Router recognition.

[gordont8]

For the purposes of re-decorating a room I had to completely disconnect my desktop computer which has Windows XP O/S. This included removal of the wireless dongal. I also disconnected the router.
A day later, after reconnecting both computer and router and booting up, I was surprised to find I could not connect to the internet until I had entered the router WPA number.
I frequently power off both computer and router and the computer never requires the WPA number. I would very much like to know, for my own interest, what may have caused the computer not to recognise the network connection on this occasion.

 

[voyagerfan99]

You probably didn't plug the USB adapter into the same USB port it was in previously. Plugging it in another USB port results in Windows creating a new network adapter, which in turn, has no saved profiles. Try plugging the adapter into the USB port it was in originally.