Aquiring network address / Invalid IP Errors

Hello, thanks you for your time.
I baught two wireless LAN cards, AMD chipset ones (Am1772) and ever since i got them ive had trouble. They are in Ad-Hoc mode in two Pcs, both on Windows XP SP2. (Same Problems in SP1 btw).

When both are installed, both using updated drivers from Windows Update, they just both sit there, saying 'Aquiring Network Address'. I have set the IP adresses manually and still the same thing happens. Occasionaly (Very occasionally) they connect and it works, internet gateway appears and things, but this is very rarely, infact only once, all the other times ZoneAlarm was blocking access. every time i tihnk ive fixed it, i restart both machines and we are back to square one.

Also, most of the time if they do connect, im still getting errors, as if you go to network connections, then back through to all computers connected, only the computer you are on appears, and likewise for the other machine. :'( its really annoying me,
any help would be appreicated

p.s- singanl is usally good to excelent

edit- i also did, as found in other threads to add the guest account and password all the others (made no difference)
also ran that WinSockFix thingy, made no difference
thanks again

 

If you turn off ZA and only use the XP firewall with SP2 (plenty good for protection while you are testing and for me, good enough that I only use it) and configure the firewall to allow all traffic to/from any 192.168.x.x addresses, does it work?

 

well even with the firewall disabled it dose not connect, but well my sisters pc has been turned off now, its 11pm so ill try enabling the firewall and opening those ports.
thanks .
any more ideas welcomed

 

Install NetBEUI on both PCs and if they network OK with it but not without it, you are looking at a firewall issue. NetBEUI can't 'see' a firewall and a firewall can't 'see' NetBEUI traffic.

 

ive also tried setting both PCs in the TCP/IP optionsto Enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP, how would one install NetBEUI? ill try figure it out.
thanks

edit- ive got the NetBEUI protocol running on both machines as instructed by the text file in the folder on the CD. Now both computers instantly say 'connected', and no connection speed is shown in status. No packets have been sent or recieved, and clicking on View Workgroup Computers gives me the error, well it wont even let me click it on this machine.
:S

 

Gotta think on this one for a bit and no spare brain power tonight - work stuff is intruding.

If no one else jumps in, I'll post something helpful tomorrow but hopefully someone else will decide to beat me to it.