Network Config Properties is missing a menu, what could be wrong - picture included

[BDP]

I dont know if this should belong under software or network security, but I am a little stumped at why I am missing the 'wireless networks' tab.

This is a pentium machine xp pro SP1. I was trying to connect to the machine with software that will syncronize files in a specified folder - over the network via IP addresses.

My main PC will sync with my laptop and vice versa but this carpc machine rejects the program. The program I am referring to is EZSync http://www.richmet.com/ezsync/ Nice software to maintain MP3 files or pictures on two machines (one being the server).

I can ping the carpc machine and can connect via 'network places' and it has E-Net access but this software will not connect nor do I have options to Share certain folders or drives.

I have admin rights and it was a fresh copy of xp about a year ago, I run Spybot on it often.

Could this be related to my Wireless card software/hardware? Should I reinstall my O/S?
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

I dont have the PC here at the moment to get a screen shot, but I edited my laptop's for comparison - only difference is the one pictured is using a PCMCIA card and my problem (carpc) is a 802.11b/g USB dongle, here is a screen shot of my missing wireless tab....

['Stein]

Moved. :)

[caperjack]

sounds to me like the software doesen't reconise your dongle unit .check with there tech support for an answer

[BDP]

Thanks for moving the post, wasnt sure where to start it at since my question was 50% O/S and 50% networking - server/client issues.

I had assumed that XP might exclude that menu since it didnt recognize the dongle as a "wireless card" just as you said but dont know too much about XP. It didnt seem logical for it just to dissapear or some registry problem deleting the tab from the menu.

I still am unsure why my port login is not working but it very well could be Wifi dongle related - I am thinking however, it is most likely an XP setting keeping my networked machines from connecting to its various ports because of some missing protocol or unchecked box, but I've never really had issues like these since I am more of a linux user.

I appreciate your responses, Thanks!

[caperjack]

dose the dongle show up in the device manager ,under network adapters , did you install driver for dongle from disk or did XP install them when you plugged in dongle

[BDP]

It was an elcheapo off ebay last year, came with software driver wasnt microsoft certified however, internet works just fine can share files etc, I think its probably just time for a new card dongle.