can't connect to internet via WPA

Hello, at home I connect my Sony laptop fine to our wireless router using WEP but at work cannot connect to the Internet via a router using WPA (I can connect fine to the router but not beyond it). Any suggestions? My colleagues at work suggest it 'should just work'.

At "work", is there any IT organization that manages either the network you're trying to use or the router? If so, you need to check with them, as no wireless access is going to "just work" as long as it is secured, using either WEP or WPA.

Yes of course there is a security key which I've entered and gets me as far as the router but not beyond. Do I need to change any obvious settings on the PC?

With Vista (and later with Win7) came the concept of different types of networks -- work, public, and home -- and with each one, different limitations were imposed.

Check with others at work, hopefully they're using Vista or Win7, and see what type of network they have set up -- and change yours to match. My guess is that yours should be set to "work".