Hi MRM,

When you say open networks - are you sure they're actually open? If you're unable to acquire them (I'm assuming you mean acquire an IP?) then chances are they have some form of security - MAC authentication seems to be the method of choice out here. What IP are you seeing when you click repair?

I doubt your computer is busted - most likely the networks have some sort of security or are possibly just out of range.

There isn't any specific setting to change to get on the wireless networks out here - just set your wireless card to DHCP and hope for the best when you try to associate to an "open" network. They do seem to be everywhere. I actually got signal and access of the Denizotobusu for a few minutes the other day.

Anyway - hope I've been of some help.

Alison.

First off - I have to laugh. Sexy young thing.. I think that's the first time I've been described as that.. Thanks for the compliment - even tho I can't understand what you've based it on. To be honest - the Istiklal scares me. And going out alone to a club on a Saturday night really isn't my thing.

Now for your problem. Your PC may tell you it's an open network - but that just means it doesn't have something like WEP or WPA. The network could still be secured with MAC authentication or have the DHCP server disabled. As you've tried a secured network using the password tho, I guess we can say there's something more going on.

Now - as it's not showing at IP at all - what confuses me is if it's not being assigned an IP it should usually show something like 169.x.x.x . It would seem like there's a problem with the wireless card or a setting somewhere. I'm assuming you've tried the basics like disabling and enabling the wireless card, rebooting the PC, deactivating the Wireless Network (not the actual wireless card). Can you check the IP settings for the wireless connection? Just to double check they're on DHCP.

Unfortunately not much I can say without actually seeing the laptop. Sorry

She's right, nothing more to add, other than:
I've been put off so much by your technical logic, iew!

I'm following this thread with some amusement.

Mr M, I have an HP Pavilion too and haven't had problems accessing wireless networks around Turkey. My HP is also a 'yabanci', but of the English rather than American variety, and I didn't have to change anything on my computer for it to work perfectly here.

My technical knowledge is not the best, but have you checked that you have selected 'acquire IP address automatically'? Sometimes if I am having problems I double-check that setting and it often sorts things out. Hope that helps. Failing that, if you call HP in Istanbul, they are pretty helpful and have a couple of people there who speak good English.

My IT supplier is an HP reseller and also a network specialist. If you are still having problems tomorrow I can contact them and see if they can help.