# Laptop can't connect to net

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-cant-connect-to-net/448877>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 11, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-cant-connect-to-net/448877 "2008-05-11T02:08:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-cant-connect-to-net/448877/1 "2008-05-11T02:08:38Z")

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OK, I have a laptop, a router, and cable internet. I hook up the laptop to the router with CAT5 cable. I can access the router with the laptop. All the other computers can access the internet through the router. The laptop can connect to the internet through a wireless connection, which I just tested with a neighbour’s unsecured Wifi.

My laptop cannot get to the internet through my router. Why?

ipconfig looks fine, the network configuration on the laptop says the connection is fine. I am using the same settings as the other computers that can access the net through the router.

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**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2008, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-cant-connect-to-net/448877/2 "2008-05-11T10:16:01Z")

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Were the other computers already there when you set up the router and the laptop added later?

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**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2008, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-cant-connect-to-net/448877/3 "2008-05-11T10:42:45Z")

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Download [WinsockFix](http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4372.html) to a flash drive on another computer, and run it on the dead one. It is very safe, and 9 times out of 10, it will fix connectivity problems like this.

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**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-cant-connect-to-net/448877/4 "2008-05-11T14:38:09Z")

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Don’t know answer but when I booted my Lenovo laptoip this a.m. from my bedroom, which is about 50 feet and 3 walls from my wireless router, I could not connect to the web. I unplugged it and carried it to the rec/computer room and rebooted 2 feet from the router. Still no connection. I turned on the desktop eMachine next to it and it connected just fine.

Only a half hour later would the laptop connect so that I could get on this board again, now from the bedroom, with a "weak connection (1 little bar). It says that there are 2 other wireless connections in my neighborhood, both secure. Good luck.

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**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-cant-connect-to-net/448877/5 "2008-05-11T16:43:23Z")

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Well, Winsockfix did it. Thanks guys.

I remember the days when I was a young man and could fix these things myself.