Laptop connects to Wireless Router but will not connect to the internet!!!

[Remeniz]

Its kind of my mother-in-law's laptop running Vista...

And they're ISP is BT, with one of those fancy wireless routers. Not that it matters because I get the same problem on my wireless router too.

The thing is it used to work fine. Then the next day it stopped working. The laptop finds the router, with excellent signal. But it wont access the Internet. My brother's laptop works fine...

Check this out though. I logged into my router and checked the connected devices and it only shows my computer as a connected device and not the laptop, even though the laptop shows its hooked up to the wireless network. BTW my computer is hard-wired to the router. But again this doesn't matter because my brother can 'wifi' with his laptop.

The laptop shows 'Unidentifed Network' and 'Local Only' in the Network and Sharing Center. I guess it should be showing the 'name of the network' and 'Local and Internet'.

I've searched around a bit and found that this is a common problem with a few fixes. But i've had no luck.

So any help you provide, that works, will be rewarded!

 

[Joel~]

Rewarded with what? I'm quite fond of nice tea.

Once the laptop is 'connected', can you ping the router? Is it set up to use DHCP or a static address? Has anything changed in between this laptop working and not working?

 

[Remeniz]

Rewarded with what? I'm quite fond of nice tea.

Once the laptop is 'connected', can you ping the router? Is it set up to use DHCP or a static address? Has anything changed in between this laptop working and not working?

lol! I guess rep points will have to do here then...

I'll try the ping thing.

I'm not sure about DHCP or Static. All I know is that I never had to go through all this to connect my brother laptop to the router. Just put his MAC address in and hes on.

And as far as I know the laptop was fine the previous night. The next morning it wont access the internet.

EDIT:

Ping results: Sent = 4 / Recieved = 0 / Lost = 4.

100% Loss!

And I hardwired to the router with the laptop, same as the computer, and it still don't wanna know.

 

[jmacavali]

Try power cycling the equipment. Unplug the power cables to both the modem and the router. Then plug in the modem and wait until it boots up. Then plug in the router and see if that helps any.

When you say "put in his MAC address" what do you mean? Where do you put it in at? If you are doing MAC address filtering on the router, make sure that the laptop that isn't working has it's wireless and wired MAC addresses in the router and that they are correct.

 

[Remeniz]

Try power cycling the equipment. Unplug the power cables to both the modem and the router. Then plug in the modem and wait until it boots up. Then plug in the router and see if that helps any.

When you say "put in his MAC address" what do you mean? Where do you put it in at? If you are doing MAC address filtering on the router, make sure that the laptop that isn't working has it's wireless and wired MAC addresses in the router and that they are correct.

Done that.

With regards to the MAC address. I log in to the router and add MAC addressess of the equipment that connect to the router. I like it like that. And the addressess are correct.

This is what I did to find the address of the WIFI card in the laptop...

- Click on Start.
- Select Run...
- Type cmd in the Open field and click OK.
- Type ipconfig /all and press Enter.
- Look for your machine's WIRELESS card's Physical Address.

And again, every other computer/laptop brought into this household hooks up without a problem.

Anyways. I think its something to do with the Vista OS to be honest. I reckon the OS received an update and since then it stopped accessing the internet. I'd put XP Pro on it but I don't think the manufactures made XP drivers for this, Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pi 2515 laptop.

 

[david90]

Done that.

With regards to the MAC address. I log in to the router and add MAC addressess of the equipment that connect to the router. I like it like that. And the addressess are correct.

This is what I did to find the address of the WIFI card in the laptop...

- Click on Start.
- Select Run...
- Type cmd in the Open field and click OK.
- Type ipconfig /all and press Enter.
- Look for your machine's WIRELESS card's Physical Address.

And again, every other computer/laptop brought into this household hooks up without a problem.

Anyways. I think its something to do with the Vista OS to be honest. I reckon the OS received an update and since then it stopped accessing the internet. I'd put XP Pro on it but I don't think the manufactures made XP drivers for this, Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pi 2515 laptop.

Since you're inputting your mac addr. into your router, I'm assuming the reason you're doing that is for security right? Anyway, try disabling mac filtering so that any device can access your network. You can't ping your router so it means that you're not connected to it.

And also make sure that you enter the right WEP/WPA code. The fact that another laptop (ur brother's) can connect but not your laptop means that the problem is your laptop and not the router.

 

[Remeniz]

Since you're inputting your mac addr. into your router, I'm assuming the reason you're doing that is for security right?

Correct.

Anyway, try disabling mac filtering so that any device can access your network.

Done this. But it's shouldn't make difference as long as I input the correct MAC address...

You can't ping your router so it means that you're not connected to it.

Correct.

And also make sure that you enter the right WEP/WPA code.

Done.

The fact that another laptop (ur brother's) can connect but not your laptop means that the problem is your laptop and not the router.

Correct.

 

[jmacavali]

Try turning off all security in the router. Both MAC filtering and WEP and see if with everything wide open, the laptop will find/connect to the router.


Go into the wireless properties and completely delete the wireless profile on the laptop. Then re-scan for available networks and see if that helps.


Take your laptop to anther place and see if it connects (like a WiFi hotspot like McDonalds or something).

 

[Remeniz]

Tried all those too. We have a hot-spot at the library and McDonald's and still nothing. I put it down to the OS and I cant repair the install cause thy don't have the repair CD's.

Doesn't matter now the laptop has been replaced.

They'll give me the laptop and i'll connect its HD to my computer, wipe it and install Ubuntu.

See if that fixes it.

Thanks peeps!

 

[jmacavali]

Good luck! Hope it all works out for you