Help - Laptop cannot detect wireless connection

Forums › Laptops and mobile computers › Help - Laptop cannot detect wireless connection

annah

25 posts

Geek

Topic # 26977 9-Oct-2008 07:32

I have a Compaq Presario V6302AU, which was working fine last night connecting to the internet normally. I shut it down last night & went to bed, then get up this morning and try to log on to the internet in the normal manner but can't because its not detecting the wireless connection. Its not the connection itself because I'm posting this from my husbands laptop on the same wireless connection.

Checked with the Windows Updates to see if anything was updated that might have messed up but no updates have been installed since 19 Sept. Currently running a virus scan, but thats gonna take ages...

Aarrrgh, I hate it when things just seem to disappear.

1 | 2

26464 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6018

Moderator

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 170050 9-Oct-2008 08:28

The laptop doesn't have a button or slide switch for the wireless that you have turned off?

zocster

1780 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 35

Trusted

Reply # 170054 9-Oct-2008 08:42

if the button hasn't been switched off etc, try restarting router. unplug for a good ten seconds and plug power back in again.

wellygary

3055 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 735

Reply # 170063 9-Oct-2008 09:10

1) When you do a scan of available Networks on the laptop can you see yours?, or anything?
2) Is the SSID on your router hidden?
3) Check the netwrok preference are still set to auto connect to your network.
4) Check the leptop profiles, I know that most will allow you to have multiple setting for things like backlight level, CPU speed Wifi (on/off) to manage battery life, check that you have not booted the laptop into a profile that has diabled wi-fi

annah

25 posts

Geek

Reply # 170093 9-Oct-2008 10:34

sbiddle: The laptop doesn't have a button or slide switch for the wireless that you have turned off?

It does have the slide switch, but checked that already. It is in the ON position light is blue anyway which indicates it is enabled.

zocster: if the button hasn't been switched off etc, try restarting router. unplug for a good ten seconds and plug power back in again.

Tried that too.. and as I said, husbands laptop was operating on the wireless connection with no problems, so that tends to indicate that the problem is within my computer, not the connection.

wellygary: 1) When you do a scan of available Networks on the laptop can you see yours?, or anything?

2) Is the SSID on your router hidden?

3) Check the netwrok preference are still set to auto connect to your network.

4) Check the leptop profiles, I know that most will allow you to have multiple setting for things like backlight level, CPU speed Wifi (on/off) to manage battery life, check that you have not booted the laptop into a profile that has diabled wi-fi

1) It only shows my dial-up connection. I clicked on "Diagnose why Windows can't find any additional networks." Then it comes up with "This computer does not have a wireless network adapter installed and configured" uhhh well it was installed, configured and working last night!! Whats changed??

2) ?? - thats too advanced for me!

3) Its not set to auto connect, I set it that way.

4) Battery is plugged in at the moment, it always is when I use the laptop because the battery has developed a memory or something, it tends to not last very long unplugged.

manhinli

2483 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4

Trusted

Reply # 170098 9-Oct-2008 10:45

Your laptop model may be subject to what happened to me - wireless suddenly just dies all of a sudden.

To check, press the [Windows key] + [R] and type in "devmgmt.msc" to open up the Device Manager.

Look under Network Adapters. See if a wireless adapter is listed there or not. If not, your wireless card may be dead.

For more info on the HP announcement, see here.

Find me on Twitter!

I posted 1, 2 x 10^3 times!

annah

25 posts

Geek

Reply # 170103 9-Oct-2008 11:01

manhinli: Your laptop model may be subject to what happened to me - wireless suddenly just dies all of a sudden.

To check, press the [Windows key] + [R] and type in "devmgmt.msc" to open up the Device Manager.

Look under Network Adapters. See if a wireless adapter is listed there or not. If not, your wireless card may be dead.

For more info on the HP announcement, see here.

Followd your instructions, is it the NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller I am looking for??

manhinli

2483 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4

Trusted

Reply # 170104 9-Oct-2008 11:04

It should have the word "Wireless" in the name.

The NVIDIA controller would be the Ethernet connection.

Find me on Twitter!

I posted 1, 2 x 10^3 times!

annah

25 posts

Geek

Reply # 170106 9-Oct-2008 11:17

manhinli: It should have the word "Wireless" in the name.

The NVIDIA controller would be the Ethernet connection.

Under "Network Adapters" I have

Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)
Bluetooth Device (RFCOMM Protocol TDI)
NVIDIA Networking Controller

Nothing about Wireless :(

Checked out that HP link too.. seems that if that is the problem, my computer is not covered :(

manhinli

2483 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4

Trusted

Reply # 170110 9-Oct-2008 11:50

Eventually had a chat to HP about it today...

would be the answer to my laptop.

Find me on Twitter!

I posted 1, 2 x 10^3 times!

annah

25 posts

Geek

Reply # 170115 9-Oct-2008 12:04

manhinli: Eventually had a chat to HP about it today...

would be the answer to my laptop.

What if I had a 5 year extended warranty??

So your laptop does not work at all?? What do I do now? Get a new network card thingy?

manhinli

2483 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4

Trusted

Reply # 170117 9-Oct-2008 12:15

annah:
manhinli: Eventually had a chat to HP about it today...

would be the answer to my laptop.

What if I had a 5 year extended warranty??

So your laptop does not work at all?? What do I do now? Get a new network card thingy?

Lappie's fine - except no wireless.

Check what your 5 year extended warranty covers you for and check with the retailer.

Either you get a new external wireless card to install (don't replace the internal wireless card - apparently, you can't just get anyone and shove it in) or just accept it.

Find me on Twitter!

I posted 1, 2 x 10^3 times!

38894

80 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 170128 9-Oct-2008 12:54

I'd say try re-installing the existing adapter first and foremost, sometimes Windows does have a tendancy to update things the wrong way and screw with drivers. If you can uninstall whatever drivers may currently be installed you may be able to re-install it with drivers that work, this only applies if Windows has at some point updated/re-installed the drivers for your wireless device during a Windows update (Common occurance) and because they don't work but Windows knows the hardware is there somewhere it isn't showing up in the device manager.

Replacing the wireless device is actually quite straight forward if you can get a replacement that is actually designed for that laptop, it usually just slots in like a piece of RAM on the motherboard for most laptops as an add on module. You just have to make sure you get one from the same model laptop if second hand or a compatible one if you're buying new. Failing that, you can of course buy a new USB/PCMCIA wireless adapter which plugs in on the outside, it's just not as convenient as one that's actually built in.

annah

25 posts

Geek

Reply # 170141 9-Oct-2008 13:22

Hollow: I'd say try re-installing the existing adapter first and foremost, sometimes Windows does have a tendancy to update things the wrong way and screw with drivers. If you can uninstall whatever drivers may currently be installed you may be able to re-install it with drivers that work, this only applies if Windows has at some point updated/re-installed the drivers for your wireless device during a Windows update (Common occurance) and because they don't work but Windows knows the hardware is there somewhere it isn't showing up in the device manager.

Replacing the wireless device is actually quite straight forward if you can get a replacement that is actually designed for that laptop, it usually just slots in like a piece of RAM on the motherboard for most laptops as an add on module. You just have to make sure you get one from the same model laptop if second hand or a compatible one if you're buying new. Failing that, you can of course buy a new USB/PCMCIA wireless adapter which plugs in on the outside, it's just not as convenient as one that's actually built in.

So how do I uninstall the drivers if I can't see the device??
Might have to wait until I get home, hubby has the exact same laptop as me so I can easily compare the two to see whats missing I suppose.

annah

25 posts

Geek

Reply # 170246 9-Oct-2008 19:25

So comparing the two computers it seems I was missing the drivers, so I bluetoothed them from this computer to my computer and restarted. That didn't work.

So i searched my computer for any set up files, found one in the WLAN folder for the Broadcom 802.11a/b/g WLAN thing.. that installed fine. Checked the device manager after installation, still nothing so restarted the computer and checked again. Nothing.

Not sure what to do now...

manhinli

2483 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4

Trusted

Reply # 170251 9-Oct-2008 19:28

annah: So comparing the two computers it seems I was missing the drivers, so I bluetoothed them from this computer to my computer and restarted. That didn't work.

So i searched my computer for any set up files, found one in the WLAN folder for the Broadcom 802.11a/b/g WLAN thing.. that installed fine. Checked the device manager after installation, still nothing so restarted the computer and checked again. Nothing.

Not sure what to do now...

The swsetup folder has so many things that come preloaded with the laptop (even the free software!)

I'm pretty sure your card is dead by the looks of things unfortunately. Hope the other one doesn't do the same...

Stuck with mobile computers... which aren't so mobile now.

Find me on Twitter!

I posted 1, 2 x 10^3 times!

1 | 2