# Wireless network, the dreaded yellow triangle



## kimberleyroad (Jan 22, 2011)

I can find and connect to the wireless network in our house, but it has the yellow triangle with an exclamation mark. My housemates are on the internet fine on their laptops and my xbox live is working, so it's clearly an issue with my laptop. My laptop's internet evidently works with an ethernet cable too, but I can't just go through an ethernet cable all the time since the router is in a housemate's bedroom.

Checklist of things I've tried so far:

- Turning the router off and on

- Turning laptop off and on

- Allowed my laptop to 'forget' the network and re-enter password etc to no avail

- Looked on the router homepage for any blocking of my laptop, all seemed fine

- Gone into 'cmd' and typed ipconfig/release then ipconfig/renew

- System Restore

- Tried updating my drivers through Control Panel but it reckons my Wireless Network drivers are up to date

This is a mystery, hopefully somebody can help.

Thanks in advance.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Please attach a screen shot of the Networks page of the Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector. Also show for an attempted connection ...

*Start, Run, CMD, OK* to open a command prompt:
(For Vista or 7 type *CMD* in the Search box after *Start*)

Type the following command:

*IPCONFIG /ALL*

[Note that there is no space between the slash and ALL.]

Right click in the command window and choose *Select All*, then hit *Enter*.
Paste the results in a message here.

If necessary use a text file and removable media to copy the results to a computer with internet access.


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## kimberleyroad (Jan 22, 2011)

Thanks for getting back to me, sorry I didn't see it until now! Here is a screenshot of the program's network page.

The top network is mine.










And the paste of ipconfig /all:



> Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
> Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
> 
> C:\Users\My Name>ipconfig /all
> ...


I doubt it's important, but just to clarify, the internet is working with an ethernet cable, is working wirelessly for my housemates' laptops and when I try to connect wireleslly, the connected sign comes up for about 10 seconds and then the yellow triangle appears.

Thanks in advance for getting back to me.


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## kimberleyroad (Jan 22, 2011)

Oh, this is a screenshot of a connection test I did in the xirrus program.


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

> doubt it's important, but just to clarify, the internet is working with an ethernet cable


Thats important to know
cna we see an ipconfig /all with the PC connected and working by ethernet cable - interested in the DNS

what firewall do you have - norton, mcafee etc 
it maybe blocking access on wireless ...

alos try a tcp/ip reset - see below

is kimberly road the wireless you are trying to connect to ?
if so try removing the wireless profile and reconnect and make sure you are using the correct key

*Wireless Profiles*
http://mgmcc.forumotion.net/networking-tutorials-f17/removing-an-existing-wireless-profile-t109.htm
*- Vista/Windows7:*
http://www.tp-link.com/support/showfaq.asp?id=214
- delete the wireless profiles
Start> control Panel> classic view> network and sharing center> manage wireless networks

Delete the profiles
you will then have to enter the wireless security key for any networks you connect to
--

*------------------------------------------------------------------------*

*TCP/IP stack repair options for use with Vista/Windows 7. *

Start, Programs\Accessories and *right click on Command Prompt, select "Run as Administrator" *to open a command prompt.

_Note: Type only the text in *bold* for the following commands._

Reset WINSOCK entries to installation defaults: *netsh winsock reset catalog*

Reset IPv4 TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. *netsh int ipv4 reset reset.log*

Reset IPv6 TCP/IP stack to installation defaults. *netsh int ipv6 reset reset.log*

Reboot the machine.

If you receive the message 
*The requested operation requires elevation.
The please open the command prompt as administrator - as requested above 
Start, Programs\Accessories and right click on Command Prompt, select "Run as Administrator" to open a command prompt.

Post back the results here 
rightclick in the box
select all
enter
control key + C key - to copy
then reply here and 
control key + V to paste

------------------------------------------------------------------------*


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## kimberleyroad (Jan 22, 2011)

This is the ipconfig with the ethernet in and working:



> Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
> Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
> 
> C:\Users\My Name>ipconfig /all
> ...


I've recently done a system restore to factory settings to try and eliminate the problem but it was still occurring, which means I only have Windows Firewall currently, and I tried disabling it to see if it made a difference, which it didn't.

Before the restore to factory settings I deleted the wireless from my laptop's memory so that I had to re-enter the password again and it still didn't work. I've been on the router configuration page to check if there was anything blocking me and there wasn't, and the password was correct.

I did all the cmd resets you wanted me too; for the winsock catalog reset it said successful and to restart, same for the ipv4, and the ipv6 said there was no user settings to reset or something along those lines.

