So, I had to replace the old wireless router with a new one as they die after 5 years or so. So on my valiant though mentally deficient EEE PC I with great trepidation follow the directions to get things set up. I do all the steps, and end up with a good clean internet connection on poor little Sprout. Now roomie wants to get her laptop set up for wireless. So I make her a good clean copy of the network name, the 8 digits from the back of the router, the security key, the older computer security key and suchlike. So off she toddles into the living room to hook up.
Failure. Now she claims she isn’t even able to get online with the wire instead of wireless.
Fine.
So I reset to factory, and defang the security to identical easy to crack idiot passwords identical for all the damned settings, and she still can’t seem to get the setup wizard to work. So she starts peppering me with all these questions.
I tell her - I am not a windows tech. I am not a geek. I have no clue, if it isn’t done by wizard, I have no fucking idea what is wrong nor what to do. I surf over to a how to with illustrations of each step, print them off and hand them to her. She is now bitching in the living room.
I am so not dealing with this. She has access to all the same information I do, we are using identical versions of windows. I have absolutely no clue what her computers problem is, nor do I fucking care. I would like to be able to get out of this fucking bed and crutch my way to the bathroom to pee without feeling like Torquemada had me bastinado’d last night.
One gotcha we dealt with once. One of our computers has physical on/off switch for internet on the back or side (I forget). I didn’t even know the thing was there. It was kinda hidden as well.
The setup software would allow to turn on the software, but it never told you the actual switch was off. So, there you are thinking the internet is turn on, but its still actually off.
Laptops are pretty basic, the on/off switch is pretty much up there and in your face. sigh
It is not my damned fault if she can’t figure out how to use the network setup wizard when she is given every scrap of router information I have.
At least she didn’t ask me to set her up with wireless access to the printer. [HP printer, notorious for setting up then needing to be set up yet again after you turn your computer off then on again.]
I think billfish678 is referring to a switch just for the wireless, not the power switch for the machine. My VAIO has such a switch on the front right next to the wireless light independent of the main power switch.
Wireless works just fine for me. Her wireless light be blinking away indicating it is turned on [she has an HP, it is the little blue wireless symbol on the upper right corner of the keyboard area. No light, wireless off.]
Well, it would, unless you’re somehow on your roommate’s laptop. They’re not talking about the power switch or a switch on the router. They’re talking about the wireless switch that turns the wireless card on or off inside the laptop.
I deal with this all the time. The most common cause is the wireless network adapter has not been enabled, or the wireless button the laptop keyboard has not been pressed, or both.
Control panel>system>hardware (skip this if Window 7)>device manager>network adapters
See if there’s a red x next to an adapter. if so, right click and enable it.
IF this is the case, something is really borked, or she has managed to shut off/disable some critical aspect of windows networking. Internet from a typical router via ethernet cable should flow like beer at a frat party.
I’m not really seeing a problem as the OP has outlined it. OP made a functional WiFi hotspot. OP’s roommate is too stupid to access that hotspot. I do the same. I make it available. Your ability to connect with it is your problem, not mine. Fix it your own damn self. I did my duty by making it available. I’m on the OP’s side.