[wolf]

So, I fall for a tasty Today's Special Value and ordered a Dell Inspiron 1011 Netbook.

It's all-fired cute.

It's Purple. The OS is Windows XP.

I have been trying unsuccessfully for two days to get it to connect to the Wireless here at work.

I have the access code that I need. It finds the network. It goes through all the steps where it looks like it's connected.

Then I try to start happily surfing the web.

No joy in Mudville.

The hardware tests all pass. When I run the "Connection Diagnostics" it makes it up to the Gateway IP Ping test which fails.

I have had two very fruitless interactions with Dell Technical Support.

I have reinstalled the drivers.

I have tried connecting with the Microsoft Wireless Connect as well as the Dell WLAN software.

In case the problem was with the work network, which is "unofficial" (one of the ambulance guys brought in a wireless router and hooked it into the system) I tried connecting to an open network at a Panera Bread. Same problem.

I am also fairly sure it isn't the work network causing the problem, because I access the WiFi using my Blackberry.

I can connect to the web using an ethernet cable and my broadband modem.

Any ideas?