Tag: wireless

Connecting to wireless networks on Vista

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We were having trouble connecting a ThinkPad to a local wireless network. It would first say there were no networks available, then when I would locate one, it kept requesting Username, Password and Domain, as if there were an authentication server involved. The wireless network is simply set up with a WEP key, so there are no individual users associated with it – anyone with the WEP key can log on.

It turned out that previous efforts to connect had set up a “wireless network” entry in a list somewhere which needed to be deleted and set up again correctly.

  1. IMPORTANT: be sure to check that the wireless switch on the front of the laptop is turned on. It is difficult to see and it must be turned on or all your other efforts to connect will be unsuccessful.
  2. First, select Start Menu > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. Under “Tasks”, click Manage wireless networks.
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iPhone gets very hot when on wireless and battery drains

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The other day I pulled my iphone out and nearly dropped it! It was burning hot and there was a big red low battery indicator in the middle of the screen! I had charged it only a couple of hours earlier so it was not likely that normal use had caused this condition.

I was in a wireless area, and had been checking my gmail earlier. The little activity indicator at top left was twirling.

A search through Apple support and discussions led me to this article. It seems that the iphone can get stuck in a checking-mail loop, particularly on certain IMAP accounts like gMail.

An Apple support article also says that a flaw in the Mail application in v. 1.1.3 causes it to persistently generate server activity even when it is not checking mail per user settings. Persistent mail checking can quickly drain the battery.

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