Restarted, still a yellow triangle.

What did you want me to post here after, another ipconfig /all? Here it is in case that's what you wanted:



> Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
> Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
> 
> C:\Users\My Name>ipconfig /all
> ...


Thanks for the help.


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

which signal are you trying to connect to


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## kimberleyroad (Jan 22, 2011)

I don't understand what you mean?

I'm not too tech-smart, all I know is that I'm trying to connect to the wireless internet. How would I find out which one it is, if it's a wrong one etc?


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

you have four networks shown in the xirrus screen shot - so when you try and connect to a wireless network whats the name of the network you are trying to connect to 

kimberly road
liverpool road
netgear
bthomehub


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## kimberleyroad (Jan 22, 2011)

Ah sorry, it's kimberly road I'm trying to connect to.


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

cna you log into the router and remove the WPA wireless encryption - disable so that you have no encryption - then see if you can connect 
if so put the security back on and see if you connect again


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## kimberleyroad (Jan 22, 2011)

Did what you said but still got the connected but with yellow triangle thing.

When I took away the password it said I was connected to 'kimberly road 2' when I connected to the insecure kimberly road network. 

I tried to connect wirelessly but it came up as connected for about 10 seconds then the yellow triangle popped up.


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

can we see an xirrus screen shot with the encryption OFF


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## kimberleyroad (Jan 22, 2011)

Here we are


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

next would be to change channel - lots on 11 - so try channel 1 
also turn off the wide 40mhz range off and just use the 20mhz

leave wireless un-secure for the moment -

then do a power cycle - turn everything OFF
turn on the modem if you have one - allow to settle 
turn on router allow to settle 
turn on PC and try and connect

if that does not work lets see all the services running

*------------------------------------------------------------------------*
{Services} 
post back the status - started/stopped and automatic/manual
Check your Services are Started on all PCs: 

COM+ Event System (for WZC issues)
Computer Browser
DHCP Client
DNS Client
Network Connections
Network Location Awareness
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
Server
TCP/IP Netbios helper
Wireless Zero Configuration _(XP wireless configurations only_)
WLAN AutoConfig (_Vista wireless configurations only_)
Workstation

_*Note:* You can check the services in Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Services._

*All of these services should be started, and their startup type should be automatic (or perhaps manual).*

If a service is not running, open it's properties and check the dependencies. Check each of the dependencies and see which one is preventing the service from running.

Checking the event log is also a good idea here, there may be clues to what is failing.
Start > control panel > administrative tools > event Viewer

*------------------------------------------------------------------------*


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## kimberleyroad (Jan 22, 2011)

How would I change channel and turn the 40mhz off?


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

same area as you turned off the security - wireless section should have an option to change the channel numbers and also change from wide to standard mode - make and exact model / revision level if on the label - of the router


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Please also download and install the latest wireless driver from your laptop manufacturer's web site.


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## kimberleyroad (Jan 22, 2011)

Will this affect my housemates' laptops? ie disconnect them

They've been having no problems with the internet and I don't want to 'drag them down with me' so to speak


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## kimberleyroad (Jan 22, 2011)

TerryNet said:


> Please also download and install the latest wireless driver from your laptop manufacturer's web site.


Will try doing this, my laptop is Advent with Intel processor but the driver is Realtek at the moment. Where should I download the latest driver from?


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

> Will this affect my housemates' laptops? ie disconnect them


Yes, it will and they will just reconnect 
But do as terrynet posted - lets update the driver first
make and model of the PC


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## kimberleyroad (Jan 22, 2011)

It's an Advent quantum Q200 laptop. Intel Celeron C900 processor, the driver is Realtek


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

If any of your housemates is a prankster (or holds a grudge against you) it is possible that the router has been set to block your wireless MAC Address from internet access (this is not the same setting that can block a MAC Address from even connecting to the network). I mention this because you do have communication with the router, and what I described is at least a logical explanation (not that networking cares much about my logic).


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## kimberleyroad (Jan 22, 2011)

Lol, I will check this just in case, where in the router configuration page would that be?


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## kimberleyroad (Jan 22, 2011)

I checked and my PC name was under the MAC Filter list which is what you're talking about, so I thought you might've been right, but I removed it and I still can't access internet wirelessly.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

All routers are different, and not all even have those features. Attached are two screen shots from a D-Link DIR-615 showing MAC Address filtering (allowing or disallowing computers to connect to the network) and the second is the finer control for computers that are connected.

I've never used the features, so don't know much more about them.


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