Cannot connect to internet wirelessly

G

gebbel

Registered User
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Today the wireless connection to the internet failed and numerous attempts to re-connect using the "Repair" option on the taskbar, and many re-boots has not worked. The problem is not with the provider or the router, as a 2nd laptop works fine.
Any advice on what steps I could take next to diagnose/ repair the problem? The laptop is a Dell latitude D500
Cheers
 
Does it show the name of your LAN?

Make sure you're connecting to your own router and not somebody else's and check and re-enter your WEP or WPA key.
 
i have mcafee anti-virus on mine, ( little red M on the bottom of the screen)and sometimes i have to open it as it says i'm not fully protected... click into it and click on fix, and usually does he trick....other than that, i'm useless :)
 
Technologist said:
Does it show the name of your LAN?

Make sure you're connecting to your own router and not somebody else's and check and re-enter your WEP or WPA key.
Click to expand...

Intel(R) PRO/Wireless LAN 2100 3A mini PCI adapter

Definitely trying to connect to my router, there are no more within range.
 
Technologist said:
So, did you re-enter your WEP or WPA key & what happened then?
Click to expand...

Foolish I know but my internet connection is not security encrypted..I never enter any key....just turn everything on and it automatically connects. Only now it won't, but my mates laptop connects fine. Obviously the problem is with the wireless LAN card, has it burnt out or something?
 
Any chance you hit the Dell Fn + <some key> (maybe Fn + F2 on some models?) key combination or some other option that switches off the wireless card PHY (radio) thus rendering the card inoperative until this is reversed (usually done to save battery life while not using wireless)? Don't Dell ship some simple wireless network status/diagnostic wizard tool that can be used to do some basic checks/tests in situations such as this? Alternatively Intel may have some PRO/Wireless diagnostic tools for download on their site.

The Dell diagnostics for your laptop may also test the wireless card - you normally need to boot these off a spare partition (perhaps choosing it just after the power on self test/BIOS checks at startup), CD or floppy.
 
ClubMan said:
Any chance you hit the Dell Fn + <some key> (maybe Fn + F2 on some models?) key combination or some other option that switches off the wireless card PHY (radio) thus rendering the card inoperative until this is reversed
Click to expand...
If the name of the LAN is being displayed, then the wireless device is working. I'm not sure if this is the case as when I asked the OP if the name of the LAN was being displayed he gave me the name of the network adaptor.

It's not clear from the info supplied if it's seeing the LAN, connecting and then not functioning, seeing the wireless LAN and not connecting or seeing nothing and not connecting at all.

Another possibility is that by rather generously operating an open network, the whole neighbourhood is helping itself to free WiFi at his expense and is using up all the slots on the router.
 
Bear in mind that Windows network configuration will also cache and display the names of wireless LANs previously connected to even if the network card (PHY/radio) is switched off or those LANs are not longer in range.
 
It varies from stack to stack, but the initial list is only of ones that can be seen at that time and it'll show a signal strength. Elsewhere, there's a list of previously connected networks.

Other possibilities would be that the router is set to a channel not supported by that particular laptop, the router is using a protocol that the laptop is not set for (e.g. 802.11g) or he's using MAC address filtering and the laptop is not registered on the router.
 
Yeah - there are lots of possibilities! :) Maybe the original poster can post back with some more detailed/clarifying info...

Another suggestion - maybe install NetStumbler and see if it can detect any networks. If it does then at least we know the PHY/radio is on and the card is functioning to some extent.
 
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