Laptop not connecting to home network

[Kitty]

Something has happened with my laptop's home network connection. I'm hoping someone here might be able to give me some advice on how to troubleshoot the problem.

The wireless connection via my router is working fine on the other laptop in my home network, so it's not a problem with my connection.

I can connect my "problem" laptop to other networks, so the problem isn't with the computer's wireless device.

I am using the Intel ProSet Wireless software to manage the wireless device, but again, I don't think this is the problem because of my ability to connect this laptop on other networks.

For some reason, I no longer can get this device connected to my home network. :smt102

Any troubleshooting help and/or suggestions will be appreciated.

[carsalesguy]

i know sometimes my PC won't connect to my linksys router.....

if you right click on the little computer on the bottom in the "system tray" and click "repair connection" it works for me

[fuzzis]

Have you tried switching to the Windows wireless manager? I couldn't get my school issued laptop to connect unless that's what I was using that, even though my personal laptop was connecting to the network just fine. :smt102

fuzzis

[Kitty]

Have you tried switching to the Windows wireless manager? I couldn't get my school issued laptop to connect unless that's what I was using that, even though my personal laptop was connecting to the network just fine. :smt102

fuzzis

Actually, I did try switching to the Windows wireless manager, but it won't let me connect to the network, either. :smt102

I haven't had time to really troubleshoot this myself, but I plan to spend some time on it this weekend.

Troubleshooting advice from here is still welcomed. :)

Meanwhile, at least I have another computer that will connect to my network.

[threekidspa]

Have you had this laptop connected to your network before? Does the wireless manager detect your wireless network? If it doesn't, your wireless may be set-up to not broadcast it's ssid (aka network name), so you'll have to know what it is, and enter it manually. If it does detect it, is it an encrypted network, where you'd need a WAP key to actually connect to it?

[58ford]

I've had similar problems.
Have you tried disabling your wireless connection the re-enabling it?
That's worked for me before.

[Kitty]

Does the wireless manager detect your wireless network? If it doesn't, your wireless may be set-up to not broadcast it's ssid (aka network name), so you'll have to know what it is, and enter it manually. If it does detect it, is it an encrypted network, where you'd need a WAP key to actually connect to it?

Yes, the wireless manager does detect my wireless network, and I have entered the WAP key, but it is not connecting.

What would cause this problem to suddenly occur? Until now, I have had no problems with this computer connecting to my home network.

[Kitty]

I've had similar problems.
Have you tried disabling your wireless connection the re-enabling it?
That's worked for me before.

Yes, I disabled and enabled. Still did not connect to my network. :smt102

[threekidspa]

What would cause this problem to suddenly occur? Until now, I have had no problems with this computer connecting to my home network.

Hard to say. I've always just called them 'queertrons'. If you have other compters making a good wireless connection to your device, you're right that the device should be working fine. And if you're able to take your laptop to another wireless network, then you're right that its probably specific to your machine. Simplest thing I can think of is maybe an ip address conflict. You can also try disabling and re-enabling the wireless on your laptop (if you haven't already). You've tried the other obvious things I can think of. Do you do any MAC address registration on your wireless?

[58ford]

Yes, I disabled and enabled. Still did not connect to my network. :smt102
I'm no techie geek, so at this point what I would do is post a thread on MH asking for assistance from any techie geeks on the forum.

[Kitty]

Do you do any MAC address registration on your wireless?

Not that I'm aware of. :)

I'm not a "techie" by any stretch, but I did manage to set up my home network on my own. And unlike some of my neighbors, I didn't just plug it in and go with the "default" settings. I can't tell you how many open networks there seem to be in my neighborhood. There were at least four last night.

[aaron]

So, you can see the wireless network, you just cannot connect to it?

[TheKing]

log in to your router and make sure you arent filtering out that particular computer for some reason

also make sure your connection isnt getting hijacked and your router is out of wireless connection spots

ive intermittently had those types of problems with my cheap wireless router and its always some little problem

i have found resetting the router back to factory defaults helps a lot...which isnt a huge problem since i run it at factory default anyway

take a paperclip and poke it through that little hole in the back for 10 seconds

[Kitty]

So, you can see the wireless network, you just cannot connect to it?

Yes.

[Kitty]

log in to your router and make sure you arent filtering out that particular computer for some reason

also make sure your connection isnt getting hijacked and your router is out of wireless connection spots

ive intermittently had those types of problems with my cheap wireless router and its always some little problem

i have found resetting the router back to factory defaults helps a lot...which isnt a huge problem since i run it at factory default anyway

take a paperclip and poke it through that little hole in the back for 10 seconds

Thank you for the suggestions.

[aaron]

If that's the problem, I'd second theKing's suggestion. Try resetting your router by pressing the button (some require you to hold it for 20 seconds). You also want to make sure it's assigning IP addresses automatically (should be the default). If this doesn't work, then your default gateway may not be set correctly on the computer causing you problems. You may have to manually put it in by going into the wireless properties and setting it. It should be the same IP address as your router.

[ynotme297]

i almost had the same problem. i couldn't access my bank from my pc at home, but could on my laptop at work. brought the laptop home and tried to run it through my router and it wouldn't. i bypassed the router and it worked fine. i tried all the reset/power off stuff. went and bought a new router, problem solved. don't know if this is the same kind of problem that you have.

[Astra]

One thing you might want to check is whether the laptop is part of the same workgroup as the other computers - sometimes this has caused me problems when connecting a new laptop.

