# Wireless Adapter disappeared



## karanmahajan (Jun 24, 2008)

Hi,
I'm running vista and up until last week wasnt having any problems with my wireless connection. Now all of a sudden windows cannot find the wireless network adapter and as a result my wireless doesn't work. It doesnt show any available networks, doesn't even show me a wireless network icon in the network and sharing center.
Any ideas on what exactly is wrong?
Thanks.


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Hold the *Windows* key and press *R*, then type *devmgmt.msc*

Please respond to *all* the following steps.


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

Let's see this as well.

Hold the *Windows* key and press *R*, then type *CMD* to open a command prompt:

In the command prompt window that opens, type type the following command:

_Note that there is a space before the /ALL, but there is *NOT* a space after the / in the following command._

IPCONFIG /ALL

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

If you are on a machine with no network connection, use a floppy, USB disk, or a CD-RW disk to transfer a text file with the information to allow pasting it here.


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## karanmahajan (Jun 24, 2008)

In reply to the first questions:

1. Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)
Bluetooth Device (RFCOMM Protocol TDI)
NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
2. No such devices
3. No such device indications in device manager

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6000]
Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Users\Namita>IPCONFIG /ALL
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : LH-NVH3OA7H3A30
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
Ethernet adapter Bluetooth Network Connection:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1A-6B-E0-11-56
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1B-24-84-E6-19
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::2813:aa25:2eaa:1383%8(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.5(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 203.94.227.70
203.94.243.70
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 7:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.{CDAC0743-F6C8-48FA-8055-36D5F8B88
AF7}
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::5efe:192.168.1.5%13(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 203.94.227.70
203.94.243.70
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 12:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

If I use it as a wired connection then it works.

Any clue?


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Well, your thread title is correct. Your wireless adapter has somehow become disabled in the BIOS, has come loose, or has failed.

I'd first tackle the 2nd possibility. Presumably you don't need any help checking that out if the adapter is USB, PCMCIA or ExpressCard. If it is a mini-PCI card it can be found by opening a door on the laptop's bottom; unplug the AC and remove the battery before opening it. If it's a PCI card open the tower, remove the card and reinsert it.


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## karanmahajan (Jun 24, 2008)

I'm using the HP Pavilion tx1000 tablet. cnet calls it a wireless LAN antenna. So once I open it from the bottom, what exactly am I looking for? What does it look like?
Thanks for all the help.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

I am not familiar with tablets; nor do I know if a "wireless LAN antenna" is a mini-PCI card. The adapter should have something on it (e.g., brand and maybe model) to identify it.

Wouldn't a "wireless LAN antenna" be referring to an antenna, not to the adapter to which it is attached?

Have you read the material beginning on page 44, chapter 5, of your manual (on WLAN replacement)? I was reading here: http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00853874.pdf


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## patopunky (Jun 30, 2008)

I was working a few days back with my laptop and all the sudden I could no longer use the wireless utility in my laptop. 
I tried to switch it on/off using the swith in front of the laptop and it stays off (amber light)
I downloaded the updated driver from hp.com (Broadcom Wireless LAN 4.170.64.5 Driver) and installed in my laptop and nothing happened. 

this is what I get:

Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Pato-PC
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . : 
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : corp.halliburton.com
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : corp.halliburton.com
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-16-36-F6-4A-5C
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::8da:a650:ad1f:4439%8(Preferred) 
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.66(Preferred) 
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Monday, June 30, 2008 7:53:22 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, July 01, 2008 7:53:22 PM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 201332278
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : corp.halliburton.com
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.corp.halliburton.com
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::5efe:192.168.1.66%14(Preferred) 
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.254
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 9:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : 
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 10:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : 
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : 6TO4 Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes

If I open the Device manager, the Broadcome Wireless is not listed, only the NVIDIA nForce Network controller

... Broadcom Wireless LAN is not detected anywhere!!!!!!!
Can someone help me??


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