[RESOLVED] Laptop with Wireless PCMCIA card won't join home domain, but can join when wired

[infotec28]

I will give you as many details as I can in this post until I get back home to get model numbers etc.

Still, I do think that I have enough information to get this post started and get you thinking.

You all helped me in the past with a very similar issue (took 15 minutes for my wired machines to log on to the domain, but I could log on locally right away). That ended up being a DNS issue.

Here is the basic setup:

Wireless router (DLINK VWR) from Vonage

Old Dell Poweredge Server running Windows Server 2003 Standard configured with DC and DNS roles. Server is wired to the router via patch cable.

Old Compaq Laptop with a no name 802.11g wireless pcmcia card I just bought off of pricewatch. (I'll get the name later and edit the post if required)

*This is a home setup, I have set up a home domain so that I can learn*

Here is the issue:

My wireless laptop will not join the domain through the wireless card. I can surf the web just fine through it and the speeds showing in the system tray appear to be 802.11 g speeds (24-54 Mbps).

The laptop CAN join the domain just fine through it's onboard WIRED NIC.

If I join the domain through the onboard Wired NIC, I cannot log on to the domain with my wireless card using an account I created in AD with domain admin rights, but I CAN log in right away with my wired card.

I get an error message like:

"Semaphore Time out period has expired" after waiting about 2 minutes.

The client just hangs at Applying Computer Settings when I try to log in with my wireless card but will log on locally right away. (Remember, there is no problem surfing the net with the wireless card).

If I stop the workstation service, I can log on to the domain right away with the wireless card.

As far as my DNS settings go (because this stuff usually turns out to be DNS stuff) here they are:

Client - Static IP, DNS Server is the IP address of the 2003 Server, Gateway is the router's IP address

Server - Static IP, DNS Server is itself.

This setup allows me to logon to the domain very quickly when wired, but not at all when wireless.

By the way, I haven't enabled security on my wireless right now, because I am not sure how to. I live out in the country, so it is not my highest priority at the moment. Not sure if this has anything to do with the problem, but I will enable it after fixing this.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

[Tuttle]

Client - Static IP, DNS Server is the IP address of the 2003 Server, Gateway is the router's IP addressHave you set that on both the wired and wireless interfaces? They're completely separate settings. It's probably worth giving each interface its own IP address just in case you accidentally connect both at once, but the others should be the same for both.

[infotec28]

Have you set that on both the wired and wireless interfaces? They're completely separate settings. It's probably worth giving each interface its own IP address just in case you accidentally connect both at once, but the others should be the same for both.

Thanks for your fast post.

FYI I did give each connection it's own IP address. All other settings are the same on both wired and wireless devices. Works just fine in that manner for the wired, but no joining the domain on wireless.

[Train]

Just a thought here as we have had several folks post with problems like your and their problem was the wireless devices were not compatable.

[infotec28]

oh no please don't say that! :(

[ua549]

Do you disconnect the wired NIC when you use the wireless?
If not, you are violating the protocol rules. A system cannot have more than a single connection per subnet. It causes problems with CSMACD. That can be causing the problem.

[infotec28]

Do you disconnect the wired NIC when you use the wireless?
If not, you are violating the protocol rules. A system cannot have more than a single connection per subnet. It causes problems with CSMACD. That can be causing the problem.

Yes I do disconnect it.

[infotec28]

ok, here is the wireless card:

Encore ENPWI-G2

So far I have installed a fresh copy of Windows XP on an identical laptop, I was able to join the domain. Then it took forever at applying computer settings.

So I removed it from the domain and was never able to get it back on.

I reinstalled a fresh copy of XP again, and I still can't get the machine to log onto the domain.

I am about to give up and return these cards.

Any thoughts?

[infotec28]

Interesting change of events.

Positive changes.......

I was able to take my freshly imaged pc (the client with WinXP) and join it to the domain when wired.

I am now able to logon to the domain wirelessly.

This is the weird part. I CANNOT map to any drives on the Domain Controller (running 2003 server) without mapping them via IP.

In other words, if I try to map them via share name it won't map e.g.:

\\server\d$

If I map it as \\192.168.15.62\d$

Any thoughts?

No big deal at this point, but I'd like to understand what may be going on.

[jdc2000]

The share name problem is a DNS issue. You could add an entry to the HOSTS file on the client PC to resolve it.

[infotec28]

This is what I was thinking to, but take a look at this!

http://discussions.virtualdr.com/showthread.php?p=1160108#post1160108

[jdc2000]

I just finished a clean install of XP Pro, and the hosts file is present in C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc

[infotec28]

I just finished a clean install of XP Pro, and the hosts file is present in C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc

I had the same until I went wireless.

[jdc2000]

What happens when you copy the hosts file back to the correct folder from another location or PC?

[infotec28]

What happens when you copy the hosts file back to the correct folder from another location or PC?

No change when I try to do that.

I just ran the nslookup demand in dos and got the following:

*** Can't find server name for address 192.168.15.14: Non-existent domain
*** Default servers are not available
Default Server: UnKnown
Address: 192.168.15.14

Google says that the PTR records are missing.

I am looking into it to see how to add them.

Anyone know anything about that?

[infotec28]

Just a thought here as we have had several folks post with problems like your and their problem was the wireless devices were not compatable.

FYI - Spot on! I got a linksys router and no problems whatsover!

[Train]

Glad you finally got the problem solved.