"Detecting Proxy Settings?"

[olds]

First time wireless user here...
I picked up a wireless router and a pcmcia card. I am using the wired connections for my desktops and the card for my laptop. When I try to connect to IE on the laptop I get "Detecting proxy settings" and it never connects. I cleared the Proxy LAN setting in IE but that didn't help. Also, the wireless connection drops out frequently even though the router and the laptop are less than 4 feet from eachother.
The desktops work fine.
Router = SMC 7004VWBR
PCMCIA = Trendnet TEW-221PC
Both are 802.11b
OS on the laptop is ME

 

[RagingBITCH]

Regarding the dropping out frequently settings - are there any 2.4 ghz wireless phones or cell phones in the area? That can cause interference. Try changing channels (default on most is I think 6, 11 is a good one to use) and turn off WEP (if it's enabled) to see if that helps. Also, make sure all power-save or auto-off features are off on your wireless card. (If you can't configure it using the default software, there should be some options in Device Manager)

Regarding the detecting proxy settings, are you able to connect to your network from the wireless laptop, just not the internet? I'm not familiar with that router but check the administrative options for any sort of "Allow wireless connectivity" option. Set Data/Transfer Rate to Auto as well.

Also in your Options -> Connections, make sure it's set to "Never dial a connection" and make sure everything is unchecked in LAN Settings. Other than that if that still doesn't work, see if you can run Internet Connection Wizard (the one that IE runs on default the first time you load your OS)

That's about all I can think of at the moment.

 

[olds]

I am posting from it now.
I ran the ICW and it worked. I could see my network and connect to the web. I walked out with the laptop to show my wife and it was still working. I walked by our 900 MHz phone to sit on the couch to try it and it stopped working.
I came back into the office, next to the router and I have web access again but can't see the network.
I had previously changed channels, default ssid and made the changes you suggested in "Connections"
"Automatically Detect Settings" keeps re-selecting itself.
Firewall/WEP is disabled.

EDIT:
I can access the laptop from my PC but not the PC from the laptop. I see it in Network Places but it isn't accessible. It worked both ways previously.

 

[RagingBITCH]

I found (just my personal experiences) that 98/ME tends to lose other computers on the network for no reason other than it has alzheimers. Delete any references to your old network and setup a new connection with the workgroup/network name and boom, you should be able to see your wired PC from your laptop. This seems to be a random thing that happens with 98/ME. I have no idea why it did that and didn't really care why after I upgraded to XP on my wireless computer (which in the 2 months I've had it installed, it has never "lost" my network)

Edit: You can change your ssid back to whatever you want (good for security purposes). As long as your internet work, don't worry too much about the "Automatically detect settings" option. Also, turn on your firewall (up to you though) and WEP for security purposes, unless you don't mind any snooping kiddies/next door neighbors stealing your bandwidth. (Not to say that they all will but it can't hurt) If it keeps dropping out (when you're not next to a cordless phone) see if WEP off will help.

Oh yea - I found that 98 drops connections randomly - for some reason or another it'll go for days without dropping the signal, then it'll go on and off 3-4 times in one day. I can't say/figure out why it did that either, other than to say it hasn't dropped connection yet in XP. (Don't mean to sound like an XP whore but it has a lot better networking stuff than 98/ME does)

 

[Garion]

The default setting for IE is to automatically detect proxy settings. In order to do this, it looks for a server called "wpad.[your.domain.name].com or just "wpad" and tries to download a file called /wpad.dat on port 80. If it finds it, it downloads it and parses it like a PAC file (Proxy AutoConfig file).

If you simply can't get rid of the "autodetect" checkbox and it keeps re-appearing, put an entry in your hosts file for "127.0.0.1 wpad" and it should take care of it.

- G

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: Garion
The default setting for IE is to automatically detect proxy settings. In order to do this, it looks for a server called "wpad.[your.domain.name].com or just "wpad" and tries to download a file called /wpad.dat on port 80. If it finds it, it downloads it and parses it like a PAC file (Proxy AutoConfig file).

If you simply can't get rid of the "autodetect" checkbox and it keeps re-appearing, put an entry in your hosts file for "127.0.0.1 wpad" and it should take care of it.

- G

I'll try the hosts file entry, thanks.
I may try going to XP Pro from ME and see if that helps if nothing else works.