MP780 won't browse on an ad hoc network with XP...

As I'm a wifi newbie, please forgive me if this is a stupid question.

I have an Enterasys Roamabout card for my MP780, and it works OK on the network at work. I recently bought a Linksys WUSB54G adaptor for my home computer, which runs XP SP2. With the adaptor installed and an ad hoc network created I can - apparently - get my MP780 to join the network, but I can't do aything with it once it's there. Although my pc's internet connection is enabled for sharing, any attempt to browse from the 780 gets the 'cannot be found' error message.

Either I'm missing something here, or I'm attempting to do something impossible and I need to shell out for a router as well as an adaptor... anyone care to offer me some advice?

Try pinging, (use vxUtil (search the forums)) That might help.

Good Luck

Nick

pinging is only a diagnostic tool...

anyway. it can be done. so no worries! but i don't have any good idea just now. one of my friends has managed it and even my jornada (when i'm there) can browse the net usually without problems (well, that's another thing). i'll try asking him. until that try checking your firewall's settings (if you have one). or even turning it off.
and you can definitely try pinging the result would tell many things.

Edited by cmonex 2005-04-18 8:50 PM

It's possible that either or both of your laptop and HPC do not have an IP assigned to it on the adhoc wireless network. Try manually assigning IPs for them.

I'm assuming your home computer has another connection to internet. That connection would have an IP, but you need one on the wireless adhoc network as well.

When you use your HPC at work, the IP is automatically assigned to it by a server. No such luxury in an adhoc network

Thanks for the tips, folks. No joy yet. With the Roamabout client, I don't seem to have the option of assigning an IP address to the MP780, nor to specify DNS or anything else. (Not that I'd actually know what to put in there if it did.) All it lets me do is state the SSID and give the WEP key.

To be honest, I'm on the point of giving up with this one. I wonder why the Roamabout client gives the option of a peer-to-peer network, if it then doesn't have the necessary options to configure such a network to actually DO something!

Maybe I should just go back to dial-up.

Comet,

The IP settings are in
Start > Settings > Control Panel > Network > /your network adapter/ > Properties

Ah - thanks for that - I'm feeling a bit foolish for not spotting those settings myself. I'll have another try when I get home...

Thanks for the comments and suggestions! With your help and a lot of research and messing around with settings, I finally got the ad-hoc network up and running. It's great to be able to surf on the 780 from anywhere in the flat.

If anyone else is trying the same set up, here are the details:
I reinstalled the wifi adaptor without the manufacturer's CD, letting XP find the drivers. That meant I could configure it properly within XP. I set up the network and internet connection sharing on the PC (guides available on this site), set the pc's IP address to 192.168.0.1 and used these settings on the MP780:

DNS: 192.168.0.1
Gateway: 192.168.0.1
IP address: 192.168.0.2 (and .3, .4 on my 880 & Palm!)
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

The firewall (XP, SP2) is enabled for the internet connection but disabled for the network, which is encrypted.

Thanks again for the help.

I am pleased you got it sorted; welcome to mobile freedom

This has been a helpful discussion because I'm trying to do exactly the same thing, and having exactly the same issues. Unfortunately, I tried Comet's solution and have come up empty.

Here's my configuration:

- Main PC:

OS: XP Pro SP2,
NIC: Zonet USB 802.11b/g

- Handheld:

Model & OS: NEC 880, CE Pro (2.11)
NIC: Orinoco Classic Gold 802.11b

I am trying to create a network for the first time on these systems (in other words there is no other network gear or software installed on either system).

On the handheld, the Orinoco card went in smooth as silk. But on the PC I've had problems.

The Zonet documentation insists that I install its control software. I've done this, and it offers two modes: "Access Point" or "Station". In "Station" mode, the handheld cannot connect at all (it has three Network Type options and none of them work: "Access Point", "Residential Gateway" or "Peer-to-Peer" ).

When I set both the Zonet and the Orinoco to "Access Point" the connection is established. It is the only configuration in which I can get any communication between the two cards. Even then, no internet, no file or printer sharing, no nothing.

(Per Comet's suggestion, I tried installing the Zonet without its own control software and let XP manage it. This was a disaster.)

Somehow, I don't think this is right, but I can't come up with any other combinations that work. I've scoured the tutorials on this site, but can't figure out where to go next.

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Edited by Rixware 2005-04-21 10:53 PM

One thing I forgot to mention is that I'm not using the Windows firewall, but ZoneAlarm. I'm unsure how to configure ZA for this new network...

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OK, I got file sharing working so I know that the network is in place. But IE still gives me nothing. One of the tutorials here mentions setting up a proxy server. Is that what I need to do?

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ZA? it is a piece of crap in my humble opinion.
but if it works for you, then don't change to another firewall.

afaik, it will ask you automatically whether to enable the new network. (depending on settings??)

you don't need a proxy server... if it's checked in your PIE, uncheck it!

forgot to say: check your dns settings on the hpc

If you don't have a router, have you enabled Internet Connection Sharing on the computer which provides the internet connection?