Wireless Internet Stopped Working

The wireless connection issues through the router can be caused by not deleting other networks under preferred network.

To delete other networks under preferred network, please follow these steps:

1. Click on the Start menu and select the Run option.
2. After the "Run" window appears, type control ncpa.cpl into the "Open" field, then click Ok.
3. When the "Network Connections" window opens, right click on the Wireless Network Connection and go to Properties.
4. After the "Wireless Network Connection Properties" window opens, click on the Wireless Networks tab.
5. When the "Wireless Networks" area opens, look for Preferred Networks section.
6. Highlight the wireless networks and then click on Delete or Remove option.
7. Restart the computer.
8. After deleting the preferred network; click Add and type in the name of your wireless network.

9: If you are using WEP as an encryption; uncheck the key is provided for me automatically and manually type in the network key.

1. Click Ok all the way out and connect to your network.

arilisanne wrote:

I had a similar problem with a Belkin PCMCIA wireless adapter not long ago. It suddenly would not connect, in the same manner as yours, no address. Assigning an address would not work either. Had a good signal. It failed on both laptops the same time.

I tried my other wireless adapter card on both laptops and they worked. You might do the same. Try a USB or card and see.

I thought it was the linksys router, but then I happened to be changing routers and the Buffalo was the same.

I uninstalled and reinstalled the card's drivers several times. No luck.

Finally, I uninstalled the driver once more and then, while I was online using a USB adapter (or ethernet) I let XP find the driver for the card. No client manager, just the driver.

This worked. I still don't know what happened. I did install another wifi card around that time, possibly this was it?

To sum up, look for ways to uninstall and reinstall your drivers, different drivers, with and without the client manager included. Don't need the client manager, XP will do it fine.

Steve

Reinstalling driver is possible, but I would go to the linksys site and see if there is any new versions of firmware for the router. That is what solve my issue with my router.

Gene

seaweedsteve wrote:

I have tried reinstalling the drivers, have also tried another card - the computer has a built-in card, but I also have a linksys card which I popped in and tried and that did not work either.

Have NOT yet tried reinstalling the firmware for the router - I will try that tonight... but could that be the issue when my other laptop works fine with this router?

thank you!

Okay I reinstalled the firmware -- it did not fix the problem. Is there anything new I have to do on the laptop once i've done that? . Any other suggestions? I'm just at a loss!

quoted text -

1. Try your laptop in a public hotspot to ensure the wireless is working properly.

1. Turn off _all_ security on the wireless router while troubleshooting. Generally the best way to do that is to reset it to factory defaults.

p.s. Please place follow-up material below (not above) quoted material, as explained in Q7 of "Quoting Style in Newsgroup Postings" (published by the news.newusers.questions Moderation Board).

On 26 Jan 2007 23:26:14 -0800, "arilisanne" wrote in :

quoted text -

the VAIO works with a wired connection with the router, is that correct? if not then i would recommend a TCP/IP and windows socket (winsocks) repair. Google for those and you shall find freeware that will reset windows XP networking settings to default... or you can reinstall Windows... nah... just kidding ... anyways i dont think you need to do this step at all

also, i dont think the problem is from the router.. cause another laptop works fine

in your VAIO, i assum that you are using Windows WZC (wireless zero configuration), so you can try a USB, this thing is cheap and working well with WZC. but then again you may not want to waste even $15 when you already have the built-in and a cardbus

so, if you already know the buitl-in wifi chipset in your VAIO, then download the connection manager software form the chipset manufacturer (or the card's OEM, or SONY) then use it instead of windows WZC.. in my desktop i have this service completely disabled, preventing it from even loggin on the system....

there must be reason why it has zero in the name....

cheers

arilisanne wrote:

I believe you issue is that your laptop use Intel 802.11b Wireless and the router is most likely set for only G. Goto into the router's control panel and make sure it is set for both g and b. If as I believe it is not then choose the choice that allows both b and g to be available.

Good Luck

gene

It's set to "Mixed" mode; it worked (albeit intermittently) and then stopped, for no apparent reason.

John Navas said --

I have done both of these things. No luck.

snipped-for-privacy@scn.org said --

Yes, it works fine with a wired connection so I don't think I need to do that...

b also said

Okay. I'm a little confused by the whole wireless zero mystery. I have read some similar suggestions to this -- I did try disabling the wireless zero, but re-enabled it cause I didn't know how to set up the manufacturer's connection manager software. Am not quite sure where to find that but I will do some digging...

Thanks everyone... I will give this a shot but am actually considering reinstalling Windows from scratch on this machine if I can't come up wtih a better fix soon...

On 29 Jan 2007 22:35:27 -0800, "arilisanne" wrote in :

Then you need to get the wireless in your laptop fixed, or replaced with a PC Card or USB dongle.

in your laptop fixed, or replaced with

OK. A few things.

