# Laptop cannot connect via Wireless Network



## Glaswegian (Dec 5, 2004)

Hi

Having some problems with my daughters connection to the wireless network. No matter how many times I add the network details, it will not connect. It constantly says there are no networks in range. I have changed the settings and made the network Open, but still no joy. IPCONFIG on the laptop comes up with nothing - it says disconnected. The desktop is working fine, no connection problems.

I use an ASUS WL530g router.

IPCONFIG on the desktop shows this:-


> Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
> (C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.
> 
> C:\Documents and Settings\Iain>ipconfig /all
> ...


Networking is not something I know much about. so any help would be gratefully appreciated. (especially as both my wife and my daughter will try and throw me off the desktop if I don't get this fixed. )


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Currently, your laptop shows no recognized wireless hardware.

Please do this:

*S*tart, *R*un, *devmgmt.msc*

Under *Network adapters*, please tell me all the devices listed. Also, are there any devices anywhere in the Device Manager display with yellow *?* or *!* displayed?


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## Glaswegian (Dec 5, 2004)

Thanks John

Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN
Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC

There are no exclamation marks or question marks in Device Manager.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Have you perhaps disabled the wireless on the laptop? Most laptops have either a small switch or a function key sequence to enable/disable the wireless.


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## Glaswegian (Dec 5, 2004)

Nope - it works - system tray icon says WLAN ON.

Even with the router settings at 'Open or Shared Key', no encryption or anything, the laptop refuses to find the connection. I go in via Network Connections, Wireless Network tab and add the details there - then after I close the boxes - they vanish.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

When you toggle the wireless switch do you get a "WLAN OFF"? Is there also a LED that indicates the wireless on/off state?

What wireless utility are you using?

Could we see an ipconfig /all for the laptop? If necessary use a text file and removable media to copy the results to a computer with internet access.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Good plan Terry, I thought the previous IPCONFIG was for the problem machine!


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Thanks, John. I missed "IPCONFIG on the desktop shows this" first time through, but picked it up on the instant review.


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## Glaswegian (Dec 5, 2004)

My apologies for the confusion. Here is the IPCONFIG from the laptop.


> Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
> (C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.
> 
> C:\Documents and Settings\Iain>ipconfig /all
> ...


There is a WLAN on button on the front - blue led to indicate on - it is on. There is also a system tray icon that confirms WLAN on. The laptop is a Compaq Presario V4000.

Interestingly, when I click on the 'not connected' icon, the Wireless Network dialog box now says "Windows cannot configure this wireless connection - if you want Windows to.....start the WZC Service...." This has never shown before.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

That means you're using another wireless client. What happens when you use that one to 'scan for networks' or whatever? Or, if you prefer WZC, follow the instructions to stop the other utility and start WZC.

Asking two more real basic questions just to make sure--on your router is the wireless enabled and is the SSID broadcast enabled?


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## Glaswegian (Dec 5, 2004)

Don't worry about asking basic questions - as I said, networking is not my thing, so I'm more liable to do something stupid.

At the moment, the router is set at the default (i.e. minimal) settings. I checked in services and WZC is on Automatic startup.

It won't let me manually create a wireless network either - says the wizard can't do it?

Appreciate your help with this.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Let's go for the basics.

*TCP/IP stack repair options for use with Windows XP with SP2.*

*S*tart, *R*un, *CMD* to open a command prompt:

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

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

Reboot the machine.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

"At the moment, the router is set at the default (i.e. minimal) settings."

What does that mean? Especially with respect to wireless?


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## Glaswegian (Dec 5, 2004)

OK done that -still the same.

Terry - I meant that it was an Open connection with no key.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

If the router's wireless mode is enabled, its SSID broadcast is enabled, and its WLAN LED is lit, and with whatever wireless utility you are using you do not detect any signals, I suggest that it is time for second opinions.

Meaning, see if another computer can detect your router's wireless network, and if the problem PC can detect another network that is known to be working and detectable.


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## Glaswegian (Dec 5, 2004)

I've run out of PCs but I can 'borrow' a neighbours laptop and see what happens.

Thanks to both for your help.


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## calvin-c (May 17, 2006)

I'm wondering about the fact that Windows says the wizard can't configure a wireless network. It's been several years, but I ran into something like that when I unchecked 'Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings' in the Wireless Network Connection box. This was per instructions that came with my wireless card & it sounded reasonable as the CD installed a client from the manufacturer-except I couldn't figure out how to configure that client & when I tried using Windows it gave me a similar error message.

So, Glaswegian, can you check to ensure that box is checked? I don't remember whether or not it affects the setting for WZC, but it seems to me that WZC was still set to Automatic when I was getting the error. Won't swear to that, as I said it's been a couple of years, but that's what I recall.


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## Glaswegian (Dec 5, 2004)

Hi Calvin-c

Thanks for your suggestion. The box is indeed checked.

I can input details of the network in the WNC Box, but if the laptop can't find the network, those details vanish when I go back to the WNC box Very strange. Sometimes I get a message saying that more than one network is in range, but in the Choose a Network box it says no networks could be found?


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Did this PC ever connect wirelessly to your network? If so, can you do a System Restore to just before the problem started?

You only have one wireless utility (client) running now, right?


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## Glaswegian (Dec 5, 2004)

Hi Terry

Yes it was connected fine, up until 1 hour before I started this thread. We only have 2 PCs - the desktop and the laptop.

I will try System Restore.


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## Foley (Jun 25, 2007)

Perhaps your Wifi Switch is not on??


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## Glaswegian (Dec 5, 2004)

Actually, it looks more like the wireless card in the laptop is borked. My neighbour has a spare, so we'll test it tomorrow.


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## Tal0n (Dec 1, 2007)

I hope you got this sorted.

If not, then you might like to know that I came across this thread while trying to resolve an issue with a wireless connection on my own laptop.

It is a work laptop on which I use VMWare for virtual systems.
Strangely, the problem I have is that I cannot have the VMWare Virtual Network Adapter and my wireless connection working at the same time.

I have a fairly good knowledge of networking and systems, so I will resolve it ... eventually lol
But the reason I mention this is because on your first post your IPCONFIG /ALL command showed VMNET1 and VMNET8 virtual network adapters - though not on the second time you posted this ...

Anyway - if you do have VMWare installed, try disabling the VMWare adapters (1 & 8) temporarily to see if the issue is resolved.

Best of luck.

---
I finally got pointed in the right direction by another comment on a different forum.
In fact my VMNet8 had a default gateway defined, which was conflicting with the default gateway on my wireless controller. I removed the gateway on VMNet8 and both adapters worked.

All of this is probably useless to you if you already got it sorted, but you never know


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