[new_to_BB]

The thread did not help to solve the problem under the 9700 seciton so... here Im asking helps from wifi expert.
Here is all the updated information of the problem:

My Wifi works fine at home(WEP protected router also), but when i enter the right WEP password to school's network, it gives "Failed to associate with the network message"?? School's instruction for mobile devices to connect is simple, simply scan and connect with the case-sensitive WEP.

I checked and checked and checked i have entered the right WEP, theres just no go.

although it says failed to associate with the network message, when i go to "Manage connections" i see wifi has a white bar besides the green checkmark.
Also when i went under the Setup-Set up wifi-Options and checked my wifi detail, the network is actually connected, however with a white bar besides it.

Network diagnostic shows that I have AP MAC address, have local IP address, have signal level, connection data rate, and status is Network Acquired.

However I cannot browse ANY webpages at all, i know I should log in with my university's ID after connection but even this log in page won't open.

battery pulled twice, each time well over 20 seconds, same problem persists(failed to associate with the network).
I again checked the Wi-fi Diagnostics, everything is the same as i said before, I just want to add onto that under Blackberry Infrastructure.
Connecting: Always switching between an orange bar and a red cross.
Authenenticating router and Authenticating server are both with a gray "/"

However on my homescreen it shows "Rogers - "my university's network"", but wifi icon is grayed out. How weird!!?!

Update:
after 2-3 minutes the connecting: stays a constant red cross.
Local IP and signal level went blank.
Status: says failed to associate with the AP.

after 3-4 auto tries it says Status: Network acquired. Grrrr so actually it didn't fail to associate in the end, just first couple tries.

but under the Setup-Set up wifi-Options and checked my wifi detail, the white bar is still there.

Now after another lonng while, under Setup Wifi - options, it shows a big white exclamation mark(or quesiton mark i forgot) engraved in a blue circle besides this connection. After disable then enable it went a white bar besides the green signal icon again.

[new_to_BB]

WHERE ARE ALL THE EXPERT ON THIS SITE NOW.. I SEE PIN SWAPPING FORUMS WITH 4000 pages literally and now down to the real problem there's noone?

[new_to_BB]

update: I found out the problem is this annoying white bar.
At home NO MATTER I am on hotspot or WAP(even though i got no browsing plan), there's always a green checkmark beside my signal icon in the Setup wifi-Wifi options-beside my home router name.
At school, doesn't matter how I change any settings, this white bar instead of the green checkmark is always there. expert? people with similar problems?

[MobileMadness002]

The expert people have issues they tend to that are more relevant to them that your inability to speak with your schools network department. I don't mean to sound rude but people offer their knowledge and insight here for free. If your not willing or able to a little bit of research on your own then deal with it. Probably something simplistic like Mac Address Filtering. I would not expect you to understand or even know what that is, I won't explain it. If you want to know what it means, then Google it.

[new_to_BB]

my device did obtain MAC address and everything fine, I've listed in my wifi diagnostics, I searched on google for 2-3 hours about this particular problem before i started posting yesterday ( i did my research the day before that). I came to have nothing on my hand except a thread about people on bold 9000 solved problems by battery pull, which was no use to me.

Sorry for the way I sound I am just very frustrated about this thing!!!

The expert people have issues they tend to that are more relevant to them that your inability to speak with your schools network department. I don't mean to sound rude but people offer their knowledge and insight here for free. If your not willing or able to a little bit of research on your own then deal with it. Probably something simplistic like Mac Address Filtering. I would not expect you to understand or even know what that is, I won't explain it. If you want to know what it means, then Google it.

[MobileMadness002]

You do NOT obtain a MAC address, you obtain an IP address. The MAC in your berry needs to be authorized on the schools network. Hence my note about contacting your schools admin. Do you have a web page that you log your laptop into before being able to access the internet.

[F0nage]

I'm not sure you can use wep on BB since it's weak. Can anybody confirm/deny?

I had to use WPA2 AES

[new_to_BB]

ya if i bring my laptop, first page it brings me after connecting is the login page.

