I am trying to connect with my laptop to Network Y, a wireless network at an educational institution. The connection to the network seems to be fine but I don’t actually get Internet. Windows’ little infographic shows basically this:
computer --------- Network Y ------xxx------ internet
Any ideas? It doesn’t seem to be a problem for others trying to access the network. I’ve been given a username/password but there is no prompt at all to provide it-- I’m thinking this might be key. I successfully connected to another network elsewhere today, so it’s not a general computer problem. (This is all in France, if that matters, though I’d be surprised if it did.)
I know the real answer is “check with someone authoritative at the institution”, but I can’t for a few days and would love a quick fix if there is one. I’m mostly not looking for super-advanced or incisive computer advice; more if there’s something stupid I’m missing like a “Make Internet Work” button. Thanks!
Unfortunately there are a ton of variables to your question. Here at my university, they used to require people who wanted internet access to authenticate themselves through a VPN. They now have to upgraded to WPA2 Enterprise and instead of a VPN, the first time you connect to the network it asks you to authenticate (with a username and password) and makes you accept a security certificate.
When you first connect to the internet, does a little balloon pop up by the network icon that asks for authentication? Are you sure you’re connecting to the right wireless network? Other than all that, I’d check with your local university’s technology documentation from their IT department. There’s usually helpful information there about specifically connecting to their wireless internet.
I will say that it sounds like your connection is local only (you’re connected to the network but don’t have internet access). That often indicates that you didn’t authenticate. I’d try to disconnect from the network and then try to reconnect and look for a prompt popping up somewhere that asks for your username/password.
You may have to visit a specific logon page to authenticate yourself to the university’s network. Typically in "open’ Wifi networks like this, you can connect to the Wifi network without any password, but anytime you attempt to visit a webpage, the network will redirect you to the network logon page where you have to enter your username/password. After you’ve authenticated, then you can use the internet.
Perhaps the university you are at simply blocks all access to any page except the logon page, so you need to find out what that logon URL is. Try browsing to the University’s home page to see if that works, maybe you can find more information there.
Good luck with this, Lama Pacos. I am my own network administrator (at home), and I’ve been fighting with this and intermittent connectivity with my new Vista box for almost two weeks.
Try this. Open Network and Sharing Center. On the left side, click on** Manage Wireless Networks.** Highlight the profile for the network that is having problems, and click the Remove link. Close Manage Wireless Networks. In Network and Sharing Center, click on** Connect to a Network.** Select the desired network, and try to connect. Be sure to put a check in the box to connect automatically when in range of this network.
Sometimes a network profile gets a piece of bad information saved in it, and it tries to continue using it anyway.
BrandonR, yes, that’s correct; it says I’m connected locally but not to the internet. But there’s nothing about authentication or about logging in, unless it’s extremely subtle.
I tried your ideas, Merijeek and Fear Itself, and unfortunately no dice. But thanks a bunch.
Just to clarify, this is not at a university, but at a secondary school where I work, so the whole thing is all around a bit more ad hoc than what a university might have.
My daughter went through this recently,. It turns out she had set her IP as static for some reason or another, and this put the kibosh on the university net connection. Once she changed it to dynamic she was golden.
Thanks!