AximX51V WLAN connections

[milstone]

I just received my AximX51V with full built-in wireless support from Dell (or so I thought) and cannot figure out how to connect to my home wireless network. I usually use Macs and am not at all familiar with Windows network protocols. I am having trouble finding much info from the Dell manual or the Dell or Microsoft web sites. All the "instructions" I find either tell me to tap on buttons that do not seem to exist or tell me to do things that don't lead to a successful connection. Can someone help or direct me to a useful help site for someone with my limited knowledge of Windows and handhelds?

Can someone explain and contrast the Start->Settings->Connections-> Dell WLAN Utility (only unprotected networks?), Odyssey Client (for protected networks?) and "Network Cards" tabs. I can see multiple wirless networks some protected and some not. The best I can do is connect to an unprotected network. If I try a protected network it eventually asks for a network key. What is this? I've never entered it with my Macs that all connect fine "out of the box".

Even on an unprotected network IE never seems to find any web site other than goolge/pda. Any search leads to an error message.

My two protected wireless networks are Apple Airport and Airport Extreme networks.

I need step 1, step 2, etc. This is a new device advertised as fully supported and I can't figure out how it can be such a mystery. I also have the Socket WIFI Companion software but haven't loaded it yet because it doesn't seem to be necessary and I don't want to mess things up even further.

Any help will be great. thanks.

Dave

[milstone]

Well, after repeating the steps it is working. The "key" to accessing protectede networks is finding the network key, which is not so obvious with Airport and is described at http://www.macwindows.com/airportpc.html, an old but still useful thread.

However, I wasn't asked for the network password (maybe I entered it previously while flailing around) and I don't know what I would use the Odyssey Client for. I thought it was for protected networks, but the Dell WLAN Utility can already connect to my two protected networks.

Can someone clarify this?

thanks.

Dave

[jimchen]

Disable the Odyssey if you are using open or shared network. Use Odyssey Client only if your network needs a username and password to login on the network for access. I have a pdf manual and do not remember where I got it, so you will probably find it on the web by a search.