You do NOT obtain a MAC address, you obtain an IP address. The MAC in your berry needs to be authorized on the schools network. Hence my note about contacting your schools admin. Do you have a web page that you log your laptop into before being able to access the internet.

[new_to_BB]

when you connect to a secured network, WEP is one of the options, so weak or not it's supported, though new routers offer WAP, which is more secure, but that doesn't mean if the same router offers WEP and a WEP device cannot connect to it.

I'm not sure you can use wep on BB since it's weak. Can anybody confirm/deny?

I had to use WPA2 AES

[F0nage]

It is one of the options where? If it's an option on your BB handset, fine. I don't remember it being an option on my 8900.

The router can offer whatever it supports, but the device connecting to it also has to support the same or a subset of protocols or it's no-can-do.

[F0nage]

I can't edit my posts, so....I went through the wizard just for fun and WEP is indeed one of the choices. Sorry for the noise level.

[new_to_BB]

hey MobileMadness I am at school now and I go Set up Wi-fi - Wifi Options, view the details of my school network, i actually see 2 MACs, 1 is AP MAC:, the other is Device MAC:. So neither of these MACs are obtained like you said? they are both inherent in my device?

please tell me what to do with this, if this is the source of the problem.

[MobileMadness002]

The login page should allow you to "Authorize" your MAC address. Sorry I do not attend any schools and I have not setup any networks for any schools. But that page that comes up may require a secure connection or what not. You really would be best assisted but either doing the exact same on your berry that you do on your laptop or by contacting your school network admin.

[new_to_BB]

Thanks for your reply, hmm, the problem is that I cannot even open this log in page on my Blackberry.
And on my laptop I just log in with my student ID and password and away I surf. At nowhere I see a place to authorize my MAC at this log in page(AP MAC or Device MAC?)

I just consulted with the IT desk, so far they told me it should not be a MAC problem but however none of them use BB, I will be back tomorrow to consult with their "BB guru" who is actually going to be there.

I think I narrowed down the problem to this stupid white bar besides my signal icon in Wifi options, I just have to figure out the technicals about its meaning and how to fix it.


Update: Everytime I try to reconnect the AP MAC actually changes, it's broken down to 6 groups of numbers and letters seperated by ":", and the last 2 groups changes after reconnection. so I think the AP MAC is indeed obtained.

The login page should allow you to "Authorize" your MAC address. Sorry I do not attend any schools and I have not setup any networks for any schools. But that page that comes up may require a secure connection or what not. You really would be best assisted but either doing the exact same on your berry that you do on your laptop or by contacting your school network admin.

[MobileMadness002]

Have you tried changing your Browser EMULATION to either IE for Firefox?

[new_to_BB]

Will try that now, the already crappy school wireless network is even more crappy when connecting with a BB, it constantly disconnects itself and always take on average 5-10 "failed to associate with the network" to reach "Network acquired" status.
Update: didn't work. (As in: same problem as before, whatever I type in it gives "Unable to find the requested server" message, and cannot browse even the school log in page)

AP MAC apparently changed back to the same one as it was couple successful tries ago(I copy and pasted a couple in the memo just for checking). seems like there are limited variation in the AP MAC that my phone generates or obtains.

Have you tried changing your Browser EMULATION to either IE for Firefox?

[new_to_BB]

oh well, the IT department is useless lol, later i'll try call my phone company and see how it goes.
I wonder at this point if this could be a defect since i am the only one experiencing this, but if this is a defect how come it only give this problem at school?

[new_to_BB]

I don't know if anyone is still reading this, but since i got more information I feel obliged to keep posting so if other people has the same problem they maybe can compare this with theirs or find people with similar problems.

I called my phone company all they said is if it works at home it should work at school, only thing they told me is that signal maybe is not strong enough??

I have narrowed the problem down further by turning Data service to "off" at home, I completely replicated the problem I occured at school by doing so, after turning data service to off, I connected to my home's router, (Rogers - *****), wifi button is grayed out, at the same time i could not do crap on my browser.