main PC is in the Garage
By the way my PC is windows XP and the Laptop is Vista so it should not make any difference.

[Margaret in Burton]

Used to be on AOL myself about a year ago.

I think I had to install the AOL disc on the laptop as well.

Have you tried that?

[littlemoo]

Have you checked out AOL's website on setting up wireless connections ?

Set up your wireless network - AOL Help

As you said it detects the network, I'm wondering if its the encryption
that's the problem. Do you get an error message ?

Clare

[Cheshire Cat]

Thank you all for your advice.
We will have a go with the AOL disc and see what happens.
Have tried communicating on a live chat advice line this afternoon but I think one guy was getting fed up with my ignorance and decided to cut me off! Must have been late for his tea. Lol !

[yorkshirelad]

Hi Catty
I think Clare's suggestion is the best.
looking at the link
How can anyone cut you off??!!
Jeff

[ElaineM]

I had this problem with my new laptop and also using Vista but with Sky. Wireless Signal was great but wouldn't work. But it would work via the modem cable. I tried sky who weren't much help so I contacted Fujitsu who supplied my laptop. They said really sky should have been able to talk me through it but in the end fujitsu talked me though it. So try who manufactured your computer as they may be able to help.

[Kath nr the Crooked Spire]

As Val said - are you trying to connect your laptop as a secondary computer, if so then maybe you need to enter your WEP key. My WEP key is on a label underneath my router.

[Cheshire Cat]

Update

I am now connected. Hooray :D

I had a local chap come out and the answer was a very simple one.
I had been putting in the wrong password. Apparantly when we set up the broadband and generated the password, it converted into a long number.
This was the WEP security key.

Wish I'd known about that a few days ago, it would have saved us several days of stress trying to connect.

I am now, at last, enjoying my new laptop. :D

Thank you for all your interest and suggestions.

[Guest]

yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa