View Full Version : Computer help please - connection to wireless
My laptop has suddenly stopped connecting to the house wifi. Another computer and my phone still connect fine.
It says the signal strength is fine but it has limited or no connection. So obviously I can't get on the Internet.
All help gratefully received :)
fizzwheel
25-01-11, 08:01 PM
Are you running Windows 7 by any chance.
Got a friend who's laptop has the same problem. I went back and did a system restore to a point in time where we knew everything was working and that fixed it, but the fault re-occured and havent got the bottom of it. But it seems to be when it installs updates either OS or HP drivers.
No XP
Err I don't have any back ups for a system restore
Harry_Mc
25-01-11, 08:10 PM
Try reinstall network card drivers.. I get win7 prob periodically...
U could get a USB wireless network card I think they are about £10
maviczap
25-01-11, 08:13 PM
Who's your ISP
Some of my devices refuse to connect to my crappy AOL Speedtouch router.
Bluefish
25-01-11, 08:13 PM
honestly, reboot it, and if it won't work then, re-input the network settings, password etc, it may have overheated?
mr.anderson
25-01-11, 08:27 PM
XP is famous for not picking up an IP Address when coming out if hibernation.
Restart the laptop or disable the wireless adaptor in control panel > network connection and enable it again.
Specialone
25-01-11, 08:28 PM
Have you got the latest driver update for your wifi card?
Might be worth getting that.
no_akira
25-01-11, 08:32 PM
Restart the Wireless router.
I've been playing Dead Rising 2 which has to have the Window Live thingy going in the back ground. I've had to open certain ports on the router to get it to work. Every time I end the game my wireless netbook refuses to connect, I have to restart the wireless router. Its a very buggy game.
Who's your ISP
Some of my devices refuse to connect to my crappy AOL Speedtouch router.
Sky
Who's your ISP
Some of my devices refuse to connect to my crappy AOL Speedtouch router.
honestly, reboot it, and if it won't work then, re-input the network settings, password etc, it may have overheated?
Done both. Didn't work
Have you checked the kill switch Stu?
The Idle Biker
25-01-11, 10:23 PM
Might sound obvious but some laptops have a switch at the side or occasionally a key near the function keys that switches wi-fi off and on, checked this?
Fruity-ya-ya
25-01-11, 10:38 PM
XP is famous for not picking up an IP Address when coming out if hibernation.
Restart the laptop or disable the wireless adaptor in control panel > network connection and enable it again.
+1
Have you browsed onto the router to check the connected devices?
This link might help re getting onto the router:
http://www.skyuser.co.uk/forum/sky-router/772-sky-router-setup-configuration.html
Usually indicates the computer can't get a response from the DHCP server, which is the thing on your router that tells the computer its address on the network.
Selecting the 'Repair' function on the wireless adapter usually fixes this. Right click the icon in the system tray and select 'Repair'.
This doesn't always work for wireless adapters though, in which case you may wish to do it manually:
Start -> Run
Type 'cmd' and hit ok.
Then type:
ipconfig /release *
ipconfig /renew
If this doesn't work, you may need to try one of the more drastic suggestions in this thread.
Fruity-ya-ya
25-01-11, 10:44 PM
XP is famous for not picking up an IP Address when coming out if hibernation.
Restart the laptop or disable the wireless adaptor in control panel > network connection and enable it again.
Usually indicates the computer can't get a response from the DHCP server, which is the thing on your router that tells the computer its address on the network.
Selecting the 'Repair' function on the wireless adapter usually fixes this. Right click the icon in the system tray and select 'Repair'.
This doesn't always work for wireless adapters though, in which case you may wish to do it manually:
Start -> Run
Type 'cmd' and hit ok.
Then type:
ipconfig /release *
ipconfig /renew
If this doesn't work, you may need to try one of the more drastic suggestions in this thread.
Like a hammer:smt093
hindle8907
26-01-11, 08:52 AM
Usually indicates the computer can't get a response from the DHCP server, which is the thing on your router that tells the computer its address on the network.
Selecting the 'Repair' function on the wireless adapter usually fixes this. Right click the icon in the system tray and select 'Repair'.
This doesn't always work for wireless adapters though, in which case you may wish to do it manually:
Start -> Run
Type 'cmd' and hit ok.
Then type:
ipconfig /release *
ipconfig /renew
If this doesn't work, you may need to try one of the more drastic suggestions in this thread.
do the above ^ in the cmd window type ipconfig/all and post up your results. EG Below
were looking for your....
IP address : 192.168.x.xxx
Subnet mask : 255.255.255.0
Default gateway: 192.168.x.x
-Ralph-
26-01-11, 09:18 AM
Plug your laptop into the router using a network cable (there would likely have been one in the box when you got the router), you should then be on the internet given that your other devices work, then get someone on here who knows what they are doing to get remote control of your laptop, and they will probably fix it in two minutes, rather than you spending hours trying all the different bits of advice posted here and having to post results and wait for the next bit of advice to be posted.
hindle8907
26-01-11, 09:27 AM
or if you are willing to do that what ralph suggested I dont mind sending you an invite for control and sorting you out.
Plug your laptop into the router using a network cable (there would likely have been one in the box when you got the router), you should then be on the internet given that your other devices work, then get someone on here who knows what they are doing to get remote control of your laptop, and they will probably fix it in two minutes, rather than you spending hours trying all the different bits of advice posted here and having to post results and wait for the next bit of advice to be posted.
OK, ready :)
OK, ready :)
happy to help now if you need. PM me if so.
sorted
Many thanks mate that's awesome
So what was it? anything to look out for next time?
-Ralph-
26-01-11, 11:38 PM
SV650.org remote IT support services have been happy to assist you. Should you need the assistance of our staff again any time soon, please don't hesitate to call ;-)
Just as wellyou posted that skyforum threAd with the password for the router
Thks mate :D
Many thanks mate that's awesome
So what was it? anything to look out for next time?
very difficult to pinpoint the cause without some fairly intensive diagnostics. Most often its not the OS (Win 7 or XP), its usually either a fault in the wifi card driver software or occasionally the router firmware itself.
There was one occasion when Win7 launched that was causing dhcp servers to fail or not issue an address. The fault at the time was investigated as a result of the router software not being designed to properly support all aspects of the dhcp RFC paper, Win7 introduced the use of a less common flag in the dhcp request packet that the router incorrectly ignored. The fix was from the router manufacturers updating the router software. I'm pretty sure not all of them did and some did but unsuccessfully.
I've been diagnosing this stuff with packet sniffers for years and not once have I traced it back to a fault on the OS.
For interest, we fixed this one by adding a reservation for your wifi adapter to the dhcp server config on the router.
SoulKiss
27-01-11, 09:10 AM
Had the same problem with the Bosses laptop the other week, ended up adding 32 IP addresses to the DHCP pool and bang, magically it worked...
My guess was the Router reserving IP addresses for devices it had seen, but were not connected and not releasing once it hit the max number...
-Ralph-
27-01-11, 10:37 AM
My Orange Livebox router does this with my wife's Windows 7, I have never bothered to check if it has the ability to set a reservation, as she almost never takes the laptop out of the house, so the adaptor has a fixed IP. The rest of the machines in the house are Vista or Ubuntu. A reservation wouldn't be a bad idea because she took the laptop when she went to her parents in France last year, and of course couldn't get to the internet via their router, she had to phone me for help. There may be the odd occasion in future where she wants to use a WiFi hotspot.
Quiff Wichard
27-01-11, 10:47 AM
flymo did u peek at his history whilst in there?
Stu = odd isnt it watching the cursor move around and someone else is doin it remotely and yer laptop screen changing etc.
very sci fi
-Ralph-
27-01-11, 10:50 AM
flymo did u peek at his history whilst in there?
No that would be a very unprofessional invasion of privacy! He just installed a Key Logger instead :lol:
flymo did u peek at his history whilst in there?
Stu = odd isnt it watching the cursor move around and someone else is doin it remotely and yer laptop screen changing etc.
very sci fi
I havent looked at all the stuff I captured yet..... lol. Nah, not at all. I get to work on some sensitive client devices at work so just as a matter of principle not something I would do.
For info, for anybody that wants to understand the nitty gritty behind Windows 7 and the way that its dhcp discovery algorithm works read this http://blogs.technet.com/b/teamdhcp/archive/2009/02/12/dhcp-broadcast-flag-handling-in-windows-7.aspx
Welcome to my geeky world :-)
very difficult to pinpoint the cause without some fairly intensive diagnostics. Most often its not the OS (Win 7 or XP), its usually either a fault in the wifi card driver software or occasionally the router firmware itself.
There was one occasion when Win7 launched that was causing dhcp servers to fail or not issue an address. The fault at the time was investigated as a result of the router software not being designed to properly support all aspects of the dhcp RFC paper, Win7 introduced the use of a less common flag in the dhcp request packet that the router incorrectly ignored. The fix was from the router manufacturers updating the router software. I'm pretty sure not all of them did and some did but unsuccessfully.
I've been diagnosing this stuff with packet sniffers for years and not once have I traced it back to a fault on the OS.
For interest, we fixed this one by adding a reservation for your wifi adapter to the dhcp server config on the router.
OK :Whoosh....: I'll just ask again if it happens :p
Thanks again :D
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