Odd issues with wireless NIC.......

[filthy infidel]

My personal 'work laptop' is an old Gateway GX 4540GZ running XP SP3, up to date, clean of bugs, etc. On occasion the wireless NIC would see networks but not connect, when my other laptop and cellphone would readily connect. All devices in the same range, etc. This issue is very random, as of late it has been working fine. The NIC is a Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG.

Today I got home I found this laptop would not connect to my network. My SSID is 'Fishnet'. This NIC shows it labeled as 'Fichnet'. My first thought, some wiseass hacked my WPA2 pw...? So I fire up InSSider, which indeed shows all networks, spelled correctly, although Windows shows the wrong spelling. I'm currently connected on my 'good' laptop to 'Fishnet', everything else is working fine.

MWB just completed on my suspect machine, the database is 8 days old and found nothing. Superantispyware has found some litter as normal and still going.....:dunno:

[filthy infidel]

Update, restored to three days earlier, no change. Current laptop now displayed "Fichnet" SSid, went to (newly installed router, installed Saturday), no threats noted, three internet connectivity issues from my ISP noted, all logged MAC addresses are mine.

I reset the router, it's PW, and the WLAN PW, everything is on board thus far.....

[Linux3]

Speaking as a Senior Network Engineer I would boot you off my network in a NY minute.
Your network has been totally compromised.

[Pierre!]

your 'old' wireless NIC will recognize WPA2? That's cool... but only if it's really working.

I would start with verifying the driver version compared to the latest Intel NIC drivers.

You may be beyond the firmware/software limitation on this piece of hardware.

@Linux3 - Please elaborate on your reasoning behind your suspicion that he is compromised... or are you yanking his chain?

[filthy infidel]

So I went upstairs and changed the wifi lan password and reset the router, there is no longer a 'fichnet' network. Odd as it may seem, I'm suspecting that it was caused by the new Belkin N protocol router, my network monitors never showed any info (even the 'fichnet' ssid) on this mysterious network......weird.

[Dandapani]

Someone is spoofing you and setup another access point with the fichnet name.