# vista sees SSID but won't connect WPA-PSK



## CaptMilkbone (Jul 14, 2010)

HELP one of my laptops running vista wont connect to my home network. After trying all the self fix tools I am at a loss of what to do. This laptop works perfect at work and other public WiFi loacations and other wireless devices at home connect fine. See event:

Log Name: System
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Diagnostics-Networking
Date: 7/14/2010 1:11:00 PM
Event ID: 6100
Task Category: (12)
Level: Information
Keywords: (2)
User: LOCAL SERVICE
Computer: MILKBONE15dv5
Description:
Helper Class (L2Sec Helper Class) Event: 
For complete information about this session see the Wireless Diagnostic Informational Event.
Helper Class: Layer2 Security
Initialize Status: Success
Result of diagnosis: There may be a problem
Information for connection being diagnosed
Interface GUID: {c5c8eb2e-9b40-405d-af65-9b2cf0c0f13d}
Interface name: Atheros AR5007 802.11b/g WiFi Adapter
Interface type: Native WiFi
Profile: Discovery connection
SSID: BAXTERCRAFT
SSID length: 11
Connection mode: Infra
Security enabled: Yes
Connection ID: 3
Security settings provided by hardware manufacturer (IHV): No
Profile matches network requirements: Yes
Pre-Association and association status: Success
Security and Authentication:
Configured security type: Wireless Protected Access with pre-shared keys (WPA-PSK)
Configured Encryption type: TKIP
Security connect status: Fail 0x00038012
Number of security packets received: 30
Number of security packets sent: 30
802.1X protocol: No
Key exchange initiated: Yes
Unicast keys received: Yes
Multicast keys received: No

Event Verbosity:0
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Diagnostics-Networking" Guid="{36c23e18-0e66-11d9-bbeb-505054503030}" />
<EventID>6100</EventID>
<Version>0</Version>
<Level>4</Level>
<Task>12</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x4000000000000002</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2010-07-14T18:11:00.130Z" />
<EventRecordID>2074557</EventRecordID>
<Correlation ActivityID="{97B77C58-04A5-47E2-BDD1-1BA2337909B0}" />
<Execution ProcessID="4980" ThreadID="4924" />
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>MILKBONE15dv5</Computer>
<Security UserID="S-1-5-19" />
</System>
<EventData>
L2Sec Helper Class
For complete information about this session see the Wireless Diagnostic Informational Event.
Helper Class: Layer2 Security
Initialize Status: Success
Result of diagnosis: There may be a problem
Information for connection being diagnosed
Interface GUID: {c5c8eb2e-9b40-405d-af65-9b2cf0c0f13d}
Interface name: Atheros AR5007 802.11b/g WiFi Adapter
Interface type: Native WiFi
Profile: Discovery connection
SSID: BAXTERCRAFT
SSID length: 11
Connection mode: Infra
Security enabled: Yes
Connection ID: 3
Security settings provided by hardware manufacturer (IHV): No
Profile matches network requirements: Yes
Pre-Association and association status: Success
Security and Authentication:
Configured security type: Wireless Protected Access with pre-shared keys (WPA-PSK)
Configured Encryption type: TKIP
Security connect status: Fail 0x00038012
Number of security packets received: 30
Number of security packets sent: 30
802.1X protocol: No
Key exchange initiated: Yes
Unicast keys received: Yes
Multicast keys received: No

0
</EventData>
</Event>


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Does it connect with no encryption? What's the exact make and model of the wireless router and what's the firmware version it's running?


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## CaptMilkbone (Jul 14, 2010)

It is a at&t 2wire router/modem. I can connect this laptop if I change the router setings to WEP. This laptop did connect before using WPA-PSK but for some reason it quit working. I spent hours wit at&t tec support and they think it is something with vista? I have another laptop running W7, xbox 360, Wii and other WiFi devices that connect fine using WPA-PSK security so I know it's not the router.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Change the router to the desired level of encryption, in your case WPA-PSK.

Remove all the stored wireless network profiles and search for the network again. Here's How to Remove Stored Wireless Network Profiles for XP, Vista, and Windows 7


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## CaptMilkbone (Jul 14, 2010)

Done, same problem. I removed all of them and searched again but it failed. I made sure there was no networks and tryed to manually set it up, it sees the SSID but still won't connect.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Make sure you have the latest wireless driver from your laptop manufacturer's web site.


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## Techyy (Jul 15, 2010)

-- There is no logic behind clearing all the profiles, reason behind clearing profiles is "when you connect to an wireless network with a password, it gets stored in your wireless profile so that it allows your wireless devices(wi-fi enabled devices) to connect to the stored network when it comes within the wireless range. 

-- Say when you type the password incorrectly and profile stores in the laptop, wireless transceivers will connect to wireless network with that wrong password which results in unsuccessful connection.

