# Solved: Vista and Wireless Network



## Mark R (Apr 14, 2007)

I'm really hoping someone here can help me :

I've just got a new laptop, HP Pavillion 6234, 1GB RAM, AMD Turion 64 X2, Windows VIsta Home Premium, built-in wireless b/g.

When I was travelling though chicago airport yesterday I was able to connect to the concourse wireless network, but upon arriving home to Ireland I have found it cannot connect to my home wireless network.

The network uses a NetGear router and is not encypted, it DOES broadcast its name, and there has never (and is still not) been any problem for the other computers in the house that run XP and Mac OS.

When I try to connect with the laptop running Vista I get a message that it is unable to connect as the router does not respond and it suggests the signal is weak or there is interference, yet the signal is at full strength and even when i put the laptop directly above the router the situation does not improve. 

When I connect via CAT5 cable there is no problem - only wireless.

Has anyone had similar experience? Does anyone know how I can rectify this problem?

Thanks for your time.


----------



## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

there have been reports of problems with wireless and drivers _ BUT _ you have connected OK to a wireless network

download and run
Free software to check signal strength of wireless is netstumbler 0.4.0 available for download from http://www.stumbler.net/

lets see what other networks and channels are being used

you may just need to use a different channel 1 or 6 or 11

you also have a post in another forum - which may confuse people and answers


----------



## Mark R (Apr 14, 2007)

Thanks, sorry for posting in two forums but I dont know if its a network problem or a problem with vista.

I dont know what channel my laptop is set to, but the network is channel 11. How do I check that the laptop is matched to this?


----------



## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

the laptop will be OK - its the router that you will need tochange - but run the program and lets see what else is broadcasting 

i understand the problem with the forum and which to post in - but if you get different people answering and suggesting things the people do not knwo what else has been tried - if it turns out to be a vista problem and not network and Mod can always move the post to any forum - simply hit the red triangle on your first post and ask for a move..


----------



## Mark R (Apr 14, 2007)

I've installed and run netstumbler, but on the problem laptop it just says no network adaptor detected, so I tried running it on a different computer that works on the network fine (its the one I'm using to write this) and I get the message 'no APs active' flashing in the bottom instead.

I dont understand any of this, but I'm really appreciate your help


----------



## Mark R (Apr 14, 2007)

ok, i just changed the device selected on the working laptop and i now get the NETGEAR network (my own) and a neighbours BThub network detected


----------



## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

that using the netstumber software on a working laptop - have a look at the info and see what channel the BTHub is on 

I assume on the none working laptop vista - does not see your neighbours network at all ....

have you switched the wireless signal off on the laptop by mistake - HP have physical switches - some at the back some at the front of the PC and a light

whats in device manager under network adapters ??


----------



## Mark R (Apr 14, 2007)

when I try to change the device on my problem laptop i cant select any:

I get NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller and Broadcom 802.11 b/g WLAN in the list, but both are grey and have Unknown Device (Unsupported) after them.

What should I do to make them active? Is it a question of drivers or something similar? 

Sorry if I sound stupid, I really havent got a clue about this kind of thing.


----------



## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

strange - 
the ethernet LAN controller - which i assume is your cat5 cable controller - you said works OK when plugged into router - yet in device manager its unknown and greyed out 

same as the wireless controller 

sounds like a driver issue - but maybe it would be worth doing a system recovery to when you know it worked at the airport OK
Dont know where that is in vista - if same as XP then - accessories>system tools>recovery>


----------



## Mark R (Apr 14, 2007)

my network is on channel 11, the other one BTHub is on channel 6

When I look under device manager on my problem laptop it says the broadcom wireless controller is working properly, and the physical switch is not turned to off. It is picking up the network but not connecting.

Netstumbler says the Broadcom WLAN is an unknown device and unsupported, but the device manager appears to disagree. The only thing that seems to be possibly out of place is in device manager the 'location' listed for the Broadcom device is United States, which is where the laptop was bought a few days ago, and I'm now back in Ireland (although some class the north as UK - dont know if this makes a difference in terms of wireless networking either way.

The driver update looks to be a bit old - maybe I should try going online with the CAT5 cable and updating it?


----------



## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

do you have a cordless phone 
although your wireless network is set to unsecure ?

can you post an ipconfig /all

can you connect to the BTHub network ? or is it secure

you could try changing to channel 1

i have people travel in from USA and the wireless works OK - so should be OK 
I think in us they also have channel 12 and 13


----------



## Mark R (Apr 14, 2007)

have a cordless phone, but doesnt interfere with toshiba or macs. The neighbours BThub network is secured so cant connect to it.

not sure how to post ipconfig, or how to change to channel 1


----------



## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

opps sorry should have posted details of ipconfig /all

the channel change would need to be done inside the router - so you need to log onto the router and should see a wireless section where you can choose channel


ipconfig /all 

TWO Methods to do that - some people have problems with ONE----

ONE ---------------------------------
start
run
cmd
ipconfig /all

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

TWO -----------------------------------------------

Start, Run, CMD to open a DOS window and type:

IPCONFIG /ALL >C:\RESULT.TXT

Open C:\RESULT.TXT with Notepad and copy/paste the entire results here.


----------



## downtime (Oct 21, 2002)

I had a similar problem with an Acer laptop, it couldn't identify the network and said the signal was weak, and couldn't connect. The linksysy router is set up to broadcast the ssid. I set the wireless connection up manually as if it wasn't broadcasting the ssid, once I did that it connected fine and the strength was excellent.


----------



## Mark R (Apr 14, 2007)

Hmm, I replied earlier but it isnt here.

I got the problem fixed (i think) by looking in the router and finding that it was set to accept trusted mac address' - not sure how I missed that before, but now my new laptop is on the list and working, although netstumbler still says no adapter. Maybe a problem between netstumbler and vista?

only problem is that the wireless signal is now a LOT weaker - not sure why this would happen but it is now getting so weak that I can barely get a signal even when right by router and other computer downstairs has no signal at all


----------



## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

ok - so working ok - no idea why signal poor - what about other laptops - what dop they think the signal is like 

I have seen other use netstumbler on vista here i think... i need to check i guess

no need for ipconfig /all now

we usually remove ipv6 on other XP systems - but i think its a part of vista so not sure about that now


----------



## Mark R (Apr 14, 2007)

OK, The signal weakness was due to the routers atenna being almost unscrewed 

One odd thing that is still going on - netstumbler still says it cant detect any adapter....

and also, the other laptop that didnt have any problem now keeps coming up with a message saying "Windows - System Error There is an IP address conflict with another system on the network" - the IP address is different to the HP laptop though, maybe its clashing with the dell desktop upstairs.


----------



## Mark R (Apr 14, 2007)

Well, things are working for my new computer anyway - thanks for your time and assistance Etaf, I really do appreciate it. Will keep trying with netstumbler to find out whats going on there, but I imagine most of the stumbling will be on my part


----------



## coolcgk (Jul 2, 2007)

Can anyone help? I have just purchased a new computer with Vista. I have downloaded Network Stumbler onto this new computer.

When I run Network Stumbler (using "Run as Administrator"), it flashes "No APs Active".

It is right next to the old computer, and also next to the wireless router.

The old computer shows all the wireless networks around, but this one does not. It would suggest that I have a config setting wrong, or that Vista is imcompatible, but config seems to work.

Hope someone can help.


----------



## Cousin Vinny (Sep 9, 2008)

Im not familiar with Network Stumbler, but if your computer doesnt show any networks around, it usually means that: 1) the wireless switch is off or 2) there is a problem with the wireless adapter.


----------