[Bahlk]

Not to get too technical...make sure you dont have MAC address filtering turned on...if you do you could be shutting your laptop out. Then make sure DHCP is turned on in your router so that each computer is issued a seperate IP address by the router. If it is off you have to issue each computer an IP addy seperately and manually enter your DHCP server.

If that's all kosher, It might be a problem with your TCP/IP settings or your wireless network card settings. It would probably be hard to diagnose without actually being able to see your router settings.

[Kitty]

. . .i have found resetting the router back to factory defaults helps a lot...which isnt a huge problem since i run it at factory default anyway

take a paperclip and poke it through that little hole in the back for 10 seconds

I wasn't sure if I'd get around to working on this problem before the weekend, but I decided to reset the router to its factory settings and start over.

Hopefully this will solve my wireless problem. Meanwhile, I am wired to my modem.

[Kitty]

. . .make sure you dont have MAC address filtering turned on...if you do you could be shutting your laptop out. . .

The problem must have been with the MAC address filtering.

I don't know why this suddenly became a problem, as I've had MAC address filtering enabled since I first set up the router last year. :smt102

In any event, MAC address filtering has been turned off, and I'm up and running via wireless connection again.

Thanks to all who made troubleshooting recommendations. :smt038

[jmb]

Yet another problem solved by myhattiesburgers. :smt038

[aaron]

The problem must have been with the MAC address filtering.

I don't know why this suddenly became a problem, as I've had MAC address filtering enabled since I first set up the router last year. :smt102

In any event, MAC address filtering has been turned off, and I'm up and running via wireless connection again.

Thanks to all who made troubleshooting recommendations. :smt038

I'm not even sure what MAC address filtering does. I thought you only used that if you were like an ISP.

[Bahlk]

I'm not even sure what MAC address filtering does. I thought you only used that if you were like an ISP.

It's just a way of securing your wireless network more. Get your wireless adapters MAC address and tell the router to only allow that MAC address. Anybody else that tries to connect will be denied. (There are some ways to crack that but every little bit of security helps)

[threekidspa]

It lets you register the physical machines you want to let connect through your wireless. So if someone does manage to get your ssid, and WAP key, they still can't use your connection if you use MAC filtering and they're not included in your table.

[aaron]

lol, ya'll really don't want anyone on your connection. I kind of like the fact that someone could come in my house with their laptop and connect. I'm sure that doesn't happen to anyone else very much, but I seem to constantly come home with new gadgets that need a wireless connection. I have some form of wireless encryption, I forget which, but I picked the easiest one that I could find. If I live next to a hacker, I'd like to meet them anyway.

[Wayward]

It's just a way of securing your wireless network more. Get your wireless adapters MAC address and tell the router to only allow that MAC address. Anybody else that tries to connect will be denied. (There are some ways to crack that but every little bit of security helps)
Absolutely right Bahik. It's a common way to secure a corporate or campus type wireless connection. MAC addresses are added to the approved list. Not on the list ... no connection.

Not sure how that crept into your home wireless connection, Kitty. But glad to see the problem is solved. :yes:

[Bahlk]

It's not the fact that they get on my connection, once they are connected to my network they can access my financial records, read all my files and stuff. Using the internet to check email is one thing but they don't need my checkbook info.

[threekidspa]

I don't use it here at the house either, because it is one more thing to forget. The outfit I work for uses it in our offices tho, so whenever I go to a new one I have to go find the IT guy (who is usually hiding) to get them to let me on.

[Bahlk]

I actually just use WPA and not the MAC but my router does allow for it.

[aaron]

It's not the fact that they get on my connection, once they are connected to my network they can access my financial records, read all my files and stuff. Using the internet to check email is one thing but they don't need my checkbook info.

Ohh, so you have private files on your computer shared on the network. Yeah, I can see protecting it in that case. I almost never share files on the network with the exception of shuffling mp3's around.

[Bahlk]

Actually its the data file for my Money program so I can use it from the desktop or laptop. Really thats the only thing. If they want to read the email jokes my family sends back and forth more power to them.

[Kitty]

After disabling the MAC filtering, I decided last night to enable it again for the computers in our home network.

The "extra" security MAC filtering provides is why I had enabled it in the first place.

If I encounter wireless connection problems again, I will know where to start troubleshooting. :)

Thanks again to all who chimed in with troubleshooting advice.

[Bahlk]

No problem. It's my only chance to talk technical while at home. My wife's eyes glaze over and she walks out when I try to talk to her about computer stuff.

[SoMissTV]

I'm not even sure what MAC address filtering does. I thought you only used that if you were like an ISP.

That's how the wireless network at USM is secured against people who aren't paying the monthly fee. Of course, it's not that hard to "steal" someone's MAC address and use it. It kicks them off the network and allows you to use it instead.

[aaron]

That's how the wireless network at USM is secured against people who aren't paying the monthly fee. Of course, it's not that hard to "steal" someone's MAC address and use it. It kicks them off the network and allows you to use it instead.

yes, yes it does :evil:

[Astra]

Yep, that USM network is just SOOOO secure, heh.

[Kitty]

After disabling the MAC filtering, I decided last night to enable it again for the computers in our home network. . . .

Now that I have learned that MAC filtering is one of the six dumbest ways to secure a wireless LAN (http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/index.php?p=43), I have disabled it for good. :icon_comp

[Bahlk]

I even learned something tonite. I need to read up on my techie stuff