"Wireless network Unavailable"

MoneyMagic_3

Im a bit baffled by this one:

An acer laptop which had previously been working fine on a home wireless network has suddenly stopped working, it is saying wireless connection unavilable and also network cable unplugged. Ive tried connecting a cable up to the router but still not detected.

I know the router and internet is working as I have a dektop connected to it via cable and the wireless light is working on the router.

I have uninstalled and reinstalled the network cards on the laptop, still not luck.

Anybodyany ideas?

albertross_2

Have you tried right clicking on the wireless icon and doing a repair?

When you plug the laptop in with a wire, try doing start run

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

What model of router?

Have you setup encryption on it? Are you def connecting to your router wirelessly, and not the neighbours?

MoneyMagic_3

Yeah i've tried the right click and repair, same thing.

Its a 3com router.

Not sure about encryption, do i need to do this? Yeah im def connecting to it wirelessly, it was working before with the same setup, its as if the cards arent working, but in manager it says they are working fine!

Im not at home now so I cant try the ipconfig thing.

I was reading that sometimes when a laptop goes into hibernate, the network settings can be changed? Any truth in this?

Thanks for your help

albertross_2

Encryption complicates matters when you are having problems, but in the long run, if you aren't using it, you should. If you don't use it, it means that your network is probably open for anyone to use, get at your data, read your emails etc..

The hibernate thing is news to me.

Suggest you have a read through the wireless sticky thread over lunch, and come back later when you are sat in front of it.

MyBigToe_2

personally, i would check the routers options, ive had power spikes and power cuts reset my routers configuration and change the ssid back to default with the default security settings

Think4

We have been experiencing a few problems over the last few months with wireless laptops and broadband in general. When using the wireless function the connection seems to drop off and on again ( within about 30 secs ) I only noticed because AOL messenger goes on and off. This happens on about 4 or 5 difffernet brands of notebook. We seem to have narrowed it down to either an incompatible wireless chip because all these laptops are brand new models and are using brand new wirless chips or a drop off on broadbrand that doesnt seem to happen when using a cable or additional wlan card. When we have turned off the laptops wirless function and added a seperate wlan card the connection seems to hold up. This doesnt happen on a lease line at all connection is perfect from this we can only presume broadband is not as stable a connection as they would make you believe.

albertross_2

Think4,

You are mixing the wireless connection to the router up with broadband, they are 2 different points of potential failure. It is possible that both may be partly responsible, but unlikely.

If it works on a wired connection consistently, then that suggests a wireless issue - they are usually solved by changing channels (and switching off dect phones) to avoid interference, router firmware upgrades, or sometimes swapping equipment.

If your ISP is AOL, then reducing your MTU to 1400 may help.

The wireless sticky thread at the top of this page is a good place to start diagnosis. Lots of people have problems with wireless..

Think4

albertross,

Cheers for that didnt see the thread I'll try changing the channels etc

albertross_2

This will tell you what channels the neighbours are using.

http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads/

If you can, pick a channel 5 channels away from your nearest neighbours, to stop cross channel interference.

1,6,11 etc..