-- If you clear all the profiles in the laptop, In-case if your laptop has connected successfully to your friends network, neighbors network, office network, school network, hot-spots..etc successfully, the profile gets stored in the laptop, if you clear all the profiles for one unsuccessful connection, you might end up loosing all the profiles which had successful connection and have to connect manually to those networks again

-- So smarter way to clear the profiles is to select the profiles which are not working for you and then delete it.

----------------------
My questions:
----------------------

-- After clearing the profiles, do you see your profile name when searching the wireless signals.

-- If yes, before connecting to the SSID, see if you are connected to anyother wireless network automatically. Reason for this check is, once the laptop is connected to one network, it refuses to connect to other network.

-- check the laptop by taking it to your friends home who has WPA encryption and connect to their network

-- Update the drivers for Network Adapter


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## CaptMilkbone (Jul 14, 2010)

YES I see the SSID when searching for wireless signals and have a strong signal, no I am not connected to any other network and I have updated to the latest drivers. It asked me for the security key and I input it then it says connecting is taking longer than usual and fails after about a minute. when I am given the option to diagnose the problem it says to cycle the router (power off) and try again. Done that also, it makes no sence to me that it won't connect. I have not tryed to connect to someone elses WPA yet I may have to see if that function still works at all. This laptop did connect WPA before but not sure why it stoped working? It connects to WEP and public wifi all the time...


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## Techyy (Jul 15, 2010)

Dont Panic, have you set up any wireless mac-filter in your router. Reason behind this check is, If you have enabled wireless mac-filter, then the router will only connect to the wireless devices of whose mac address is added to MAC filter. 

-- Some routers provides functionality of prohibiting specific MAC address and allowing specific Mac-addresses to access the wireless network. so check it for an handy experience


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## CaptMilkbone (Jul 14, 2010)

MAC filtering was off


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

ugh windows vista... the biggest pain in my behind when trying to help customers connect wirelessly (or even wired) when it doesn't connect.

What is your laptop brand? If it's a DELL, ensure that the DELL utility is not controlling the wireless connection... that can cause a lot of headaches.

As to when you are seeing the SSID, does it tell you what encryption it sees? I had a customer that I had set up as a WPA, but his laptop saw it as WEP.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Changes that may help to increase the compatibility of Vista & Windows 7 with older networking devices:

*Disable the IP Helper service:*

1. Hold the Windows key and type R, enter "services.msc" (without the quotes) and press Enter
2. Scroll down to the IP Helper service, right click on it and select Properties
3. In the dropdown box that says "Automatic" or "Manual", set it to Disabled and then click on "Apply"
4. Then click on "Stop" to stop the service from running in the current session
5. Click OK to exit the dialog

*Disable IPv6:*

1. Hold the Windows key and type R, enter "*ncpa.cpl*" (without the quotes) and press Enter
2. Right click on each network connection and select "Properties"
3. Remove the checkmark from the box next to "Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)
4. Click OK to exit the dialog

_NOTE: You should do this for each network connection._

*Disable the DHCP Broadcast Flag:*

Link: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/928233

 Hold the Windows key and type R, enter *regedit* and press Enter.
Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{GUID}
In this registry path, click the (GUID) subkey to be updated.
If the key DhcpConnForceBroadcastFlag does not exist, use the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD (32-bit) Value. In the New Value #1 box, type DhcpConnForceBroadcastFlag, and then press ENTER. _If the key exists, skip this step_.
Right-click DhcpConnForceBroadcastFlag, and then click Modify.
In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK.
Close Registry Editor.
_NOTE: You should do this for each and every GUID subkey._
NOTE2: (GUID) is a mnemonic for the individual subkeys, the actual text "GUID" does not appaer.

The only program I'm aware of that currently relies on IPv6 is the new Windows Meeting Space. The first 2 changes will cause that program not to work - but will leave all of your normal (IPv4) connections unaffected. If it causes problems that you can't overcome, simply revert back to the original settings.


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## CaptMilkbone (Jul 14, 2010)

It's a one year old HP Pavilion dv5. I tryed the Ipv6 thing with at&t support people and that was no fix. SSID sees WPA.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

(From a JohnWill post)

*TCP/IP stack repair options for use with Vista or 7. *

Start, Programs\Accessories and right click on Command Prompt, select "Run as Administrator" to open a command prompt.

Reset WINSOCK entries to installation defaults: *netsh winsock reset catalog*

Reset IPv4 TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. *netsh int ipv4 reset reset.log*

Reset IPv6 TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. *netsh int ipv6 reset reset.log*

Reboot the machine.


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## CaptMilkbone (Jul 14, 2010)

No Programs\Accessories or Run as Administrator listed that I can find?


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## CaptMilkbone (Jul 14, 2010)

OOPS found it...


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

It happens


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## CaptMilkbone (Jul 14, 2010)

Reset done, reboot done, still won't connect


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## paulclane (May 22, 2003)

I have had this same problem in Vista on several machines and never really got to the bottom of it. I had tried everything that Johnwill suggested and it helped on one or two mahcines. Updating the BIOS helped on another machine. In the end we changed the AP on two sites and upgraded two machines to the vastly superior Windows 7.


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