1) When you tried an alternative card (the Linksys) did you really get it installed and get all the way to the same point where it's trying to hook up and it can't get an address? Your description of the test was so brief it almost implied that you shoved it in -no internet- and pulled it out. Again, make sure that you get all the way into hooking up with it and then had exactly the same problem as with the built-in wireless. That is proof that it's not specific to the one device.

2) It won't give you an address, but when you start up and then see the Windows Zero Config (which generally works very well) working, it DOES see your AP and report it's name and signal strength, right? Does it show 2 or more bars? Does it indicate that it's unsecured?

3) You say that another pc works on the wireless, but is it in the same place? More important, have you taken your laptop to the router and tried getting a connection when you are close to it? This is important. If it works, then your issue is signal strength or interference. If it doesn't, then it's configuration or software.

Steve

Oh, I reread and see that you are seeing your SSID under availible networks; of course you would have to to connect. So forget all that. I'd like to see what your signal strength is in that spot though.

Most important, take it to the router and do all testing with a strong signal first.

I disabled the built-in wireless, then inserted the card. The system detected the new card and it did the same thing the old one did -- it showed the wireless networks available, but did not connect to it. It's an old card though, one I had lying around -- I would be willing to buy a new one if you all think that's the problem and would help... but even though it was a quick attempt, I do believe it was properly installed.

Yes, it does show the network, full signal strength, I'm using it in the same room as the router, just a few feet away, side by side with the other comptuer that works just fine.

It's not signal strength - it shows full strength and yes, both are in the same place and right near the router.

Should I buy a brand new wireless card? The old card and I think, the built-in card are both wireless "b" and my router is A+G, though the G is supposed to also pick up the "b" (and like I said, it used to). I verified that in my wireless settings, it is set to "mixed," so it should be picking up both signals -- but maybe it would work better with a "g" card??

thanks.

arika

most wifi connection manager softwares identify the APs by both name (ESSID) and MAC address (BSSID) and also by encryption method, while windows WZC see them by the ESSID only, even if in your neighborhood there were a hundred APs with network name linksys, WZC would display only one linksys

i have a theory that one of your neighbour happen to have a WRT54G broadcasting a stronger signal (having higher txpower by using 3rd party firmware, or a much higher gain antenna) but having the same network name as yours, then your laptop, by the wisdom of Windows WZC, will seek to connect to that one, or it will drop the connection to your router to pursuit your neighbour's whenever it's on, that'll be as successful as a blind date... lol

but anyways, if that theory is correct then i dont know how another laptop of yours connects to your router and not another linksys. i can only assume that it has different chipset.

so before you go hunting for the connection software, or reinstall windows, you may want to go the setup page of your router and change the network name to something unique... and let WZC works it magic...

cheers

arilisanne wrote:

My network ID is very unusual -- it's not a default name, it's a made- up name that I highly doubt my neighbors have. However, I DO live in an apartment building with lots of different networks and their 2.4 GHz phones I think, even, sometimes interfere with my signals. BUT, yes, my newer laptop works just fine with the wireless on this network and though there are many neighboring networks, none has the same ID. I also used to (inadvertendly) be able to connect to the neighbor's unsecured networks on the Vaio (the computer having the problems) and now I can't get onto those either - I have also tested it in other places and I can't get onto ANY networks, not just this one. But it can SEE them... so weird. Any other thoughts?

in networking, no connection usually means the network interface couldn't get assigned an IP address. the problem could be from the server ( i'm sure it's not the case) or it could be the client's fault

but i have no reason to doubt that the DHCP Client service in your VAIO is not working. In my experience, DHCP mechanism in Windows XP works the same way for wired and wireless connections. if Windows can manage to get your VAIO's ethernet card an IP address then your VAIO's wireless card should be able to get assigned one too...

i went back and read your earlier posts and i can see that your VAIO laptop could get assigned an IP by the router when connected to it wirelessly, but had to be repaired often... then finally repairing stopped working

i started to think that could be a hardware problem, long ago i had a CD-Burner that died a slow death, leaving tons of coasters along the way :(

but then the linksys card did not work either, so it can't possibly be hardware fault when two different pieces of networking hardware exibit similar symptom in the same platform

the VAIO has the miniPCI wireless card, which can be costly to repair or upgrade, so before you decided to retire the card if it's indeed broken, i would suggest the following

a) the updated driver for the built-in wireless

by the size of the installation file, i'm pretty sure it includes the connection manager..

b) go to Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Computer Management-

make sure the service status is started and service type is set to automatic

c) and hey, you can always re-install windows!!!

cheers

arilisanne wrote:

wireless

judging by the size of the installation file, i'm pretty sure it

and Applications->Services->DHCP Client

Thanks for all your help... I actually called linksys and they had me basically re-install the router from scratch and create a new network, and by the end of adjusting all the router's settings, the problem was fixed! I still dont' really know what it was. But there were a bunch of obscure settings and numbers I had to fill in in the router's setting page. Anyway thanks for trying. At least I'm back up and running! Yay!

arika