Changing wireless networks

[Dsquared]

I have a home wireless network that allows me to access the internet from my desktop as well as my laptop. It has been working fine. Recently on a business road trip, I stayed in three hotels that had wireless networks. I was able to connect to the first two hotel networks by clicking on the wireless taskbar icon and selecting the "available" network from the list. At the third location I had trouble. The wireless connection indicated "excellent" signal strength but IE would not open to a web site. I tried several things to no avail. Now that I'm back home I'm having the same problem with my home network. I chose the home network from the list and it says I have a wireless connection with excellent signal strength but IE will not open to a web site. Can anyone help?

 

[doggard]

Have you rechecked you WEP settings as this usually indicates a block by either firewall or secuirty setting?

 

[802.11g Monk]

I agree with doggard,
it sounds like your security settings got changed. on a WiFi network, you will be able to show strong connectivity, but IE will simply come up with nill if your settings aren't matched to that of the router/access point, etc

Monk

 

[Dsquared]

I struggled with this problem for a week and soon after posting it on this site I got it working. I guess I just don't understand networking very well. What wound up fixing it was that I right clicked the wireless network connection and in the context menu I chose "disconnect from bridge" (or words to that effect). That did it. What exactly is a bridge and why did I have to disconnect my wireless connection from it. And if my wireless network won't work with it, why and how did it get there?