Computer anomalies

[TEO]

My wife and I have similar HP laptop computers. At home, both computers connect with our wifi. When we're on the road, if there is wifi, I can connect instantly. My wife cannot connect at all. Out of ideas, I took her computer to Computer Geeks and they found it to be working perfectly. Any ideas what the problem could be?

Thanks,
Paul

[AllegroD]

Sometimes internal wifi cards just suck. Try reseating it and ensure the antenna wires are fully connected. YOu might have to replace it.

[Executive45]

The way I read your post, is she can get some connections but not all of them as you can. If that's the case, try my method above. If she's not getting ANY connection then her wifi is most likely turned off or frozen. If that's the case, see below.

Before you send the computer back, try this:

Go HERE. Download the file to a flash drive.
Install it on her computer and run the .exe program.

That should allow her to turn on the wifi....Dennis

[Bobbo]

wa8yxm wrote:
Alas. my problem is a bit different with my less than one year old HP.

It will not connect via Wi-FI to anything, and it has no LAN port (OK, so it does via a USB dongle)

HP and I spent a good hour on it a couple days ago.. Box arrives today and likely goes back to HP today. (Assuming Fed Ex delivers to me and not the landlord)

After a year of working flawlessly, DW's computer suddenly did that. It no longer connected via WIFI to anything. I turned off the WIFI, and turned it back on. I re-installed the driver. I even bought a new WIFI card and installed it. Nothing worked.

Then, just before buying a new computer, I noticed that one of her keyboard keys had a picture of a WIFI tower on it. I pressed that key, and the WIFI suddenly worked again.

I don't recall if I had to press another key, like CTRL or ALT, or maybe FN in combination with it. I think, maybe, it was FN and that key.

DW is dangerous with her computer. She occasionally gets her screen display upside down, or the task bar to one side, or at the top. She has no idea how she does it.

[wa8yxm]

Alas. my problem is a bit different with my less than one year old HP.

It will not connect via Wi-FI to anything, and it has no LAN port (OK, so it does via a USB dongle)

HP and I spent a good hour on it a couple days ago.. Box arrives today and likely goes back to HP today. (Assuming Fed Ex delivers to me and not the landlord)

[Executive45]

Using YOUR computer,

1. Insert a USB drive.
2. Open your wireless network connection. Mine has an icon, lower right.
3. Right click on your open wireless connection.
4. Click on "Properties"
5. Click "Connection"
6. Click on "Copy this network profile to a USB flash Drive"
7. Insert flash drive in your wife's computer and click install.
8. Reboot her computer and she should be good to go.....Dennis

[Bobbo]

We need to know EXACTLY what she is seeing. List of WIFI hotspots available. Error message when trying to connect, etc.

[darsben]

Some laptops can be set to turn off wireless on battery. Is she on battery when trying to connect
In windows 7 it is found at
control panel
network and internet
network connections
wireless network connections
properties
configure
properties.
Uncheck "allow computer to turn off device to save power.

[coolmom42]

Can she see the list of available wifi connections? And is it the same list you can see? That's the first thing to check.

I had a problem with my Firefox not being able to connect in McDs because it would not go to the Wayport access page, which is necessary before you can get internet access there. Firefox kept trying to connect to the page I had set as home. I finally opened another tab and googled "wayport connection" and got to the right page first, clicked the "accept conditions of use" or whatever box, and then it worked fine.

Often there is a similar "first page" requirement in RV parks & hotels. If she's not using the same browser or settings as you, that might explain the difference.