Two different problems with laptop and desktop.Advice please!

[life's too short...]

Hi folks
Would appreciate any advice you can give.

Problem 1
I have a Dell Dimension 4600 desktop, and a Dell Inspiron 8600 laptop. Have Wanadoo wireless broadband which both are connected up to. Don't use the desktop very often and tried to access the Internet today without success. The wireless is definitely showing as recognised and connected but I am unable to download new emails or access Internet. No problems with this on laptop. Is there any reason not using desktop for quite some time might affect this (someone told me this was possible)? I've fiddled about with IP address, etc etc, but can't rectify this.

Problem 2
My laptop CD/DVD drive won't work basically, and don't think it ever has from new. I didn't try to use it for some time and it is outwith it's warranty now. When I put a CD, CD-ROM or DVD in it make a noise as if it is starting to read the disc then nothing happens. I tried a "cleaning disc" to no avail. I presume it will need replacing, so how much would it cost for either an external or internal disc drive and does anyone on here do this??

Sorry for the long ramble, any advice would be greatly received.:)
x

[blueivy]

Hi folks
Would appreciate any advice you can give.

Problem 1
I have a Dell Dimension 4600 desktop, and a Dell Inspiron 8600 laptop. Have Wanadoo wireless broadband which both are connected up to. Don't use the desktop very often and tried to access the Internet today without success. The wireless is definitely showing as recognised and connected but I am unable to download new emails or access Internet. No problems with this on laptop. Is there any reason not using desktop for quite some time might affect this (someone told me this was possible)? I've fiddled about with IP address, etc etc, but can't rectify this.

Problem 2
My laptop CD/DVD drive won't work basically, and don't think it ever has from new. I didn't try to use it for some time and it is outwith it's warranty now. When I put a CD, CD-ROM or DVD in it make a noise as if it is starting to read the disc then nothing happens. I tried a "cleaning disc" to no avail. I presume it will need replacing, so how much would it cost for either an external or internal disc drive and does anyone on here do this??

Sorry for the long ramble, any advice would be greatly received.:)
x

Problem 1.

What are the IP settings for the desktop (do an ipconfig /all at the command prompt and post the results)? What antivirus and firewall is running on it?

Problem 2.

A new external USB DVD drive is anything from £20 - £50. A new internal one will be quite a bit more. It sounds like you don't use the drive very much so I'd go for an external USB one.

[Bobinovich]

Have you tried connecting the desktop to the Livebox using an Ethernet cable? Either way it could be a firewall on the desktop which is blocking net/mail access - you could temporarily disable the firewall (Control Panel > Windows Firewall if that's the one which is being used) to see if that makes a difference.

A replacement DVD-ROM drive for the 8600 can be purchased from Ebay (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-DELL-8-X-DVD-ROM-FOR-INSPIRON-8600-c-NOTEBOOK_W0QQitemZ360131776898QQcmdZViewItemQQptZU K_Computing_LaptopAccessories_LaptopDrives?hash=it em360131776898&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318) from £27 inc. P&P, but if you have a writer it will probably cost a bit more.

[EDDIE]

Have you tried connecting the desktop to the Livebox using an Ethernet cable? Either way it could be a firewall on the desktop which is blocking net/mail access - you could temporarily disable the firewall (Control Panel > Windows Firewall if that's the one which is being used) to see if that makes a difference.

A replacement DVD-ROM drive for the 8600 can be purchased from Ebay (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-DELL-8-X-DVD-ROM-FOR-INSPIRON-8600-c-NOTEBOOK_W0QQitemZ360131776898QQcmdZViewItemQQptZU K_Computing_LaptopAccessories_LaptopDrives?hash=it em360131776898&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318) from £27 inc. P&P, but if you have a writer it will probably cost a bit more.

with problem one i have just had problems getting my laptop to connect to the router and i had to connect using the ethernet cable to configure it? what my problem was the security settings on the router didnt match up with the security settings on the laptop thats why it didnt work eg both had to be set to wap enterprise.Im using windows vista premion crap.
And if u have a router supplied by wanadoo they do give u support only for the routers they supply and they also give you the correct settings but unfortunstely they charge you 50 pence s minute
Tel 09050505151

[blueivy]

with problem one i have just had problems getting my laptop to connect to the router and i had to connect using the ethernet cable to configure it? what my problem was the security settings on the router didnt match up with the security settings on the laptop thats why it didnt work eg both had to be set to wap enterprise.Im using windows vista premion crap.
And if u have a router supplied by wanadoo they do give u support only for the routers they supply and they also give you the correct settings but unfortunstely they charge you 50 pence s minute
Tel 09050505151

WPA Enterprise shouldn't allow you to connect to your WiFi as it requires the use of additional hardware (RADIUS)!

Did you manage to get it configured (it's not clear from the above whether it's working now or not).

[EDDIE]

[QUOTE=blueivy;507224]WPA Enterprise shouldn't allow you to connect to your WiFi as it requires the use of additional hardware (RADIUS)!

Did you manage to get it configured (it's not clear from the above whether it's working now or not).[/QUOTE

I started having problems on wednesday i couldnt get my iphone to connect to the router so for some reason i decided it was a good idea to play about with settings in the router that i dont no much about lol so many hours later i eventually got it to work and that was the problem i set the router security settings to wpa2 personel and then on the laptop the setting was at none thats why it didnt work once i set the laptop to wpa2 personel everything matched up and it worked im using windows vista crap.

[life's too short...]

Problem 2
I'll look at the external drives, thanks for the info Bobinovich and blueivy :)

Problem 1
I use AVG anti-virus and I've tried with the Windows firewall on and off.
Not sure the Ethernet cable will reach livebox, and still looking for it!!
I've tried "automatically detect IP address" and the 192. 168. etc one. Looking at the network diagnostics it says Windows is not currently managing my wireless network?? Could it be something to do with the Domain Name Server? That's one of the possible causes under the "more information" bit on the #2I E cannot display the webpage" screen.
Sorry about this, I am reasonably computer literate in some areas, but not very good at this bit!!
Thanks for your advice and input Bobinovich, blueivy and Eddie. Be patient and gentle with me!!

[life's too short...]

Oops, don't know if this information is of any use to the experts but when I look in the properties of the disc drive on my laptop it says I have no free space left but all the bytes are at zero?
thanks all

[blueivy]

Problem 2
I'll look at the external drives, thanks for the info Bobinovich and blueivy :)

Problem 1
I use AVG anti-virus and I've tried with the Windows firewall on and off.
Not sure the Ethernet cable will reach livebox, and still looking for it!!
I've tried "automatically detect IP address" and the 192. 168. etc one. Looking at the network diagnostics it says Windows is not currently managing my wireless network?? Could it be something to do with the Domain Name Server? That's one of the possible causes under the "more information" bit on the #2I E cannot display the webpage" screen.
Sorry about this, I am reasonably computer literate in some areas, but not very good at this bit!!
Thanks for your advice and input Bobinovich, blueivy and Eddie. Be patient and gentle with me!!

You've got a lot going on there just now. I would get the ethernet cable as suggested and connect up using that and see if that works. If it does then we have one set of problems, if it doesn't we have another set.

The DNS isn't working because you can't connect to the wireless. Windows not managing it shouldn't be a problem and can be easily switched.

[life's too short...]

Thanks blueivy
I'll hunt down the cable and take it from there!:)
LTS
x