New laptop problem

Serida

I'm hoping someone can help a 70 yr old non-technical female with a laptop problem. I connected up a new Dell Inspiron 17R laptop yesterday. Very pleased with myself as I did in in 20 minutes! Fine yesterday but today periodically the Internet light on the router goes red and I've lost connection. Obviously I've done something wrong. I've got an AC adaptor in the back of the laptop connected to the mains. The yellow cable is in the back on the extreme right connected to the router. Apart from that all I have in is the mouse from my old computer (sorry but I do like a mouse) and the printer cable to my printer (prints o.k.) I do manage to get back on-line if I turn off the router and back on again. Any suggestions as to why I have this problem please? Thank you.

Figment

You don't mention who your internet service provider is, or whether you're using ADSL (internet via telephone line) or cable (Virgin Media), nor do you say whether this problem existed prior to today. My guess is this isn't anything you've done but a problem with the internet connection (possibly your provider carrying out routing maintenance)

You can test this theory by doing the following:

Unplug the cable between laptop and router. Turn power to router off, wait 20 seconds, turn back on. Now monitor it for a while to see if the light still goes red, and if it does, do nothing but watch and see if it goes green again without touching it.

Report back with the results for further help

As an aside, why are you using a cable to connect to the router rather than wireless?

Serida

Thank you Figment. I did reply but got disconnected again. I am with Talktalk. Using ADSL. Laptop worked o.k. yesterday after I connected it up at 8.30 a.m. and used it all day no problems. Did what you suggested. The Internet light stayed green but the LAN whatever that is went out. I thought everyone had to use the yellow cable to connect to router. The internet light stayed green when I disconnected the yellow cable but I couldn't get on-line.

Figment

LAN = Local Area Network (in your case the yellow cable). The light that went out would correspond with the socket you had the yellow cable plugged into (1-4)

You wouldn't be able to get online without the yellow cable, unless you've also set up a wireless connection between laptop and router. Once that is set up you won't need to use the yellow cable.

How often does the light go red, and if you wait does it go green again on it's own or only if you switch the router off/on?

Serida

I've just set up 'Wireless' between router and laptop following the instructions supplied with the router and all seems o.k. So have now taken the yellow cable away. The red light hasn't gone on for about half an hour now so I've managed to stay connected. This morning it went on at various times (every 10 mins or so and then there was a gap of about 2 hours). This morning the only way I could get back on line was by turning the router off/on again. I'm hoping that by going 'Wireless' the green light will remain on !!!
Thank you for helping me. It's a case of watch this space!!

Figment

The gap of about 2 hours tends to confirm my original theory about network maintenance.

Now you have the wireless connection working, you're not limited to sitting in one place!

grumpycrab

To the original poster. If you ever have problems with Talktalks internet connection don't, whatever you do, ring their customer support. Register and raise the issue at http://www.talktalkmembers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=37

Serida

I contacted talktalk forum as suggested by 'grumpycrab' and found them to be very helpful and they sent me a new router. Since connecting this up I have had no problems (so far!) with losing connectivity while using the laptop. However, I am curious as to why the red internet light comes on when I leave the laptop to do something else. It usually comes on about half an hour later. Is this normal? The router that I had with my desktop computer was hidden behind speakers so I didn't ever notice whether the red light came on or not, maybe it did. When I come back to the laptop the power light needs to be pressed, then up comes 'Resuming Windows' followed by 'Dell - my name, locked'. After clicking on this I then click 'Internet Explorer' and I'm back where I was before I left the laptop. I keep my laptop permanently on the desk connected to the mains 24/7. This procedure is all very quick and not a problem but I just wonder if it is o.k.