Pensionada

I am using a WiFi network (router is Zyxel Prestige 2000 combined met ADSL) with a Linksys antenna for my desktop and a separate USB antenna (BenQ AWL400) that I use for my own laptop or for other people's systems that need re-installation, de-virussing, etc. This week, I have re-installed the software on a laptop. Internet connection via a cable to the router works great but I cannot get the wireless connection to function. So: I put the 2 laptops side-by-side: basically the same software (XP Pro SP2 with all latest updates, Windows firewall, McAfee 8.0) and the same installation. When I put the antenna in my old one (Dell Latitude CPx) it works, when I put it in the newer one (Dell C400 Latitude) it does not. The system sees the network but tells me that the network is unavailable and thus does not connect. It then happily gives a message that a WiFi network is within range but I cannot connect and so on, ad nauseum. I really do not understand this: the same physical spot, the wireless antenna software is properly installed, the network is visible, the signal strength is very good, the encryption key has been correctly entered but the connection is refused. I have checked and re-checked all parameters but they are really identical. The only difference is that the software for the old laptop is English while the new one uses Dutch, but, hey, that should not make any difference or ?? Can anybody point me in the right direction, please? Thanks Rob

Hello you-all, My name is Rob and I live in the Netherlands. After a working life in which I have seen just about all corners of the globe, I retired last year and now do different things, although we still travel a lot, but in different style. Part of the things that I do nowadays is for SeniorWeb, a volunteer organization that helps older people (50+) to work with computers. We help people with applications that do not work as they expect then to and also with their installations that sometimes do funny things. The latter, even more so, because many of our "clients" do not have much money and use old, old computers. So, we see many problems pass by, a lot of them caused by lack of understanding and operational errors but also real puzzles. Consequently, we regularly need help from others, such as you, I hope. Thank you in advance for your patience and your help. Rob