I’ve had my computer for about 2 years now (Toshiba satellite). I had no trouble with connecting to the internet until about 6 mos ago (I know, it’s taken me a while to get around to doing something about it). I used to have no trouble connecting to my home wireless network, then I could only connect to my home network in two areas of the house (living room and right next to the router). Then, I could no longer access my home network, although all my roomates can, so I assumed it was something wrong with my computer. I’ve kind of been leeching off other networks on and off for the past few months, although my computer varies with what networks it will pick up. I’m pretty much a computer novice, but if anyone has some advice, I would appreciate it. Worst comes to worst, I’ll take it into the shop, but if there are some easy common fixes to this problem I can try first, I’d like to hear about them. Thanks!
Sorry, I also just read the tech info thread. I run Windows XP, and have tried repairing my internet connection, using the bar that comes up when I right click on my internet icon in my desktop tray. And I’ve messed with the router and modem a bit, restarting them both. Thanks!
You can’t connect your laptop to your own wireless network
Your roomies are able to connect to the network
Your laptop is able to connect to other wireless networks
If all of those things are true, both the wireless network and your laptop must be working correctly, and it must simply be a configuration issue. Some possibilities:
Are you using WEP or WPA to secure the connection? ie Do you have to supply some kind of password to connect to the network? If so, make sure that you have the password correct.
Did somebody change the settings on the router to enable WPA recently? Older wireless cards don’t work with WPA, and Windows isn’t able to tell whether a wireless card is compatible with WPA or not. If this is the issue, you’ll either have to go back to using WEP or upgrade your wireless card.
Most wireless routers have an option to only allow certain computers to connect. Is this option being used? If so, make sure that your computer is on the list.
What’s the SSID(network name) of your network? Is it the default(“linksys” or “default” are common)? If it is, it’s possible that someone else is using a wireless network with the same default name, and your computer is trying to connect to that network instead of the right one. To fix this, you’ll have to change the SSID of your own network.
You mention other network you can connect to. Are the signal strengths for those networks better than your own network? Are they using the same channel as your network? If so, their signal might be interfering with yours. Try to use a channel that’s not in use – but keep in mind that channels 1, 6 and 11 are the only useful channels(channel 5, for instance, interferes with both channel 1 and channel 6).
Rysto , you did in fact understand the situation perfectly correctly.
We are using some kind of password, but I’m not sure if it’s WPA or WEP. I think it’s correct, though, because wouldn’t it give me a message if it weren’t? When I enter the password, it tries to connect, and I usually get to the “waiting for network to be ready” stage, at which the computer lingers for a while before giving up.
My wireless card is 2 years old. I don’t know how to check if somebody changed the router to enable WPA. How would I do that?
Again, can you tell me how I would check that? (sorry, know almost next to nothing about computers).
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4) What’s the SSID(network name) of your network? Is it the default(“linksys” or “default” are common)? If it is, it’s possible that someone else is using a wireless network with the same default name, and your computer is trying to connect to that network instead of the right one. To fix this, you’ll have to change the SSID of your own network.
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It is linksys, but I’m sure the linksys is “my” linksys, because the password works.
Right now, my computer isn’t even picking up linksys (my network). When it did, however, linksys usually had the largest number of balls. How do I know what channels it’s connecting through?