Help In Getting Laptop Wirelessly Connected?

[mariner2]

Is there anybody out there that knows what tweak I need to make my laptop connect wirelessly when I take it to work?
This has been a problem with 3 successive laptops and different broadband suppliers, and it always follows the same pattern.
The laptop connects every time without a problem at home and when I take it to friends' houses, but when it comes in to work, even though it finds a full strength signal coming from the router, it can never connect.
I try all the troubleshooting suggestions but nothing works, unless I plug the yellow ethernet cable in, but I need it work in different rooms to where the router is.
There is another laptop that stays at work that connects wirelessly every time, and though I have looked for differences in the WPA settings and everything else I can think of, I can't see why one connects and one doesn't.

[bhg481]

It sounds like a password problem. Connecting wirelessly requires a password; connecting with an ethernet cable doesn't.

[RATTER15]

Have you asked the IT guy at work?

[hc4361]

It is my guess that the employer has set the router to block MAC addresses that aren't on their 'allow' list.
If that is the case the only thing you can is ask the employer to add your laptops MAC address to the whitelist.

[mushroom25]

as hc4361 says, system probably blocks all but company-supplied resources from the network, which was the case where I am, and at the premises of our principal client. apparently to allow other devices to connect represents a large security risk. both have compromised and now offer a "guest" network which will accept outsiders, but without connecting them via the company's secure network.